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 internship. The first involves standardizing the process for unanticipated admissions in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). Occasionally, patients come to the PACU from service lines that do not have inpatient coverage (MRI, Podiatry, Dental, and Ophthalmology) and need to be admitted. There is currently confusion surrounding roles, responsibilities, and the overall process for doing so, which is causing safety risks and delays in care for patients. We’ve created a pathway for admission that automates some of the processes and will eliminate the current problems occurring for both our patients and staff. My second project revolves around mitigating discharge delays occurring within Interventional Radiology (IR) through the strategic utilization of other procedural teams in the hospital. There is currently a very high demand for inpatient procedures in IR, and on days the department lacks the capacity to complete all the procedures ordered, patients get bumped, and discharge is delayed sometimes for multiple days while they wait for the procedure. We’re working to create supportive actions for IR to help decrease the volume of discharge delays currently experienced.
UCHealth’s internship is a cohort model and project-based program, providing interns with a comprehensive experience and opportunities for growth outside of project work. I’ve had the chance to connect with leadership across the system through lunch and learns and tours of facilities across the region. I’ve also been able to sit in on several meetings such as our monthly senior leadership forums, operations councils, and weekly patient flow leadership meetings. Some of my favorite experiences have been my clinical shadowing over the summer with house supervisors, hospital medicine, anesthesia, emergency medicine, PACU charge nurses, IR APPs, and in the Virtual Health Clinic. UCH also opened a new inpatient tower this summer, so I was able to participate in some of the facility testing and the formal opening event at the end of June. 
There are 13 interns in the Denver-Metro region, and it would be an opportunity missed if we didn’t spend the summer exploring all that Colorado has to offer. Some of my favorite activities have included hiking, going to local farmer’s markets, playing pickleball, Rockies’ game, watching the Nuggets win the NBA finals, and trying different restaurants and breweries in the area. It’s been a busy, challenging, and rewarding 12 weeks, but I can’t say enough good things about my time at UCHealth. I’m thankful to have had the opportunity to be a part of such a great organization and looking forward to heading back to Iowa City to finish my last year as a Hawkeye.
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