Zachary German is a second-year CIPA fellow and a CIPA admissions ambassador. He is concentrating his studies on Social Policy, with a specific focus on healthcare. You can read his full bio here.
One inspiring aspect to the CIPA curriculum is the diversity of opportunities to gain professional experience. Beyond the internships, externships, and capstone projects offered by the program, there are also many classes that provide an opportunity for consultancies and client interaction. One such class that I am in right now is DEA 6550: Healthcare Innovations.
In this course, each student is assigned to an interdisciplinary team that matches students according to their complementary skills. Then, these teams work together to provide innovative solutions to improve a client’s operational function. My team’s client this year is New York Presbyterian Hospital (NYPH) in Manhattan, New York.
So far my team and I have been able to travel to the hospital in New York to tour the facilities, meet the staff, and gain perspective on the hospital’s daily 
operations. We also meet with the client weekly –via- teleconference to continue the dialogue on the progress, impact, and outcomes of the project.
The primary focus for our team has been to provide a design plan to create an adaptive, healing environment for NYPH’s pediatric intensive care unit. We have placed great emphasis on suppressing environmental stressors, implementing design mediated infection control, and including family involvement in the healthcare process.
This class has provided a consultancy opportunity that has fostered one of the most practical, insightful, and meaningful experiences I have had so far at CIPA.