Jenah McCarty (MHA/MPH '24): Intermountain Health

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 qualitative analysis of outpatient comments to inform areas for patient experience improvements. Aside from my own projects, I was also lucky to join several ongoing initiatives. I played a role in implementing a social needs screening tool at LRH and analyzing outcomes. Additionally, I am the liaison for LRH in a market-wide project called Re-Imagining Acute Care, and working on identifying key differences in care coordination processes across the northern region.

Outside of projects, I valued the ability to learn from clinical shadows in the emergency department, inpatient nursing units, wound clinic, care management, and operating room. I also joined in several meetings such as our weekly administrative council at Logan Regional Hospital, step-back reviews with various hospital departments, and numerous hospital board and committee meetings. Logan Regional Hospital also has a strong connection with its community, which also allowed me to help with several community events including an open house showcasing our newest Davinci Surgical Robot and a ribbon-cutting ceremony welcoming Life-Light to Logan. 

Intermountain Health’s robust internship program also gave me an overview of health system operations through various intern cohort events. Our group of around twenty graduate interns toured the nationally recognized supply chain center, life light, classic air base, telehealth/ virtual hospital center, and Intermountain’s longest-standing hospital in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City (pictured on left). We also had sessions on the Intermountain operating model, Castell (Intermountain’s population health subsidiary), as well as a meet and greet with the Canyons Region president Sue Robel. I loved the opportunities to connect with other interns and Intermountain health leaders throughout the system.


Aside from my internship experience, I fully immersed myself in all the fun activities Utah has to offer. Most weekends you could find me outside exploring the stunning topography of Utah with my fellow interns and classmates. I went camping, hiking, kayaking, and paddle boarding, and tried all the amazing restaurants, breweries, and concerts in the area. As a lover of all things outdoors- I could not have asked for a better place to spend my summer! 

Reflecting on my summer internship I am so thankful I got to work alongside exceptional leaders that were truly invested in my personal and professional growth. My experience with Intermountain Health, from the relationships built to the skills gained, left me eager to continue learning and solidified my desire to become a healthcare leader. I will greatly miss all the people at Logan Regional Hospital but can’t wait to reconnect with all my classmates!


 

 

 



 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Adriana Kotchkoski (MHA '24): Nihon Keiei Consulting Group

Image
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...
Read more

Devante Davis (MHA '24): UCHealth - Southern Region

Image
Hello my name is Devante Davis I am going into my 2 nd year as an MHA student at the University of Iowa!    I am currently interning at UCHEALTH southern region in Colorado Springs, and UCHEALTH mission statement is to Improve lives through providing quality care. My preceptor is Andrew Ritchie the Chief Operation Officer of the UCHEALTH southern region. He great a developing talent while unlocking hiding potential within his interns, and fellow! My favorite project was evaluating what the rest of the world is doing to recover from this global nursing shortage. Summarizing the data and be a part of creating a valuable plan to implement into the UCHEALTH southern region. A few other fun events I attended were the pikes peak annual racing event, viper’s baseball game, the incline!  
Read more

Naudya Chhuon, UIHC Accounting and Financial Services (MHA '25)

Image
This summer, I had the opportunity to be a part of the Finance and Accounting Services team (FAS) at the University of Iowa. My internship allowed me to better understand what it is like to work in finance and accounting, especially within the healthcare industry. From managing a vaccination clinic project to tackling financial models, I got to contribute to some and be a part of some fun projects. One of the highlights of my internship was being the go-to person for all things related to the HPV vaccination clinic with the Population Health team. This project provides Shoes for patients under 13 years old who obtain their 2 nd  dose of the HPV vaccine. I found myself at the center of communication between four different teams, which meant I got to lead meetings, and make sure we were all on the same page. Our big event is coming up in the second week of August, and I am proud of how smoothly everything has been running so far.  Another big part of my summer was getting my han...
Read more