One of the many benefits our Master of Health Administration (MHA) students experience during their time with us is their summer internship experience between year one and year two. Each summer, our students find amazing opportunities across the U.S. and get the opportunity to showcase their talents with many different organizations. The 2023 cohort of students was no exception, with the cohort gaining fantastic experiences, ultimately setting them up for future success. Amongst the 2022 experiences, four main types of internships can be highlighted: rural healthcare, consulting and for-profit, non-profit, local University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics/University of Iowa Physicians. Each of these internship categories offered unique perspectives and learning experiences for our students. Below we have highlighted a few of our students’ experiences.
Rural Healthcare
Johanna Knutson spent her summer with Winneshiek Medical Center (WMC) in Decorah, Iowa. WMC is Iowa’s second largest critical access hospital and has a bed capacity of 25 in patients. Over her summer, Knutson was able to work on a $50 million expansion project, create a business plan for a new service line, watch numerous surgeries, and attend C-suite meetings. Knutson was able to get an immersive rural experience this summer and gained a better understanding of the importance of rural health and the populations’ rural healthcare organizations serve. Tyler Coulander was an Administrative Intern at New Ulm Medical Center in southwest Minnesota. Similar to Knutson, Coulander experienced a wide variety of projects and learnings this summer. With the focus of his internship mostly on growth strategy and strategic planning, Tyler has appreciated the opportunity of finding new solutions and ideas to serve a greater patient population. Getting to work in rural healthcare has re-emphasized to both Knutson and Coulander their desire to eventually work in a rural setting and do work to ensure these patient populations get quality healthcare in the future.
Consulting & For-Profit
Assjad (AJ) Haj completed her summer with Deloitte Consulting in Chicago, IL. Although a different type of internship than many other student experiences, Haj was able to gain insight into a powerhouse in the consulting world and being staffed on an amazing project. Haj was staffed on a joint venture project between an academic medical center and smaller hospital. By getting to work on this project, Haj was able to witness the benefits of joint ventures and particularly within a community that needed more accessible affordable healthcare for its patient population. 2023 Cohort member Olivia Wilson, joined HCA Affiliate, Overland Park Regional Medical Center this past summer as an Administrative Intern. Wilson was able to explore all corners of the hospital by being part of a $30 million dollar construction project, round daily on patients, and participate in retention efforts.
Non-Profit
Maddie Huinker joined Mayo Clinic’s Administrative Internship program this summer and worked out of a 300-bed hospital in Northwest Wisconsin. Huinker two main projects focused on a business plan for a new service line and creating a malleable staffing model to improve workforce outcomes. She also enjoyed all the professional development opportunities Mayo Clinic provides including Meet & Greets, Lunch & Learns and various other opportunities. Riad Abu Adas spent his summer with Oregon Health Science University (OSHU) this summer in Portland, Oregon. Abu Adas had the honor of working within the Pre-Operative Medicine Clinic, specifically within the Endoscopy Department. One of his main projects consisted of reviewing and revising pre-procedure COVID testing for non-Aerosol Generating Procedures (AGP). This project allowed him to work with multiple levels of leadership and go through a detailed implementation process. In addition to his exciting project work, Riad was able to network and learn from healthcare leaders within the health system.
UIHC & UIP
Eric Fermin Ramos spent his summer interning at University of Iowa Healthcare in the Finance and Accounting Services. Ramos’ projects mainly focused on staff engagement initiatives including assisting in creation of a business plan and proforma for telehealth services, assisting in Medicaid quality and data reporting, and assisting with clinical department administrator trainings. Eric’s preceptor really allowed him to manage himself and what he wanted to work on, allowing him ambiguity throughout his internship experience. Eleanor Jansen, similar to Ramos spent her internship locally in Iowa City but at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics within the Growth & Strategy Department. A few of Jansen’s projects included a regional market analysis for dermatological services, proposed additional provider placements for FY2023 and analyzing opportunities for expanding clinic hours across UIHC locations. Jansen thoroughly enjoyed her internship experience and appreciated all of the learning opportunities the Growth & Strategy team offered her.
As with every year, our students gain valuable experiences in the summer between year one and year two of the MHA program. From crafting business plans for new service lines to performing market analyses for potential regional growth, Iowa MHA students return to campus with new skillsets and learnings. We enjoy seeing our students learn, grow, and become great healthcare leaders!