Volunteering at Children’s Hospital and the Summer Carnival

One great aspect of the Summer Associates Program is all of the volunteering opportunities that are available.  There are service events for all UPMC summer associates together across each of the corporate departments; ones organized between the finance management rotation associates (FMRs) and summer associates (SAs), and ones that are specific to only summer associates.

One Tuesday in July, the summer associates spent an afternoon working with kids at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC volunteering at their Summer Carnival.  We arrived early before it began so we could set up games, prizes, and a photo booth in the atrium where the kids could come and have an enjoyable afternoon.  It was a wonderful experience to see the children laughing and smiling with their parents and siblings, running around trying to play all the games and win prizes.  One of the favorite activities seemed to be throwing a whipped cream pie at a police officer.  A little girl walked over to me right after she finished, while still laughing, and asked if she could do it again.  There was also a magic show where kids could come to sit down and relax while they enjoyed Rita’s Italian Ice.  A volunteer even brought around boxes of candy to inpatient rooms where children who were too sick to come downstairs were at, so they could still be a part of the special day.  We stayed afterwards to clean and help put the carnival decorations and games back into storage.

The volunteer events, that peer-elected service chairs work so hard to organize, are a great aspect to the Summer Associates Program at UPMC.  Throughout college, many of us have been involved with countless service activities.  This was a way for us to continue to giving back, but also meet people from the different divisions of the hospitals and catch up with other SAs at different locations.

By  Sammi Layo, Summer Associate

Things I’ll Miss About UPMC

From Magee Womens Hospital of UPMC to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, we all know someone with an incredible connection. Now, thanks to my amazing summer in media relations, that connection is stronger than ever. I ‘m sure going to miss this place…

Here are the Top Five Things I’ll Miss the Most:

1)      The people
My time as a summer associate offered me the chance to meet so many fascinating people at UPMC. I could not have been part of a more welcoming team when I joined media relations. “We’re so happy you’re finally here!” was the most encouraging exclamation from every member of the team during my first day on the job. There is something special about working in an environment where everyone you work with truly wants you to succeed. My manager, mentor, and the rest of my team was always willing to do anything to help me achieve my highest potential.

2)      The incredible stories

During my second week in media relations, my manager invited me to attend a transplant media event. Because of one altruistic kidney donor, three other people received a kidney as well as making an eight person kidney transplant chain at UPMC Montefiore. At the media event, everyone involved in the chain met for the first time. At one point in the event, members of the chain gathered around the donor who set off the transplant chain and asked him why he felt compelled to donate despite having no personal connection to any of the recipients or kidney donation in general. Being able to be a part of experiences such as these still gives me chills. I was lucky to hear these incredible stories day after day as part of the media relations team.

3)      Those inside jokes 

Working in the same room as 11 other marketing summer associates gave us a bond you can only really get if you were there. You haven’t really lived the UPMC dream until you’ve heard Mitchell Martin do an uncanny impression of the UPMC tagline, “At the heart of all we do is you. UPMC.”  I am also going to miss my amazing fellow summer associates. The chance to work side by side with such a bright and hardworking bunch of peers inspired me to do better each day, and I know we will all keep in touch.

4)      The amazing opportunities 

UPMC campuses span not only Alleghany County, but also the globe. And although I wasn’t able to tour UPMC’s sites in Ireland and Italy, I gained access to some of the most impressive medical facilities in the nation. I toured UPMC East in Monroeville and Children’s Hospital in Lawrenceville. I also toured the UPMC Center for Sports Medicine, The Center for Connected Medicine, and the amazing Technology Development Center in Bakery Square. Healthcare is rapidly changing, and I witnessed this in action.

5)      The inspiring advice

The best part of the Summer Associates Program is the opportunity to connect with mentors, managers and executives to discuss career goals. Throughout the summer I heard from 13 UPMC executives over the course of two Executive Spotlights, attended lunch with marketing executives who spoke to my fellow associates about our career paths, and offered valuable advice about our futures.

Bonus: That view
The US Steel Building is perhaps the most recognizable in Pittsburgh; but the best part of the building is looking out at the Steel City from the inside. Working a midst such beautiful Pittsburgh surroundings with a view from Oakland to North Shore for a company like UPMC, who is so invested in the people of its city, made me proud to be a “Pittsburgher.”

By Alexandra Salerno, Summer Associate

Children’s ISD Summer Cookout

Last week the administrative offices social committee at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC hosted a Summer All Star Cookout for the employees of the Insurance Services Division (ISD). Everyone brought in a variety of food and the theme was centered around baseball and the All Star Game! It was a ton of fun taking some time to talk to everyone on a personal level and eat some great food; however, the most fun came to me unexpectedly.

We all knew the event planned on closing with a pie eating contest. I had not planned on being part of the contest, but I figured I’d get a laugh out of watching my coworkers face down in a pie, racing to be the first to finish. Little did I know I would soon be volunteered to be the fourth contestant! I willingly agreed and suited up for the competition. We wore surgical scrubs so that we didn’t get any of the mess on us.

The whip cream pies with chocolate crust sat on the table in front of me and the race began! It was a lot harder than it looked, but luckily no one got sick and we all had fun! Unfortunately, I did not win it all, but it was close between the four of us. This was a great opportunity to just kick back and have fun, and also have a real sugar rush afterwards!

By Nick Bakertges, Information Services Division Rotation

Organizing the Service Event at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC

Last summer, I did not even submit my name to be considered for a Service or Communications Chair position at UPMC.  It was my first real internship, and I was both excited and nervous for the work to come.  We were told at Beginnings Orientation that we, as Summer Associates (SAs), were going to be given projects and work that a first year associate would be expected to complete.  When the opportunity to hold a leadership position presented itself as well, I shied away from the notion.  I was concerned that if I was selected to serve as one of the Chairs, it might take away from my work performance.

In my second year as a Finance Summer Associate, I came into the summer wanting to get even more out of my internship.  I wanted to take advantage of any opportunity that presented itself.  Needless to say, when Sammi Soriano sent out an email asking us to let her know if we would like to be considered for Service or Communications Chair, I submitted my name for both.  I was fortunate enough to be chosen as the Service Chair, and was eager to organize an event that would make an impact on the Pittsburgh community, UPMC, and my peers.

Typically, the SAs complete a service project with the FMRs for the FMR Day of Caring.  I worked with the FMR Service Representatives and worked on their Service Committee to help solicit businesses to raise money, organize a happy hour event, and execute the FMR Day of Caring with The Bradley Center.  This was a wonderful event, but I wanted to also organize a special service project specifically for the SAs.

I got straight to work brainstorming ideas, consulting the other FSAs for feedback, and decided to focus on Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.  My manager, Joe DiRenzo, connected me with the CFO of Children’s Hospital, Nick Barcellona, who put me in contact with Ann Love and Erin Werkmeister, the volunteer coordinators at Children’s.

We had originally planned an event for the 24^th, where we would briefly tour Children’s, clean books, break for lunch, and then deliver the books to patients.  Everyone was excited for the event, but the week before this event took place I received a phone call from Erin Werkmeister with a different service opportunity.  Once a week Children’s Hospital hosts a fun event for patients and their families; they have done a Candy Land event, Prom, and more.  This particular week, they were having a Summer Carnival as the event, and they were low on volunteers.  A group of 12 of the SAs were able to volunteer at the Carnival, helping set up the event, running the Carnival games, taking photos for patients, and assisting with clean up duties.

The atmosphere for the entire afternoon was incredible; it was extremely rewarding for each SA to see the impact that we were making on these patients and their families.  I am sure that each of us was moved in our own way by seeing how our presence was making a difference.  In all, I was beyond pleased that our group was able to encompass UPMC’s culture of Dignity and Respect, give back to Pittsburgh and UPMC, and I was very glad that I had the opportunity to organize the event.

By Lindsay Bernstein, Finance Summer Associate