If you have a passion for innovation and technology and you’d like to use your skills to help others, a career in health care information technology could be a great fit for you – and UPMC could be the right place to put your skills to work.
The Information Technology Rotational (ITR) Program, a two-year program with four six-month rotations in different departments, allows recent graduates to explore their interests, network with leadership, and work on ground-breaking projects that help change lives of UPMC patients.
We asked one of our current ITR participants to shed some light on one of the big projects she contributed to this year. Follow along for a peek into Lauren’s week!
Meet Lauren
My name is Lauren, and I’m a part of UPMC’s Information Technology Rotational Program. I am currently working in the Enterprise Development Services group, which deals with many of our hospital applications and was very involved with the integration of the Susquehanna Health Network hospital system into UPMC (now UPMC Susquehanna). The Susquehanna integration was the largest integration in UPMC history at that time and included multiple hospitals throughout north-central Pennsylvania. I assisted with the go-live of the integration for two weeks and worked in the common center that oversaw the entire go-live.
Read on for a snapshot of my trip to Williamsport, PA, to help UPMC Susquehanna become the newest addition to UPMC!
Thursday – Arrival Day: Susquehanna or Bust!
Right after our ITR monthly meeting, I hit the road to set out for UPMC Susquehanna in Williamsport. After a four-hour drive, I arrived in the “Little League Capital of the World” around 10:30 p.m., unpacked, and prepared for the coming days.
Friday – Visiting Lock Haven
I got to the main command center, UPMC Susquehanna Williamsport, and was very impressed with how beautiful the hospital campus is. I even ran into my old team from my last rotation! It was really comforting to see so many familiar faces in this new space. From there, I made the scenic drive to UPMC Susquehanna Lock Haven to set up for tomorrow’s go-live. While setting up, I was able to meet and talk to several Lock Haven employees, which was a great opportunity to interact with new members of our UPMC family.
Saturday, Sunday, Monday – The Start of the Go-Live
The weekend that so many folks have prepared and planned for was finally here! I entered the command center, which was a conference room where several Information Technology teams were grouped together. One of the most fascinating dynamics of the go-live for me was working arm-in-arm with peers, managers, and leaders throughout our organization toward one common goal: bringing five hospitals into the UPMC way. The open communication and friendly spirit among all employees I encountered speaks to the way we all live the UPMC Values. The open communication and friendly spirit among all employees I encountered speaks to the way we all live the UPMC Values.
The Williamsport command center was the epicenter of the go-live. As the assistant to the manager on duty (MOD), I sat at the manager on duty (MOD) table with the MOD, UPMC leadership, and the communications coordinator.
My job was to help the MOD review the tickets coming through Cherwell, our IT service portal, schedule last-minute meetings, and help wherever help was needed. Some other tasks I worked on throughout the week included optimizing the rounder check-in process, investigating issues, and documenting key feedback throughout the go-live.
As a MOD assistant, my role can be a mixed bag of whatever comes up that hour. At the end of that Monday, I was asked by leadership to take on a different role the following day: to be the MOD in the operating room (OR). I was so excited to not only be trusted with this responsibility but to step out of the IT realm and experience the clinical care UPMC provides.
Tuesday – Manager on Duty in the Operating Room
A new day and a new role! I started my day as MOD of the OR by meeting the SurgiNet (perioperative documentation software) team and answering phone calls from clinical staff in the OR command center. Then, I donned my scrubs and shadowed a nurse to witness real-time patient care.
Behind every information technology issue that my team addresses, there is a patient in need of care.
While the nurse I was shadowing walked another nurse through our electronic documentation process, I watched as a team of UPMC staff from various hospitals prepped a patient for surgery. Medical staff from all the hospitals worked seamlessly as a team. The way they comforted the patient and talked them through the procedure was so moving. It truly put into focus why we all traveled from across the state to support this go-live. Behind every information technology issue that my team addresses, there is a patient in need of care.
Wednesday – A Day Off
Today I’m taking a day off from the exhilarating go-live and writing this blog post on my ITR experience. Williamsport has lots of great spots to relax, so I stopped in this little coffee shop. It has the perfect setting (and espresso!) to get work done and to prepare for another day of go-live tomorrow. More ITRs will be joining us from Pittsburgh tonight to support the go-live. I’m looking forward to catching up with them!
Thanks for following along for my first go-live at UPMC Susquehanna! Do you think the Information Technology Rotational Program could be a good fit for you or a student you know? Click the button below to learn more and get your start in a life-changing career with UPMC.
