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Forging a path; finding a home

Forging a path; finding a home
Whether you are laser-focused or still undecided, an administrative fellowship allows you to dive deeper into healthcare. So if you possess a passion for healthcare and recently graduated, explore if an administrative fellowship could be right for you.

“At Carle Health, there's very little in healthcare delivery that we're not involved in,” Matthew Kolb, JD, MHA, executive vice president and Carle Health system chief operating officer said. “Some fellowships focus on physician practice and a select number offer health plan experience, but Carle offers this and more including quality, clinical operations, strategy, innovation or healthcare finance.”

Fellows manage projects as they explore all that Carle has to offer. Carle is accepting applications for its 2021 Administration Fellowship program. For more information and to apply, visit https://carle.org/Careers/Administrative-Fellowship.

Megan Randolph, MHA, program manager of Population Health and 2019 administrative fellow, worked on a variety of projects, including with Compliance, Population Health and the organization’s COVID-19 response. For her, Carle was the perfect place to learn.

Carle’s vertically integrated system helped Randolph, who was interested in insurance, but hesitated to go all in.
“I could explore the Health Alliance insurance plan side and still do hospital operations too, which is something you can't get a lot of places,” she said.

WorkinAdmin-Fellow-Alumni-Lunch_cropped.jpgg with a senior vice president, fellows determine which projects to tackle and take on challenges that interest them. They can conduct research, launch new programs and even handle a pandemic response.
As a 2019 administrative fellow, Brenna Kelley-Freiburger, MPH, CPH, jumped on nearly a dozen projects, including a supply chain software project and the organization’s COVID-19 response. She learned about each area but she found the fellowship gave her much more.
 
“Having the extra year of mentorship and professional development opened more doors than I would have ever imagined. I never would’ve thought walking into the fellowship that I would have presented an employee-giving campaign to 700 people, but I did. I presented at two different board meetings. I don't think those milestones would have happened my first year at a regular job,” Kelley-Freiburger said. 
 
While their experiences vary, one commonality Carle administrative fellows have is the exceptional mentorship they’ve received.
 
Lauren Bline, MHA, a fellow who joined in July, is already finding this to be the case.
 
“The leaders, preceptors and mentors I’ve connected with are second-to-none,” Bline said. “In just over a month, I’ve learned an incredible amount from them.”
 
For Carle senior leaders, the fellowship requires a significant investment on their part that they willingly give.
“Throughout my career many leaders have invested in me personally and professionally and their wisdom has helped me grow, develop and improve. Now it’s my turn to shape the next generation in a meaningful way,” April Vogelsang, RN, MS, senior vice president, chief clinical integration officer, said.

Recent master’s program graduates at a crossroads should consider applying for the administrative fellowship.
 
“This is an once-in-a-lifetime experience to meet with, listen to and learn from executive leaders,” Randolph said. “I hope others take a chance to see how a fellowship can expose you to different departments and experiences with a variety of high-level leaders that you can’t get anywhere else.”
 

Categories: Culture of Quality

Tags: administration, careers, fellowship, healthcare