Ben Grauer (MHA '23): University of Iowa Hospital & Clinics – Strategy Implementation

Sounding off from Iowa City! This summer I was given the opportunity to work with Heather Kingston in the office of Health Systems Implementation. I joined the “Awesome Team” that was indeed just that. All seven of them (hopefully more by now) were incredibly kind and willing to take time to answer any and all questions I had. The work environment was relaxed and Heather was a great preceptor who has a wealth of project management knowledge. She is coming back to healthcare after working with Microsoft for nearly four years, and is able to provide a unique perspective that is very insightful. If you are torn between traditional career paths and opportunities outside of them, she can speak to them quite well.

My time at UIHC and in the HSIO office specifically, introduced me to a number of new concepts and gave me the chance to learn about a piece of healthcare management that is very specific and not included in our program’s curriculum. Their objective is to turn the vision of UI healthcare into reality and project managers – many of whom have additional Project Management Professional certifications – guide that process. This summer, I learned about change, risk, and stakeholder management which are soft skills used by project managers to efficiently and effectively implement internal projects that will help the organization grow. 

 

While at the hospital, I was able to work with the team to determine the feasibility of different methods providers could use to reduce CLABSI’s (Central Line Associated Blood Stream Infections) by identifying how difficult each one would be to implement using a PICK chart (Possible, Implement, Challenge, Kibosh) that I learned about during a 2-day LEAN training session. I also analyzed nurse’s degree and certification data that was submitted to Magnet as part of our recertification material, and developed the first of a series of internal communication pamphlets that will help cancer patients schedule their appointments more quickly. 

 

Iowa City is a great place to be during the summer and I enjoyed having time to do a bit of travelling and eating and drinking on as many patios as we could find. 

*A Note From The Editor*

If you would like to keep up with Ben, you can find him here on LinkedIn!