Hello, my name is Karlie Hudock, and I am a senior majoring in Health Policy and Administration and minoring in Information Science and Technology in HPA. I am from Latrobe, Pennsylvania, located about 40 miles east of the city of Pittsburgh.

My career aspirations are to work in the health IT field, hopefully in the greater Pittsburgh area. I am currently completing my internship as a summer associate at UPMC in the Information Services Division (ISD). Follow me on Twitter @karliehudock for quick updates on my experience – look for the hashtag #UPMCSA!

At Penn State, I am involved in the Future Healthcare Executives Club. By joining the club, students are able to become a student associate of the American College of Healthcare Executives. This membership opens doors for students when it comes to networking, career planning, and learning more about the world of healthcare. It is also a great way to increase professional development. This March, our group attended the 2014 Congress on Healthcare Leadership in Chicago.

Intern Selfie

I began my time at UPMC on the Tuesday after Memorial Day. All 97 summer associates attended an orientation in the U.S. Steel Building in downtown Pittsburgh. I already had learned so much about UPMC and how to chase my dream career. We were instructed to wear a collegiate t-shirt, and I was so happy to see many other Penn Staters!

I am spending the majority of my internship at the UPMC East hospital located in Monroeville. My preceptor is the Chief Information Officer of UPMC East, UPMC McKeesport, and UPMC Mercy. I am so excited to really get into the projects I will be working on.

Until I begin my work for my preceptor, the summer associate program is keeping me busy with projects that each intern will complete. One of these is the kick-off presentation, during which each intern has an opportunity to introduce themselves to the leadership team of their division. These presentations will occur in the UPMC executive boardroom on the 62nd floor of the U.S. Steel Building. Executive exposure is a great component of the program and I am so excited to get my name out there and represent Penn State and the College of Health and Human Development. Also coming up soon are tours of UPMC facilities and an executive lunch. I am nervous but excited to meet the CIO of UPMC and learn as much as I can from him!

Because my internship position is within ISD and my interests are heavily IT related, my long-term project for the summer will involve electronic medical records. I will be working with a Cerner product called PowerPlan. My project will require me to communicate with both the technology management team and clinical staff in order to achieve the best results. Specifically, the PowerPlans will be used to track observation patients and create a more seamless, efficient care plan for the patient. Ideally, they will also enhance the patient experience by eliminating redundancy and allowing clinicians to have a better understanding of what the patient needs.

I cannot wait to get started and see what ideas I can bring to the table! A special thanks goes out to our HPA alumni, who really helped connect me with opportunities I would not have found on my own. Stay tuned for what the summer has in store for me!