Anthony Lacy, Iowa Healthcare- Community Clinics (MHA '25)

Hello from Iowa City!  

 

This summer, I am completing my internship with the University of Iowa Community Clinics (UICC) and Health Ventures (UIHV). UICC is comprised of clinics that are not located on the main hospital campuses, and we have over 26 clinical locations across Iowa. Our department is organized into three categories: walk-in clinics, primary care clinics, and specialty/outreach clinics. Following the Mercy acquisition earlier this year, we have added 10 more locations. Our specialty/outreach clinics provide 35 specialty service lines such as OB/GYN, urology, cardiology, pulmonary, endocrinology, and dermatology. Altogether, UICC has over 550,000 patient encounters annually and continues to grow each year. My preceptor is Rachel Kirchner, the Director of UI Community Clinics and CEO of UI Health Ventures. I have also worked closely with Assistant Directors Bekka Cappussi and Erin Willits. Rachel and Erin are both alums of the Iowa MHA program!  




 

I've had the opportunity to work on several projects throughout the summer, one of which focuses on process improvement with our human resources team. We are working towards streamlining the lengthy on-boarding process and privileging process for newly hired Advanced Practice Providers (APPs). The complex HR, credentialing, and privileging process in addition to joint commission requirements have made it difficult to quickly onboard new providers. It generally takes a couple months from the time a candidate is offered a position until they are finally able to start seeing patients. So far, I have met with stakeholders to identify solutions, created flowcharts outlining our current process, and built an online hiring tracker.  


Another project I've been involved with is integrating TempTrak into the newly acquired Mercy sites. TempTrak is a 24/7 temperature monitoring system for medication fridges and freezers that alerts leadership if temperatures go out of range. Since some fridges can hold over $100,000 worth of medications and vaccines, this system is crucial in preventing significant financial losses, particularly after hours and on weekends when staff are not on-site to monitor them. 


Having my preceptor also serve as the CEO of UI Health Ventures has given me insight into the for-profit side of healthcare. UIHV offers a few different services including home care, durable medical equipment (DME), as well as Revitalize U Med Spa & Salon. Revitalize U is a wholly owned subsidiary that provides salon and cosmetic medical services including invasive and non-invasive procedures.



Services range anywhere from haircuts and massage therapy to laser treatments and cosmetic surgical procedures. Because all services at Revitalize U are non-essential, patients pay entirely out of pocket. My project here is to help develop a cosmetic urology service line, which is currently not offered anywhere at UIHC! Some challenges we’re navigating through include pricing, funds flow, equipment needs, and projecting patient volumes. 


In addition to working on projects, a valuable aspect of my internship has been visiting clinics and participating in shadowing opportunities. While my primary work location is the Healthcare Support Services Building (HSSB), I try to spend time onsite at some of our clinics each week. This has allowed me to shadow various providers, site leaders, nurses, medical assistants, and front desk clerks. I also had the unique opportunity to observe a lower eyelid and facelift surgery at Revitalize U. Additionally, I’ve toured various departments alongside other UIHC interns including the emergency department, central sterilization, and engineering services. 


Outside of work, I’ve been able to enjoy the summer both in Iowa and at home in Illinois. I’ve visited family, traveled to Chicago, took a trip to northern Wisconsin, and had friends visit me here in Iowa. I also stayed in town for the 4th of July and enjoyed watching the fireworks shows in both Coralville and Iowa City.  


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