Student lands internship at HCA Houston Healthcare in Clear Lake
Internships are a vital way for college students to gain entry-level work experience in their field of study. Over the years, many students from University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL) have taken advantage of these opportunities, including graduate student Jordan Jewell. Jewell will earn her joint Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) next month, after securing an internship at HCA Houston Healthcare in Clear Lake. She made the decision to pursue healthcare after frequent visits to the hospital to visit a loved one.
“ My grandmother's battle with cancer introduced me to the healthcare administration field,” she said. “Through that experience, I saw administrators as the man behind the scenes, ensuring operations ran smoothly for frontline workers to deliver exceptional care.”
She started working in the home healthcare industry in June 2020, after earning her Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences from Texas State University. Realizing the need for further education to make a significant impact, she enrolled in UH-Clear Lake’s joint MHA/MBA program in January 2022. The following month, she transitioned to the labor and delivery department at HCA, where she worked nights as a unit secretary. She discovered the internship at the same facility later that year.
“ N etworking played a vital role in landing the internship,” she said. “While working at HCA, I scheduled a meeting with the unit director and shared my educational background and career aspirations. This led to an introduction to HCA Clear Lake's COO, who then connected me with the project manager overseeing the internship program. Come to find out the program manager is a UHCL MHA program alum.”
Jewell secured an interview soon after and, subsequently, an invitation to join the internship program, with considerable support from Dr. Femi Ayadi, UHCL Professor of Healthcare Administration and coordinator of the university’s healthcare administration internship program.
“Dr. Ayadi provided support throughout the process, from the initial interview to the end of the internship,” Jewell said. “She consistently shares valuable opportunities with MHA students. I would encourage other students to reach out to her with opportunities they may have. She can offer support in many different ways.”
The experience was filled with learning opportunities I can use throughout my career and will provide leverage in my next career move. Most importantly, it presented a glimpse of leadership roles I aspire to fill one day.
The HCA internship, which ran from June to mid-August 2022, placed Jewell on the nursing administration team. She collaborated with the director of patient experience and the assistant chief nursing officer to create a plan for improving Press Ganey survey scores for power units. This survey is designed to measure patients’ perception of their care and helps healthcare organizations improve safety, quality, and the overall patient experience.
Jewell also worked closely with the food and nutrition department as well as women services leadership to improve the menu offerings to post-partum mothers and their guests. Another component of the internship involved her time in a reading program.
“I participated in the Raising a Reader Program, which offers a book to each newborn at HCA Clear Lake,” said Jewell. “That project taught me how important community outreach is to a hospital. Additionally, the internship program offered insights about the role of ancillary services, such as food and nutrition, supply chain management, and environmental services.”
Jewell highly recommends the program, emphasizing the practical experience and leadership exposure it offered. She added that the internship as a whole allowed her to practice using the tools that she acquired through the MHA program.
“ The experience was filled with learning opportunities I can use throughout my career and will provide leverage in my next career move. Most importantly, it presented a glimpse of leadership roles I aspire to fill one day. I am sure you are familiar with the saying ‘dress for the job you want, not for the job you have.’ An internship offers that opportunity and is invaluable to kick-starting a career.”
In August 2023, Jewell began working as a maternal administrative assistant at HCA Clear Lake, but she said she hopes to break into the healthcare quality department, which aligns with her current role. She has also been exploring opportunities in human resources.
With just days left of her graduate academic journey at UHCL, Jewell stresses the importance of networking to other students in the joint MHA/MBA program.
“It is so important to grow your network and let others know what you have and hope to achieve,” she said. “Make sure to brand and market yourself and allow your network to advertise for you. And never stop learning. Healthcare is ever evolving to stay in the know of current and future trends will help immensely.”
Jewell will be recognized for her completion of the joint MHA/MBA degree program on May 11 during the 10 a.m. ceremony at NRG. Visit the Joint Healthcare Administration MHA/MBA webpage to learn more about the program at UHCL.
