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George Zhang
| George has received a fellowship with St. Vincent Health, which will involve work in 22 hospitals across Indiana. St. Vincent, which is part of Ascension Health, is the largest non-profit, Catholic health system in the nation. Throughout his fellowship, George will be developing competencies in a number of areas, including finance, quality, marketing, and strategic planning. “A fellowship with St. Vincent Health is an opportunity to take my didactic education and apply it in a practical and meaningful learning experience,” says George. “I am very thankful to have this opportunity to build a solid foundation as a future healthcare administrator.” George believes the UK College of Public Health MHA program provided him with both a knowledge base and professional development opportunities that played a part in receiving the fellowship. Additionally, he credits the faculty with whom he has studied at UK as critical to his career path. “I cannot say enough about our professors. They truly care about the students, and many of them have invested time and effort in ensuring our successful development as young professionals,” he stated.
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Cecelia Yeary
| Cecelia has received a fellowship right here in Lexington, at UK HealthCare. She will be involved in a two-year program, which involves a series of required and elective educational rotations designed to offer a mix of broad exposure and practical work experience throughout the UK HealthCare hospital system. The make up of the program will allow her to expand her knowledge of healthcare administrative duties by offering the opportunity to gain a high level of knowledge and experience in a short amount of time. She believes the fellowship will provide her with opportunities she would not otherwise have through its incorporation of practical experience and exposure. “The MHA program within the UK College of Public Health contributed to preparing me for the fellowship by having a good mixture of classes containing relevant material and real-life experience,” Cecelia said. “The MHA faculty was extremely supportive and continuously connected us with current healthcare professionals and opportunities.”
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Brandi Moore
| Brandi will be working in the Jacksonville, Florida, location of Mayo Clinic during her fellowship. She will be working in a two-year project and rotation based fellowship that is designed to accommodate her individual interests within a framework of continuous learning. During the fellowship, she will complete rotations in such areas as Finance, Systems and Procedures, Human Resources, Clinical Operations, and Research. As part of the program, she is encouraged to complete one of her rotations at a Mayo Clinic location other than Jacksonville. Brandi is excited for the opportunity her fellowship will give her to strengthen essential administrative skills to best prepare her for future leadership in the healthcare industry. “This fellowship will allow me to gain high-level real world experience following the completion of the MHA program,” she explained. “It is truly a privilege to be able to kick start my career with one of the true pioneers of health care.” The UK MHA program assisted Brandi in obtaining this fellowship by providing networking opportunities and events, where she met a fellow UK MHA alumnus who is a former Mayo Clinic Administrative Fellow. Additionally, Brandi believes the MHA’s program’s partnership with UK HealthCare in offering part-time job opportunities to students contributed to her understanding and passion for patient-centered care and, ultimately, was instrumental in her receiving her fellowship.
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McKallie Quirk
| McKallie has received a two-year administrative fellowship with St. Louis Children’s Hospital. While she will work with various projects and rotations throughout the fellowship, her main project will involve the addition of a new women and children’s tower on the hospital’s main campus. She will be involved in many aspects of that work, including construction planning, financial budgeting, and process improvement. “The impact this fellowship will have on my career will be invaluable,” McKallie said. “The skill set that I will walk away with after the two years will prove to be a competitive advantage and will aid in my marketability for future roles.” McKallie believes her internship experience through the UK MHA program enabled her to provide meaningful answers to the questions asked of her in her onsite interview for the fellowship. Additionally, she feels that her coursework in the MHA program taught her how to work on a team, create and execute professional presentations, and write in a professional manner. She has also gained an understanding of diverse perspectives that are important to analyzing and approaching issues within the health care system today. She says, “This program set me on the path to apply for fellowships and made my application unique and competitive.”
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Jeff Vella
| Jeff’s fellowship will be based in the corporate office of Baptist Health in Louisville; however, the position will enable him to travel to many locations throughout the Commonwealth. He will be involved in varied tasks, exposing him to senior-level leaders, strategic projects, and mentoring. “I am very excited. The fellowship will provide many leadership opportunities I would not have had,” Jeff explained. “The ability to be mentored and develop my servant-leadership skills will be a great asset in a constantly changing environment.” The training offered him through employment opportunities while in the MHA program opened doors for him on his path to the fellowship. His experience in both Emergency Services and the business unit, Quality and Safety, while in the MHA program provided him with both a clinical and operational base to develop further as he advances in his career. He appreciates the leadership and communication skills emphasized in the program, which he believes will continue to provide opportunities to strengthen his career.
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Troy Cotton
| Troy will begin an Administrative Finance Fellowship at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta. He will participate in rotations through the Revenue Cycle Office, as well as Emory’s Clinic and main hospital. Troy is looking to this fellowship to help him find his niche in healthcare finance, as well as open doors to future training. “I hope that this will lead to more educational opportunities through additional certifications or the development of other skills sets that will enhance my career as a whole,” he says. “The collaboration with other fellows in the program will serve as a valuable teaching tool, as well.” Troy credits the UK MHA program for providing many opportunities to enhance his leadership skills and increase his confidence as a future healthcare administrator. “Through serving as the president of the MHA Student Association and serving as the MHA representative of the Patient Safety Club at UK, I was able to find myself as a true lifetime learner of healthcare,” he reports.
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Khusbhu (Kubu) Patel
| Kubu has received a fellowship with Blanchard Valley Health System in Findlay, Ohio, located south of Toledo. In this position, she will have the opportunity to shadow members of senior leadership within the system and take part in a variety of projects that can be tailored to her interests. She expects the fellowship will reiterate what she has learned throughout the UK MHA program. “I am excited to work with healthcare administrators and continue to learn as much as I can about the industry,” she stated. “This fellowship will help me grow as a future healthcare leader and provide experience essential to creating a successful career.” Kubu believes the honest feedback and advice of faculty in the MHA program assisted her in obtaining this fellowship. She also found the opportunity students of the program are afforded to engage in meaningful conversations with healthcare executives through classes and seminars to be an incredibly valuable part of the process. “I have learned that networking is so important and this program provides ample opportunities to do just that.”
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Brian Neville
| Brian will be working in an administrative fellowship with KentuckyOne at St. Joseph East in Lexington. He anticipates this fellowship will help him translate his clinical experience into a corporate environment. “I have a clinical background with a bit of small business development experience, but none in a medical facility the size of KentuckyOne. This will bridge the gap between clinical and administration,” he stated. As a non-traditional student, Brian also believes this fellowship will assist him in the interview process down the road for positions requiring administrative experience. He has found the UK MHA program to be very well put together in all areas, and believes each of the core competencies is carefully targeted in coursework. He also finds the faculty to be second to none. “I can’t say enough about the faculty. They truly care and place emphasis on learning concepts that are relevant to the field. I can’t think of a single course that was not useful.”
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Tyler Gertz
| Tyler has received an Administrative Residency at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. He feels the residency will have a dramatic impact on his education and career by allowing him to work in a highly regarded organization, with a distinguished mentor, while gaining practical experience working on meaningful projects. He believes a residency with UF Health will challenge him to become a well-rounded individual and healthcare leader. Tyler credits the UK MHA program with providing him the tools he needed to feel confident in his ability to obtain a residency. "The MHA program is composed of professors who care and want to see my succeed. They challenged me in areas of weakness and built on my strengths," he said.
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Drew Grey
| Drew has accepted an Administrative Residency with Baptist Health in the company's corporate offices in Louisville. Through his work, he will be able to participate in a wide range of projects and shadowing opportunities. At the conclusion of the residency, he will also complete a large capstone project. Drew believes the residency will be an important step in determining his future career path. "With the MHA, I am familiar with the business of healthcare and where our industry hopes to go, but after this opportunity, I hope to have a better understanding of the role I'd like to play in the future," he said. Drew found the MHA program at UK to be "first-rate." He valued his classroom and shadowing experiences and believes they prepared him well for his professional responsibilities. "Like any new challenge, moving into the healthcare field requires a pretty aggressive learning curve," he stated. "It has been reassuring to me that so much of my academic experiences aligns perfectly with what I see each day at work."
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