April Arend - Medical Center North Liberty (MHA'27)

Hello everyone!

My name is April Arend, and this summer I completed my administrative internship at the University of Iowa Health Care at the Medical Center North Liberty (MCNL) campus. MCNL is an Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Specialty Hospital with 36 beds that opened in April 2025. This summer I was able to work with Bryan Garter, Director of Operations, and Amy O’Deen, Chief Administrative Officer. In addition to my preceptors, I worked with many department leaders on strategic initiatives and different operational projects.

Throughout my summer at MCNL, I have been exposed to many facets of the hospital. I participated in senior leadership meetings and learned about how to be an effective healthcare leader directly from Bryan and Amy. I participated in weekly tracers, staff appreciation events, and community engagement events (ex: volunteering at the North Liberty food pantry). Outside of meetings, I spent time shadowing child life, supply chain, the night shift house operations manager, and many more! 


One of my primary projects was tracking Operating Room traffic patterns and analyzing if there was a decrease in traffic post-intervention. By decreasing OR traffic, the goal was to also decrease infection rates. I built a pre/post intervention dashboard with data from 22 total joint replacement surgeries I observed. I valued seeing surgical workflows and interacting with clinical teams that truly cared about patient well-being.

Other projects I have completed are an inpatient census dashboard, an ED weapons detection flowchart & financial analysis, a patient meal satisfaction survey, and a department holiday hours template. All these projects allowed me to use skills I have learned from classes and apply them to real-world projects!


When I was not at MCNL, I enjoyed the Iowa City summer and spent some time traveling throughout the Midwest. I took a trip to Omaha, NE to catch some baseball during the College World Series and went to Lake City, MN to spend time with family and friends during the Fourth of July. 

As I reflect on my summer, I could not have asked for a better experience. I had the opportunity to explore my interests and expand my knowledge of health care operations. I learned from amazing leaders and staff, and I am truly grateful to the team at MCNL for taking an interest in my learning and supporting me!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Madison Anderson- CGH Medical Center (MHA '26)

Image
Hello from Sterling, Illinois! I have had the amazing experience of interning at CGH Medical Center in my hometown. CGH Medical Center is progressive acute care facility that has been serving the community since 1909. The organization consists of a hospital and multiple satellite clinics throughout the surrounding region and is one of only two remaining city-owned hospitals in Illinois. The culture at CGH has been amazing to experience. It has been a breath of fresh air to be a part of a thriving independent rural community hospital. Everyone has been so welcoming and has provided unique insights on rural hospital operations.  Over the course of the summer, I have been able to meet with every department director here at CGH. I have gotten to sit down with each one and learn firsthand how each area contributes to the hospital’s operation. My preceptor, Dr. Steinke, has been the CEO of CGH for over a decade. I have gotten to sit in on his strategic meetings with other VPs and chief o...
Read more

Summer Internship: The Emory Clinic

Image
By: Jace Brady Hello all! I am writing from Atlanta, Georgia, where I am spending my summer with the Emory Clinic. Within the clinic, I am working for the division of cardiology, which sees nearly 500,000 patients a year across 23 clinic locations. Emory is currently undergoing immense growth and structural changes, making this an exciting time to be part of this community. In my short time here, I have managed to get my hands into many aspects of clinic management. I have taken part in budget meetings and rubbed shoulders with many of the decision makers across the organization. I have also had the opportunity to learn about access challenges that face such a large organization and how Emory is working to become a world leader in access. Cardiology is currently implementing guaranteed next day availability for new patients. My major project while I’m here includes creating a staffing model for all the cardiology clinics and creating a standardized work flow for clinic visits. ...
Read more

Jashan Gill (MHA '24): University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics - Ambulatory Care Operations

Image
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...
Read more