2007 SEP Intern Bios

Name

Rizwan  Ali

Name of Site

Sentara Leigh Hospital

Supervisor

Mark Szalwinski

Bio

Rizwan Ali has taken an active approach in exposing myself to healthcare at an earlier stage in my life. Through high school and college, he volunteered at a hospital in my community and worked as a Surgical Tech at an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic. During this work experience, he built an understanding in how patient interaction is pivotal in the success of a healthcare entity. During grad school, Rizwan interned at Sentara Healthcare, The Methodist Hospital and Midland Memorial Hospital where he participated in many projects dealing with the day to day operations.

Project
Description:

Rizwan is currently developing a charter for the Surgical Executive Committee. He is also working on business development initiatives for the Comprehensive Breast Cancer Center and GI Health Program and assisting with the preliminary Steps of eCare implementation. Rizwan has also had the opportunity to work with various Vice Presidents, Directors and Project Managers on many projects during my internships. 

Name

Jennifer R. Bonds

Name of Site

Mary Black Health System – Triad Hospitals, Inc.

Supervisor

Glenn Robinson, CEO

Bio

Jennifer R. Bonds was born and raised in Tallahassee, FL. She received her Bachelors of Science in Health Education & Behavior and a Certificate in Public Affairs from the University of Florida. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Healthcare Administration and an Interdisciplinary Certificate in Health Disparities from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Jennifer is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., ACHE, & APHA. She enjoys traveling, community service & development, reading non-fiction, photography, scrap booking, and spending time with family and close friends.

Project
Description:

Jennifer is working on a project to decrease wait times and improve throughput in the emergency department. She is also developing a marketing campaign for a new product line and identifying opportunities to improve the daily dashboard.

Name

Jensen Chiu

Name of Site

Johns Hopkins Hospital

Supervisor

Eric Nathanson

Bio

Jensen Chiu is from Cleveland, OH. He attended Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland for a degree in political science and he will be attending Cornell University to attain the MHA degree. He is currently at Johns Hopkins Health System as a consulting intern in operations integration working predominately on faith-based initiatives and their involvement if an emergency were to strike. He is also working heavily on quality and service excellent issues.

Project
Description:

Jensen has been facilitating discussions between faith-based groups and city officials to create contingency plans in the advent of an emergency. He has also gained experience in quality management improvement activities and data analysis by aiding the corporate leadership's mission for service excellence.

Name

Whitney Davis

Name of Site

Trinity Health

Supervisor

VeLois Bowers

Bio

Whitney D. Davis is a rising senior at Norfolk State
University a Historically Black University located in Norfolk, Virginia. She is seeking a Bachelors of Science Degree in Health Services Management and a Minor in Accounting. Whitney is also involved in many service projects such as: peer mentoring programs, a community mentorship with a local middle school, and creating educational/motivational programs that will benefit the students of the university. For two years, she was a student associate of the ACHE (American College of Healthcare Executives). Currently, this summer Whitney is working for Trinity Health in the Diversity and Inclusion Department.

Project
Description:

As a diversity and inclusion intern, Whitney researches diversity and inclusion best practices to enhance initiatives. She also supports the development of a formal minority recruitment strategy, and visits hospitals to ensure the diversity initiatives are maintained and measured. Since the Diversity and Inclusion department is relatively new at Trinity Health, Whitney helped to spread the awareness of this important issue to the employees

Name

Aaliyah Eaves-Leanos

Name of Site

VA Boston Healthcare System

Supervisor

Dr. Steven L. Lieberman

Bio

Aaliyah is a member of the Kentucky State Bar Association, the National Black Prosecutors Association, the American Bar Association- Health Law and Young Lawyers sections, and the Kentucky Trial Attorneys Association. Her future career goals include working in the areas of Health Policy and Bioethics.

Project
Description:

Aaliyah will be working with the ethics committee chairperson to research and design an ethics curriculum to be implemented in the VA Boston healthcare system. She will also be working on a patient safety project that is still being defined.

Name

Jonathan Fowler

Name of Site

Lankenau Hospital

Supervisor

Gregory Pappas

Bio

Jonathan Fowler is a 2006 graduate of Oakwood College where he majored in mathematics and minored in chemistry. He was also a member of the local undergraduate chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha and a frequent volunteer tutor. During the 2006-2007 academic year he completed his first year of graduate school at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health. Currently Jonathan is interning at Lankenau Hospital which is a mid-sized teaching hospital in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

Project
Description:

Jonathan is helping to tie H-CAHPS metrics to existing hospital programs with the hopes of improving scores; working with the diversity initiative to provide a framework and research; and assisting with the school at work program.

Name

Randy Hall

Name of Site

Institute For Diversity in Health Management

Supervisor

Fred Hobby

Organization

30 N. Franklin

Bio

Randy Hall is currently a student at University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) School of Public Health (SPH) pursuing his degree of Masters of Public Health with a concentration in Health Policy and Administration. He is an alumnus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he received a Bachelors of Science in Community Health with a concentration in Health Administration and Health Education and minored in Chemistry.

Randy is the recipient of the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, which provides community service fellowships for graduate students in health-related professional fields who are dedicated to addressing unmet health needs in their local areas. He is also President of UIC’s SPH Public Health Student Association and a volunteer at St. Columbanus Food Pantry. Randy is also an active member of the National Association of Health Service Executives and the American College of Health Executives.

Randy’s career goals are to start his own International Health Services Conglomerate that will specialize in Health Delivery Systems, International Health Policy and Legislation, and International Health Financing. He is also preparing to attain his MBA/J.D in a duel degree program starting Fall 2008.

Project
Description:

Randy is working on the Institute’s 2008 Membership Roadmap Campaign; Institute For Diversity, Summer Enrichment Program Student Recruitment Strategic Plan; and developing content for the Institute Website Workforce Strategies. Randy will have the opportunity to shadow and establish close relationships with leaders of the American Hospital Association and leading executives at local hospitals and health systems in the Chicago metropolitan area.

Andrew Idowu

Name of Site:

South Florida Hospital and Healthcare Association

Supervisor

Linda Quick

Bio

Andrew Idowu spent most of his childhood growing up in Princeton, NJ before attending Washington University in St. Louis, graduating with a B.S. in African American Studies and Biology. He is now a 2nd year medical student at University of Chicago pursuing a dual degree MD/MBA. Andrew has had the opportunity to work in different research labs across the country and in Vancouver, B.C.

Project
Description:

Andrew is currently working with Linda Quick, president of the South Florida Hospital and Healthcare Association (SFFHA) as well as with Daryl Johnson , president of Healthcare Appraisers Inc. He has spent the first couple of weeks working closely with Linda Quick on various programs SFHHA is currently involved with. He has also spent time working as an analyst for the medical consulting branch. One of the projects Andrew will spend time on will be designing a medical library for the SFFHA's new facility.

Name

Cristal Juarez-Henderson

Name of Site

Portland VA Medical Center

Supervisor

Kathleen Chapman

Bio

Cristal Juarez-Henderson is originally from Las Vegas, NV but currently live in Portland, OR. She received my undergraduate degree in public health education from Portland State University (PSU). She is also completing her graduate studies at PSU in the Masters of Public Health- Health Management and Policy. 

Project
Description:

Cristal is working on at the PVAMC will be to research and/or design models for delivering culturally competent nursing care. Racial and ethnic minorities experience higher rates of morbidity and mortality than other groups. It is thought that one way to reduce these health disparities is for health care providers to deliver culturally appropriate care

Name

Name of Site

VA Providence Medical Center

Supervisor

Director Vincent Ng

Bio

Mary was born and raised in Minneapolis, MN. She attended the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities for her undergraduate career graduating with Honors in Economics, and two minors: Business Management and Asian American Literature. During the summer of 2006, she decided to pursue a career in Healthcare Administration. Through the Institute for Diversity, Mary was given the opportunity to intern with the VA Providence Medical Center (VAPMC) in the Director’s Office. Her goal is to attend Graduate school in a year and earn a Masters in Healthcare Administration

Project
Description:

Mary is working primarily on two projects during her summer stay at VAPMC: A systems redesign for the Fee Basis program and the Joint Commission Leadership preparation for the upcoming visit. Mary has also had the opportunity to meet and speak with different leaders throughout VAPMC.

Name

Anit Makhija

Name of Site

American College of Healthcare Executives

Supervisor

Deborah Bowen, FACHE, CAE, Exec. Vice President/COO

Anit Makhija is from Birmingham, Alabama and she received her Bachelors in Health Sciences from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is currently pursuing dual graduate degrees at UAB: a Masters of Science in Health Administration and a Masters in Business Administration.

Anit is the recipient of the School of Health Professions Dean’s Scholarship and has been a member of a number of honor societies including Alpha Eta Society the Allied Health Professions National Honor Society. Her most recent volunteer experience was being selected as a UAB Health Corps representative for the School of Health Professions. Anit is also a member of American College of Health Care Executives (ACHE), including the ACHE Local Alabama Chapter. Anit is also a member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA). Anit’s previous work experiences in health care include an administrative internship at Princeton Baptist Medical Center.

Project
Description:

Anit’s internship projects are diverse and span across all ACHE divisions, including data analysis for 2008 edition of Futurescan, developing enhancements to ACHE's Early Careerist Network, conducting needs assessment for employee professional development, and evaluating seminar proposals for 2008 Congress on Healthcare Leadership.

First Name

Jayme McDaniel

Name of Site

Thomas Jefferson University Hospital

Supervisor

Kimberly Evans

Bio

Jayme McDaniel finished her undergraduate studies at Lincoln University where she majored in finance. She will be attending graduate school in the Spring 2008. She is currently and active member of the National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE) and is involved in several committees. Jayme is also a member of the Black Executive Exchange Program (BEEP).

Project
Description:

I am currently assisting in the clutter management project throughout the hospital, which will clear the halls of beds and stretchers and find storage them. Also I am working on a medical reconciliation form that will be beneficial to both the physicians and comply with the Joint Commission codes.

First Name

Ashish Patel

Name of Site

Veterans Affairs VISN 17 Network Office

Supervisor

Benita Stoddard

Bio

Ashish graduated with an undergraduate degree in Biological Science and currently finished my first year in attaining a Masters in Healthcare Administration at the University of Houston - Clear Lake. He has volunteered at various locations and participating in school organizations. Currently, Ashish is part of several on-campus organizations including ACHE and Healthcare Students Association.

Ashish is currently a Program Assistant/Management Assistant - Intern. The Veterans Affairs VISN 17, which overlooks the facilities in Central, North, and South Texas.

Project
Description:

Ashish has worked on Action Plans for Central Texas. The purpose is to get a visual on how efficient topics are being completed for a certain group in Central Texas. He has reviewed the minutes for 2006 and analyzed how well plans of actions are being completed. He will present the findings to the executive team at the conclusion of the project.

First Name

Digyna Patel

Name of Site

Veterans Health Affairs

Supervisor

Hwai-Tai Lam

Bio

Digyna Patel is a Senior Public Health (Health Policy and Administration track) major at UNC-Chapel Hill. This summer she is working for the Office of Academic Affiliation at for Veterans Affairs in Washington D.C.

Project
Description:

Digyna’s project is a study workforce allocation for dental positions in VA facilities.

Name

Maunika Patel

Name of Site

VA Northern Indiana Health Care System

Supervisor

Mrs. Cathi Spivey-Paul

Bio

Maunika Patel is from Tampa, Florida. She is currently enrolled in a graduate program at the University of South Florida's College of Public Health. She will be pursuing a Masters in Health Administration or Health Policy & Management. Maunika is currently with the VA in Ft. Wayne, Indiana for this summer's internship.

Project
Description:

Maunika is working on several projects. She is creating a general organizational chart, FIX Committee Initiative, Improving the process of the ER inpatient bed flow, VISN Reporting System, structuring a reporting system of VISN related activities, VA Sponsored Training Reporting System, structuring a reporting system for new information obtained at VA conferences, Secret Shopper (e.g., making anonymous calls to assess the quality of information received from VA employees).

Name

Leslie Rosario

Name of Site

Albany VA Medical Center

Supervisor

Mary Ann Witt

Bio:

Leslie Rosario is a recent graduate from the University of Central Florida (UCF). She earned an undergraduate degree in Health Services Administration and plans to pursue a graduate degree in business administration. During her last two years at UCF she was an active member of the Health Administration Club, most commonly known as the student chapter of American College of Healthcare Executives. Leslie was also a site leader for Alternative Spring Break which is a volunteer opportunity that spans the entire week of Spring Break. She led a group of ten students to Nashville, Tennessee where, together with United Cerebral Palsy, they constructed three ramps for members of the community who are disabled and could not afford the project without assistance. She is currently at the Stratton VA Medical Center in Albany, NY, assisting the facility director, Mary-Ellen Piche, as well as the executive staff in their strategic development efforts.

Project
Description:

This summer Leslie is analyzing the needs of the Facilities Management department to develop a comprehensive staffing plan. In addition to that she is also identifying barriers as to why the veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom are more prone to missing their appointments when compared to veterans of past wars. It is the organizations goal to define these barriers and improve the processes so that the VA can better serve the nation’s veterans.

Name:

Marcus Smith

Last Name

Name of Site

Carolinas Hospital System

Supervisor

James O'Laughlin

Fellowship List

Bio

Marcus Smith is originally from Syracuse, New York.  He completed his B.A. in Legal Studies with a minor in Accounting at SUNY Buffalo and is currently working on his Master of Health Care Administartion at Cornell University with a full scholarship from Triad Hospitals

Project
Description:

Marcus has been assigned to work on two to three projects during his internship period, the most interesting of which is the development of a business plan fora new service line.  He is charged with the research and development for the bulk of the business plan, which will then be examined for approval by the hospital CEO.

Name:

Lorie Thibodeaux

Last Name

Name of Site

VA Heart of Texas VISN 17

Supervisor

Benita Stoddard

Fellowship List

Bio

Lorie Thibodeaux is a rising senior majoring in Sociology at Spring Hill College, a Jesuit University. She is originally from  New Orleans and she has therefore been exposed to environments with limited health care. It is through her experiences in New Orleans that Lorie learned of her calling to become a health care administrator.

Project
Description:

Currently, she is working on the System Redesign Summit II, an upcoming conference that will be held in July 2007. Her tasks are geared toward the success of the event and include creating PowerPoint presentations, observing data, participating in conference calls, and collating information into packets. I have also had the opportunity to interact with major leaders throughout the organization. She has also attended field trips to other facilities in VISN 17. Through this additional exposure she was able to understand the skills needed that allows organizations such as VISN 17 to become a success.

Name:

Marcus Walker

Last Name

Name of Site

VA Northern Indiana Health Care System

Supervisor

Cathi Spivey-Paul

Fellowship List

Bio

Marcus Walker is originally from Baton Rouge, La. He received his Bachelors of Science in Psychology cum laude from Howard University in Washington, DC this past spring. He will begin working towards his masters in health administration at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA in the upcoming fall. Marcus is currently working as an administrative intern under Director Cathi Spivey-Paul, at the Veterans Affairs Northern Indiana Healthcare System located in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Project
Description:

Marcus is creating the business plan for the surgery department.

Name

Brian Wofford

Name of Site

Fayetteville VA Medical Center

Supervisor

Rosalyn L. Cole

Bio

Brian Wofford is from Atlanta (Roswell) Georgia. He received a Bachelors of Science degree from Florida State University in the spring of 2006. His intention is to start graduate school in the spring of 2008. As an undergrad, Brian volunteered and was heavily involved in a number of facets on campus and within the Tallahassee community through Kappa Alpha Psi. Brian is currently interning at the Fayetteville VA Medical Center in Fayetteville, North Carolina. His preceptor is Rosalyn Cole.

Project
Description:

As a part of his internship experience Brian has been attending meetings regularly and rotating through various departments at the Fayetteville VA Medical Center. He started in Public Affairs, where He created a new website for the medical center and attended a PAO conference. At the PAO conference he had the opportunity to meet executives on the regional level. Brian has also had the opportunity to visit a number of other VA facilities where he met the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and a number of political dignitaries. He was recently invited to a Congressional Briefing by the regional leadership in Washington D.C. Brian will also gain experience in the Hospital Administration Services (HAS) department where he will be working on several projects.

Name

Alana Wright Benton

Name of Site

Main Line Health-Lankenau Hospital

Supervisor

Gregory Papa

Bio

Alana Wright Benton is currently entering her second-year of graduate studies atSaint Joseph ’s University where she is matriculating in the joint degree of Health Administration and Health Education. Alana received her undergraduate degree in Cardiopulmonary Science from Florida A&M University. Although Alana has a clinical degree, she truly believes in community and service. Alana has served as an elementary educator in some of the most under-served communities. She was recently celebrated as a 2007 National Spirit of Service “Finalist”, for her involvement in two tours with the Americorps program. In addition, Alana served as an MLK Day of Service volunteer and is currently an Albert Schweitzer Fellow. Alana aspires to reach an executive-level in healthcare, facilitating as an executive director. She is talented in both areas of Health Administration and Health Education and navigates through both fields with a business approach. While Alana believes in public health, she strives to bring a “fresh” outlook to hospital administration. Alana supports a “patient first, patient focus” mantra. She believes that the patients are an extension of the community, and the community is truly the reason for which hospitals function.

Project
Description:

Alana Wright Benton currently works on projects in the areas of Patient Safety/Falls Prevention, Financial Literacy, Nurse Recruitment, Diversity, Healthcare Informatics, Community Development and Assessment, Human Resources, and Patient Education. Others describe Alana as disciplined, organized, and multi-tasked focus. She has been able to complete many high quality projects within a limited amount of time.

Charles Umunna

Name of Site

VA Sacramento Medical Center

Supervisor

Donna Iatorola

Bio

Charles Umunna, resides in Chicago IL. He graduated from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign with a degree in Molecular & Cellular Biology and he currently attends the Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago where he is a rising 2nd year medical student.

Project
Description:

Charles is working on a patient flow project which is a very intricate part of any medical institution. His project focuses on addressing the on-going issue of patient flow within the health care facility. The goal of the project is to better understand the underlying issues that create "bottlenecks" in the system through extensive data analysis and conducting surveys within the system.