Week 0: Before the Internship

I begin my internship on May 29th with Orientation. With every new beginning, there is always some sort of orientation. I am thoroughly looking forward to this new experience and everything it will bring to my academic and professional career.

Earlier this week, I went to the hospital in Buckhead Atlanta for an employee health screening. Having never been there before, I thought it would be an exciting experience, and it was. After my screening appointment, I decided to explore the hospital and visit some of the folks I am corresponding with. My initial take on this hospital is that it is a beautiful campus that defines Atlanta and the Empire of the South feel. The hospital has a modern look to it, and Piedmont is adding a wing to the building.

Ahead of this internship, I am looking forward to, not only participating, but analyzing the current working operations of a hospital. I pan to work hard, and I plan to expand my professional knowledge of the industry. I already have meetings scheduled, and a presentation to give at the end of July.

Recently, I received my bi-monthly issue of "Healthcare Executive". In the issue's "Improving Patient Care," Dr. Robert Lloyd from IHI, explores improving quality is ongoing effort  through building capacity and capability for creating success and excellence in any health organization.

In my own opinion, I agree with Dr. Lloyd. The idea about creating quality and change in the industry is ongoing. The idea of the article is that capability and capacity are not necessarily hand-in-hand, but finding the right balance for all participants are crucial for success. Capacity refers to the ability to retain information, while capability  refers to the ability to utilize the retained information.

Each level of care requires someone to have an extensive wealth of knowledge and skill to a certain degree. Dr. Lloyd suggests a "dosing" method for facilitating how capable certain individuals should be in certain skills. This understanding shows that everyone has a part to learn. Administrators should strive to gain more well-rounded experiences, and the level of learning will allow each person to develop, making patient-centered care a forefront of the industry.

During my internship, I hope to explore the different working environment at different levels of the system. From C-suite executives to lowly administrators, everyone has a lot to offer the industry, and I hope to learn from a broad range of people. I am looking forward to working with a variety of people, including my fellow interns. This next part of my life is just about to begin, and I am only at the door.


Cheers,

Joel


*To access the link above, you must have an ACHE account or membership. If I can post the article, I will. In other news, I plan to write a blog post weekly on Fridays or Saturdays.*

PollackCare

Welcome to the newly updated PollackCare blog.

Today, I thought I would do something a little different, and update this blog. Instead of me talking about leadership and my favorite foods (like I did with now-deleted posts), I thought I would give this blog a new tone and perspective to something I have grown to love and a career field I want to pursue. 

When I was younger, I wanted to be a doctor, but high school anatomy said otherwise. I liked business and wanted to pursue a career in a health-related field.  For over a year, I have studied in Valdosta State University's Healthcare Administration program, and there is quite a lot I have learned, and a lot that I am looking forward to learning. 

As I start my internship at Piedmont at the end of this month, I want to use this blog to highlight and reflect on what I hope to learn, what I do learn, and if there are any discrepancies or things I know that are actionable or achievable in the industry. It is no secret that the healthcare industry is in need of some serious modifications, and that the future is uncertain. 

Technological advances and legislation change almost instantly, and our textbooks are getting bigger (or smaller) every semester. Healthcare is more than just the usual doctor visits or trips to the ER. Healthcare is the state, well-being, treatment or procedure in order to ensure the health and wellness of an individual. 

In many ways, healthcare is an indefinite term depending on who you ask. However, as the future of the industry changes, we have a lot to look out for. There are many factors, organizations, and roles in healthcare, but more importantly, we can analyze the players in healthcare by looking at one shape. 

In an early lesson in healthcare administration, we learn that one shape is structural. The triangle is comprised of three sides and three corners. Each of those side represents insurance providers, patients, and providers. Each of the corners represent cost, quality, and access. According to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, The Triple Aim is designed to optimize and revitalize the healthcare industry. With three goals in mind, we can work to provide quality care that is cost effective, accessible, and with high quality. 

As I venture into administration, I hope to keep each of these goals in mind to analyze and plan for means and methods to creating wholesome care. My goal is to update this blog regularly through the summer months as I gain understanding and quality experience in administration. 

As the Triple Aim works to be the goal setting benchmark of the industry, I invite you to check out some success stories shared by IHI regarding the Triple Aim.

Cheers,

Joel