During my summer internship at Nicklaus Children's Health System, I had the opportunity to collaborate with fellow interns to develop an intervention addressing Social Drivers of Health (SDoH) within the Florida community. SDOH encompasses the conditions in which individuals live, learn, work, play, worship, and age, all of which influence a wide range of health, functioning, and quality of life outcomes.

Recognizing the impact of these social determinants, the Office of Community Health at Nicklaus has recently implemented a clinical pathway to better understand and meet the needs of patient families. 35 percent of patients have screened positive for at least one SDoH, including food or nutrition insecurity, housing insecurity, transportation challenges, or utility instability. To address these challenges, our team designed the Bear Necessities Kits program, a strategic initiative aimed at distributing essential items, such as smoke detectors, to mitigate housing insecurity.

In this project, my role involved managing team meetings, identifying and drafting potential strategic partners and collaborators, and designing KPIs and performance metrics to measure the program’s effectiveness. This project is closely aligned with the organization’s mission and vision, as it not only strives to provide exceptional patient care but also seeks to reduce health disparities within the patient population. By addressing these critical social determinants, we aim to enhance the overall wellbeing of the communities served by Nicklaus Children's Health System.

In developing the Bear Necessities Kits Program, I had the opportunity to apply several key concepts and skills from my MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS). My Strategy class helped me to comprehensively develop a sustainability plan, encompassing immediate actions, mid-term goals, and long-term sustainability for the program. This strategic approach ensured that the program would not only be effective in the short term but also have a lasting impact for Nicklaus Children’s Health System community. My Marketing class was instrumental in designing presentation slides and refining the marketing plan and materials for the program. This allowed us to effectively communicate the program's value proposition and engage stakeholders. Additionally, concepts from my Health Care IT Principles class were directly applicable in navigating the complexities of health care settings. Understanding the intricacies of IT within a provider environment allowed me to better align the program with the organization’s existing systems and workflows. Overall, my MBA coursework provided a solid foundation that I was able to leverage in real-world applications during this internship, contributing to both the success of the project and my professional growth.

The project presented two significant challenges. The first challenge involved managing a diverse group of team members, each with different professional backgrounds and perspectives. This diversity, while valuable, led to differing opinions, particularly when drafting the final presentation. For example, there were varying views on how the implementation strategy should be structured, which required careful negotiation and collaboration to ensure that we arrived at a cohesive plan that everyone could support. The second challenge arose from the broad and somewhat vague nature of the initial project statement. We were tasked with addressing a substantial issue: out of +48K distinct patients screened with the SDoH screener between October and June 2024, 35 percent had screened positive for at least one SDoH, including food or nutrition insecurity, housing insecurity, transportation insecurity, or utility insecurity. While the data clearly indicated a critical need, coming up with the project's scope and objectives were part of the work. These challenges pushed me to refine my leadership and problem solving skills, ensuring that we not only navigated these obstacles but also delivered an impactful project.

Interning at Nicklaus Children's Health System has been an incredibly valuable experience. My primary goal was to gain a deep understanding of how a health system operates, and this 10-week program allowed me to achieve that and more. In addition to working on the Bear Necessities Kits project, this internship provided me with a well-rounded experience, enabling me to develop meaningful relationships within the organization, including with members of the executive leadership team. I was able to gain firsthand insights into the complex operation of a health system and the unique challenges of managing IT projects in such a complex environment. Moreover, this experience has broadened my understanding of working within the US health care system, which is particularly valuable as I continue to build my career in this field. The skills and knowledge I acquired during this internship have not only met my initial goals but have also deepened my passion for health care management and IT/technology.

Overall, this experience has reinforced my commitment to pursuing a career that bridges the gap between technology and health care, and I am eager to apply the lessons I've learned to future endeavors.