Administrative Fellowship
Fellowship objectives
The Administrative Fellowship is designed for postgraduate individuals interested in an administrative career in pediatric health care. Fellows receive hands-on experience in both clinical and non-clinical areas of Children's Mercy Kansas City. This is provided through a combination of project work, rotations and shadowing experiences. The fellowship aims to provide the fellow with experience in a wide variety of administrative discipline, expose the fellow to executive leadership at all levels within the organization, provide the fellow with projects that are aligned with both the fellow's interests and career goals, and the interests and needs of Children's Mercy, and prepare the fellow for a leadership career in a pediatric health care facility.
Fellowship overview
Participants will gain leadership experience at a variety of levels. Projects are aligned with both the fellow's career goals and the needs of Children's Mercy.
Application requirements
Administrative Fellowship applicants should have a strong interest in pediatric health care and a desire for professional growth.
The Children's Mercy Administrative Fellowship Program has a rich history dating back to 1994. The fellowship is a high priority of the executive leadership team, and the program evolves every year to ensure each fellow gets the most value out of the experience.
Many fellows have moved directly from their fellowship experience into full-time positions at Children's Mercy after completing the Administrative Fellowship Program. We currently have former fellows working in a range of departments including Strategic Planning, Medical Administration, and Operations.
Current fellows
Larissa Wright - University of Kansas Medical Center-MHSA
Email: ljcooper@cmh.edu
Juan De Santiago - University of Pittsburgh-MHA/MBA
Email: jmdesantiago@cmh.edu
"I often describe the Administrative Fellowship as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The access to executive leadership, ability to work on organization-wide projects and exposure to all departments within the hospital are all benefits that would be hard to find by just going into an entry-level role. The fellowship gives you a systems-thinking mindset that will help you excel, no matter what area of health care administration you choose to go into. Plus, the relationships you build and the experiences you have will stick with you far into the future.”
Julia Alton Tubbs, 2021-22 Fellow
Manager, Business and Strategic Planning
"In my search for a post-grad fellowship, I sought opportunities for shadowing and meaningful project work, access to executive leadership, mentorship and a hospital culture that embodied kindness, inclusion and innovation. The Children’s Mercy fellowship exceeded my expectations and served me in so many ways. In the fellowship, I grew more confident in my abilities and further understood my purpose. I worked on a diverse array of projects: creation of a hospital-wide faculty departure checklist, establishment of a patient family advisory council at the Kansas hospital, assessment of multi-disciplinary clinics and more. I gained mentors who challenged me, gave me hope for the future of children’s health care and truly cared about me. This fellowship invests in you as a leader and molds you for success in your future endeavors. In addition, being a fellow at Children’s Mercy is fun! You can spend all day with Child Life, help plan huge philanthropy events or fly in the transport helicopter. The Children’s Mercy fellowship provides endless opportunities and you will always wake up excited to go to work."
Nikita Sharma, 2018-19 Fellow
Program Manager, Operations and Population Health Management
"The Children's Mercy Administrative Fellowship was the perfect start to a career in pediatric health. The mix of clinical and non-clinical rotations, leadership development experiences, and the flexible nature of the fellowship allowed me to see how a leading pediatric hospital operates from many different viewpoints. Each team I worked with was incredibly supportive of my learning experience and this allowed me to both learn as much as possible and build strong relationships that I continue to rely on and collaborate with today."
Steven Johnson, 2016-17 Fellow
Administrative Director, Orthopedic Surgery
"The Administrative Fellowship at Children's Mercy is truly a one-of-a-kind experience. The opportunity to observe, participate and lead in numerous areas across the hospital is something that will propel my interactions, understanding and career for years to come. From international services, to family centered care, clinical care, volunteering at events and countless others, I learned from every aspect of the fellowship."
Kate Gibbs, 2014-15 Fellow
Director, Patient Advocates
"The Administrative Fellowship is an amazing opportunity to learn from experts in health care and to be responsible for your own projects. The experiences I had with patients, families and employees at Children's Mercy will always impact the way I make decisions throughout my career."
Neesha Hitchcock, 2011-12 Fellow
Administrative Director, Anesthesia
- Continuous Quality Performance Improvement (CQPI) Team Project.
- U.S. News and World Report Survey.
- Management of Summer Interns.
- Project management for the Children's Mercy Research Institute.
- Hospital translator contract consolidation.
- Community education programs.
- Intensive Care Nursery expansion.
- Proposal to build Children’s Mercy East.
- Community benefit program.
- Government relations disproportionate share project.
- Point of service cash collections program.
- Supply chain assessment.
- Implementation of the Medical Home Model in clinics.
- Analysis of Transplant Services.
- Standardization of faculty departure process.
- Creation of the Children’s Mercy Kansas Hospital Patient and Family Advisory Council.
- Creation of the Digital Engagement Center.
- Creation of diversity guidelines for faculty search committees.