Israel M. Labao - Chicago, Illinois
Health Care Management Program at YSPH
John D. Thompson Award
Career goal: Incorporating business and management principles in a hospital setting to bring about the best and most efficient health care possible.
Internship outline: The summer internship at Rush University Medical Center, Children’s Hospital, gave me a glimpse into the world of hospital operations and a better understanding of the dynamic industries within this institution. I had the responsibility of completing four major projects involving patient forecasting, research grant portfolios, feasibility reports and request for proposals. I was also given freedom to integrate other aspects of management practices into my internship by reaching out to people in other departments. As a result, I connected with various sectors such as Surgical Services, Pathology and Marketing to gain a deeper appreciation for all the systems within the hospital.
Value of experience: This internship is a great asset to my professional development since it allowed me to put in to practice the curriculum we learned during the first year of the Health Care Management program. With my preceptor coming from a clinical and teaching background, I was able to establish a good rapport with her since she encouraged an environment of learning. Although my internship was focused on operations within a hospital, I contacted administrators in the medical school at Rush and participated in public health events geared toward the community and serving as a Spanish interpreter for physicians and nurses at local health fairs.
Best moment: Taking part in the negotiation process of a new collaborative initiative called Virtual Visits with AT&T to utilize iPads to connect patients with loved ones from a distance. I thought this project had a lot of potential to expand to other hospitals in the country, and I was glad to be part of its initial stages.
Israel Labao - Chicago, Illinois
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Along with a fellow intern, Israel analyzes a forecasting model on patient volume for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Two other operation interns and Israel pose before Rush’s recently constructed Tower Building.
Practice makes perfect when learning how to correctly listen to a patient’s heart. Here, Israel listens to the heart beat of a Rush medical student at the annual Back to School Health Fair at Malcolm X College in Chicago.
A pathologists’ assistant examines a placenta and dictates her findings to a voice-activated machine.
Simulating real life, medical students and operations interns learn about patient care with a life-like mannequin.
The large screen shows the intricate transport system of Rush University Medical Center. The screen helps coordinate patient bed openings and new patient arrival times to maximize the hospital’s facilities.
Expanding outside of the hospital setting, a Rush nursing student and Israel volunteer as Spanish interpreters at La Iglesia de Santa Ines de Bohemia for a health care fair hosted by Rush.
The operations interns gather to learn about medical affairs and diversity at Rush and how it impacts the institution operationally.
Exploring the dinning services at Rush, Israel learns that there are multiple systems to cook food and keep it sustainable for future use with these machines that freeze and dry specific foods.
Rush is only a few miles from the city center, and it has an amazing view that encompasses almost the entire Chicago skyline.
Chicago is a city full of history and has a deep appreciation for architecture.
