University of Iowa Health Management & Policy

Hello from the beautiful Cache Valley! I had an amazing summer completing my internship with Intermountain Health at Logan Regional Hospital. Intermountain is a nonprofit health system comprised of 33 hospitals and 385 clinics across 7 states (U UT, NV, ID, CO, MT, ​KS, WY). Logan Regional Hospital (LRH) is a 148-bed Level III trauma center and is recognized as a  top 100 hospital . Logan is in the Cache Valley of Northern Utah with a population of around 150,000. My preceptor, Brandon McBride, is the CEO/Administrator of LRH. Brandon has been with Intermountain Health for 15 years, and was recently named as a top leader as part of Becker’s Hospital Review’s ‘ Community Hospital CEOs to Know ’.  Throughout the summer I engaged in a well-balanced array of projects providing me with a high-level understanding of hospital operations. I took on several projects including process improvements in the emergency department and with volunteer services. I also completed a qualitati...

Hello from Chicago, Illinois! This summer, I completed a 10-week associateship with Deloitte Consulting in my new favorite city. I lived in the Central Loop, about a 20-minute walk from the office, and explored as much of the city as I could during my time at Deloitte. I experienced a summer full of traveling, connecting with full-time practitioners of every level, networking with fellow summer associates across the nation, and learning what it means to be a part of a team within a large consulting practice.     Deloitte Consulting is a global consulting firm that houses various businesses and employees specialized in a variety of fields. They have over 100 offices nationwide, and I had the pleasure of working a hybrid schedule out of the Chicago location. Their healthcare and life sciences practice is widespread and includes commercial clients such as health systems, health plans, and provider networks. This summer, I was staffed on an account with a large health plan who has...

Konnichiwa from Japan!   As I sit down to write this blog post, I am filled with a sense of gratitude and accomplishment as I reflect on my time as an intern at Nihon Keiei Consulting Group in Osaka, Japan. This summer has been nothing short of remarkable, offering me a unique blend of professional development and cultural immersion that I will cherish forever.   During my time at Nihon Keiei, I had the opportunity to engage in in-depth research and analysis, creating comprehensive market profiles for the healthcare sectors in the Philippines and India. These profiles laid the foundation for strategic expansion plans, and it was an honor to present my findings and recommendations to a senior consultant during insightful one-on-one meetings. These interactions were not only professionally enriching but also allowed me to witness firsthand how strategic decisions shape the course of an organization's growth.   One of the most rewarding experiences during my internship was t...

Hi from Iowa City! I am now exploring more of what Iowa City offers this summer. I took a spring semester course about project management and engagement of stakeholders, which is why I wanted to see it come to action. I am positioned with the project managers, and I got introduced to various projects going on within the organization. I have been able to sit in on some discussions this far for specific projects and have been “working” with partnered consultants in them too. The work environment has been relaxed. I work with 6 project managers that are fierce and flexible. I have gotten to “shadow” how they initiate, plan, and act on the many distinct types of projects and overall, their knowledge about healthcare management. What is fascinating is that all, if not the majority, come from diverse backgrounds and can transform success together as a team and with the organization. My preceptor is Heather Kingston who has a fascinating journey in project management and can discuss many care...

Hello from Iowa City!  I spent my summer at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, completing my administrative internship in Ambulatory Care Operations. Ambulatory Care consists of around 20 areas, with generally the most complex conditions being treated on the main campus. The team is comprised of approx. 1,200 FTEs, most of whom provide direct care or support for in-person visits. The main campus clinics provide post-visit support for encounters that occur at Iowa River Landing (IRL) and the community clinics. This area is responsible for more than 1 million in-person primary encounters per year and additionally provides secondary services including procedures and ancillary visits. My preceptor was Grant Worthington, Director of Ambulatory Operations (Main Campus). Grant is also an Iowa MHA Alum, and a great resource if you’re interested in the outpatient space! I had the opportunity to involve myself in a variety of projects and observations this summer. My two non-clini...

Hello from Salt Lake City!   This summer, I was fortunate to complete an administrative internship with the System Planning Department at the University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics. The University of Utah Health system includes 5 hospitals and 11 clinics and serves patients throughout Utah and its surrounding states. I worked at the main hospital, which is a Level 1 Trauma Center located in the mountains just outside of downtown Salt Lake City (the mountain views from the hospital were unbelievable!). U of U Health ranks highly for quality among academic medical centers in the U.S., making the internship a great opportunity to learn from a forerunner in care quality.   System Planning houses the Operational Project Management Office (OPMO), Strategic Integration, and Space Planning teams, and I had the opportunity to work with all three teams.   My preceptor was Ischa Jensen, Associate Executive Director of System Planning. I learned so much from Ischa about stra...

  Hello from Rochester, Minnesota! This summer I had the privilege of completing my summer internship with Mayo Clinic in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology (DLMP). The Mayo Clinic Enterprise serves those from both across the United States and across the world treating more than 1.4 million patients annually. The original, and largest site, Mayo Clinic Rochester is made up of 40,000 employees, numerous medical specialties, and over 100 years of providing some of the most complex care. Downtown Rochester is made up of predominantly Mayo-owned facilities to support the growing number of employees and patients who seek care here each day with plans to expand by 2030.   The Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology is based in the Hilton Building and is the second largest department at Mayo Clinic comprised of 11 different divisions and over 66 operating laboratories. I had the opportunity to work closely with two Operations Administrators (OAs) on my two ma...

Greetings from the hidden gem of Decorah, Iowa! This summer I have the privilege of serving as the Administrative Intern at WinnMed.  WinnMed is a 25-bed critical access hospital in Northeast, Iowa, and serves as the regional hub for healthcare services. WinnMed is the largest and most specialized hospital in the region with an active medical staff of over 35 Mayo Clinic Health System and Gundersen Health System physicians. In 2005, WinnMed signed a management and professional service agreement with Mayo Clinic, making WinnMed an affiliate hospital within the Mayo Clinic Health System. The primary service area population is estimated at over 56,000 people, with a broader population base for surgical specialties and for Mayo Clinic medical outreach services. WinnMed’s Administrative Internship is project-based and provides full access to work with and learn from executive leadership. My preceptor, Steve Slessor, is the Chief Administrative Officer and an alum of Iowa’s MHA prog...

My name is Kyle Ellenberger, and I am a current 2nd-year MHA student. This summer, I had the privilege of completing my administrative internship with HCA's MidAmerican division at Overland Park Regional Medical Center, situated about 15 minutes south of downtown Kansas City. This comprehensive internship encompassed both administrative and clinical operations, offering me a multifaceted understanding of the inner workings of a healthcare institution. Throughout my time here, each day presented new opportunities for learning, from shadowing healthcare professionals in clinical settings to assisting with crucial administrative tasks. Interacting with doctors, nurses, administrators, and other staff members provided invaluable insights into their roles and responsibilities, allowing me to gain a holistic perspective of healthcare operations. As part of the operations team, I had the opportunity to engage in a diverse range of projects, such as supply chain optimization, physician eng...

Checking in from Denver, Colorado! This summer, I’ve had the opportunity to complete my administrative internship with UCHealth. UCHealth is a Colorado-based health system comprised of 12 hospitals and several clinics spanning from Colorado to Wyoming and western Nebraska. At the core of the system is the University of Colorado Hospital (UCH), where I have been located for the summer. UCH is the largest academic medical center in the Rocky Mountain region and therefore provides highly advanced and comprehensive to its patients.   I’ve been fortunate enough to have two preceptors this summer—my formal preceptor, Jamie Nordhagen, is the Senior Director of Patient Flow and Capacity Management for UCHealth. I’ve also worked closely with Dr. Darlene Tad-Y, the CMO of Patient Flow for UCH. Their guidance and mentorship have been invaluable in navigating my project work and continuing to develop my skillset as a leader. I ’ve spent the majority of my time focused on two projects during my...

Hello from Iowa City! This summer, I have had the opportunity to work as an Administrative Intern for the Office of Statewide Clinical Education Programs (OSCEP) within the Carver College of Medicine. I have been fortunate enough to work under Lynette Lancial, Assistant Director of OSCEP. Lynette is a 1990 graduate of Iowa’s MHA program. She has provided unwavering professional, and personal support since the start of my internship in April.  My main project this summer has been working on the Opportunities Directory. This is a survey sent out to every hospital and clinic in the state of Iowa to collect data on recruitment needs for various specialties and for advanced practice providers. After collection, a book with all available opportunities will be distributed to resident programs throughout the state and posted online with the intent of retaining providers in Iowa. Additionally, I have had the opportunity to participate in several pieces of training and rounding events to gai...