Hallie Vonk (MHA '24): WinnMed

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 program. When deciding which internships to apply for, I prioritized programs that would allow me to have true hands-on experiences and a preceptor who would be invested in my professional development. WinnMed’s internship has far exceeded my expectations!

Immediately upon starting, I was involved in executive leadership meetings, committee meetings throughout the organization, a $45 million renovation and expansion project, and organization-wide projects that I led and implemented. One of the benefits of interning at a critical access hospital is the opportunity to truly make an impact with the projects you work on. I was able to successfully pitch the DAISY Awards to the Administrative Council and worked closely with the CNO to implement the program, collaborate with directors across the organization to develop a systemwide clinical and non-clinical incentive program affecting 400+ staff, apply for a grant through the State of Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, develop the annual Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement report, create a five-year proforma for a da Vinci surgical system, and many smaller projects. My internship culminated with a final presentation to the Board of Trustees where I discussed WinnMed’s strategic initiatives to address recruitment and retention challenges. I was challenged every day and cannot speak highly enough about this experience. 

Outside of projects, I had the opportunity to observe multiple surgeries, ride along in the ambulance during emergency calls, and shadow in the emergency room. I also participated in the Iowa Hospital Association Tee-Off Golf Classic with Iowa hospital CEOs and the Decorah Chamber of Commerce Golf Outing.  Finally, in true rural Iowa fashion, I sold pork chops on a stick at the county fair! Connecting with the Decorah community was truly one of my favorite parts of the internship.

Outside of work, I have spent a lot of time with my family at the lake, celebrated a friend’s wedding, played entirely too much pickleball, had a bachelorette party for a childhood best friend, enjoyed long summer runs, and (most importantly) took my pup on lots of hikes. Summer 2023 will always be one to remember, and I cannot be more grateful for my internship experience. Thanks for following along! 😊

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