Operations and Impact: Paige Mitchell's Summer at Christian Hospital
Paige Mitchell, a dual-degree J.D./M.H.A. student at Saint Louis University, spent her summer serving as an administrative intern in the Office of the President at Christian Hospital, where she gained an inside look at the executive-level decision-making that shapes hospital operations and patient care.
The experience provided an opportunity to understand the administrative side of healthcare while seeing firsthand how much goes into providing high-quality care to patients. Through shadowing experiences, project work, and participation in meetings throughout the hospital, she developed a broader understanding of the many roles and teams that contribute to a health system's success.
One of her favorite experiences was spending a day with two paramedics as they worked in the community. The opportunity allowed her to see healthcare from a different perspective and learn more about the diverse paths that lead people into the profession. Throughout the summer, she also attended board and strategic planning meetings, participated in community events, and spent time on hospital floors learning from staff members and meeting patients.
"Each of these experiences allowed me to learn from a new perspective and hear about the different reasons people chose to go into healthcare," she said.
At the conclusion of her internship, she presented her projects to the hospital's executive team. The experience highlighted the connection between concepts learned in the classroom and the realities of hospital operations.
"Whether it was analyzing financial data to tell the story behind the numbers or helping develop a new workflow that brought additional stakeholders into the decision-making process, each project showed me how much work goes into creating an environment that supports high-quality patient care," she reflected.
Among her various projects, working with the community health team on an optimization initiative had the greatest impact. Collaborating with clinicians and community health professionals deepened her understanding of the role these programs play in improving health outcomes both for patients and for the broader community.
The experience reinforced an important lesson for Paige: "Healthcare extends beyond the bedside." Behind-the-scenes work, strategic planning, and operational decision-making all help create the conditions that allow patients to receive the best possible care.
As she continues pursuing her dual degree, she plans to carry forward the administrative perspective she gained during the summer. The internship strengthened her understanding of the day-to-day decisions hospital leaders make, how healthcare laws and regulations influence those decisions, and the many ways that people across an organization contribute to patient care.