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My year journey as a Healthcare Administrative Fellow

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Photo: From left to right, Fritz is the fifth man on the right.

My year journey as a Healthcare Administrative Fellow

Written by: Fritz-Gerald Lochard

I originally learned about the administrative fellowship program through asking one of my professors, “What are my options after I obtain my MBA”? She directed me to look into administrative fellowships. Upon doing research I discovered many different hospitals and health systems within the region that offered this unique program. The one that caught my attention was Northwell Health because I was an employee at Syosset Hospital in the Community Relations department as a Patient Relations Representative and was exposed to the program. I then proceeded to collect the information necessary to apply and ultimately was chosen into the program.

I entered the Administrative Fellowship Program with the goal of absorbing and learning as much as possible. Northwell Health exceeded my expectations and exposed me to many different experiences. I gained a wide range of exposure to health care operations across a large health system. Throughout my rotations, I had regular exposure to strategic, operational and financial challenges throughout the health system. The lessons I learned go far beyond anything I could have possibly learned in the classroom. During my rotations I also received regular access to some of the health systems most influential leaders. The ability to network with countless amounts of leaders and individuals allowed me to build relationships that will continue throughout my career here. Throughout those interactions I learned many unique things about the Health System. The one common theme I received from those interactions is that you do not have to be defined by one passion or career path. We have the ability to be successful in many different paths and this organization has done an amazing job encouraging growth within individuals, helping them tackle new challenges, and supporting them in stepping out of their comfort zones.

Throughout the year I accumulated many memories. Through the fellowship program I was provided with a membership to American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and was able to attend the 2017 ACHE Congress on Healthcare Leadership in Chicago, Illinois. The conference objectives were to develop “the long view” in context of uncertainty and disruption, gain a deeper understanding of the implications of insurance exchanges in particular and health reform in general and identify key components of population health program and the essential steps to build it. That was an amazing experience, but the one memory that really stands out to me is our annual fellowship trip to Washington D.C. Growing up I could have never imagined having the opportunity to visit Capitol Hill and have lunch with Congressmen and meet with White House Correspondents. The Administrative Fellowship at Northwell Health afforded me that opportunity and it was by far one of the greatest memories I was able to create throughout this year.

For many of us entering programs to obtain Master’s in Business Administration, we tend to not realize how broad that degree can be. The fellowship definitely guided me in narrowing down were my interest truly are. Through my rotations I was able to figure out that I have a strong interest within Finance and Human Resources. The next steps for me would be to find the best possible environment that will allow me to continue to grow, learn and sharpen my skillsets within one of those two disciplines. I can honestly say that Northwell Health has provided me with a strong foundation to continue to build my career and equipped me with the tools to become a leader for a very long time.

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Sparking Interest in STEM Careers

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Sparking Interest in STEM Careers!

Earlier this year over 700 junior and senior high school students visited 50+ Northwell Health sites and service lines to learn about STEM careers as part of our 3rd Annual Spark! Challenge created by the Workforce Readiness team. During their visit students were exposed to a diverse set of clinical and non-clinical career opportunities available within the health care industry by hands-on learning “Career Days”. Students were then asked to collaborate with their team to create a career advertisement and a two minute career presentation to showcase at our Awards Ceremony.

“I don’t know how we did it, but we coordinated 8+ teams of students from Bellmore-Merrick JFK to cook a full Thanksgiving Day feast under one hour,” shares North Shore University Hospital’s head chef, Mike Kiley. “Staff from Food & Nutrition coached the students, while pushing their competitive buttons with a holiday cook-off. Not only did the teens have fun, they learned nutritional tips and how to better work as a team.”

Last week students, teachers and Northwell Health employees and executives filled the Cradle of Aviation for the Award Ceremony and over 45 schools presented on their chosen careers from their visit. The day was filled with interactive workshops and activities from various departments that included, 3D bioprinting, a CEMS simulator, Culture of Care workshop, Bioelectronic Medicine, telemedicine, a robotic surgery simulator and more.

 

As an organization we are always focused on educating our communities at all ages and the Workforce Readiness team does this by innovating  the way we interact with next generation professionals about vast health care careers. “There’s no industry like health care. Besides pursuing a career as a doctor or a nurse, you can also be an engineer, a chef, an accountant, a computer tech, a transporter – well the list goes on,” said President and CEO, Michael Dowling.

Everyone’s a Winner

During the awards ceremony, students and Northwell Health employees received monetary awards and myReward points respectively for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place on their presentation and careers poster. In true form, our President and CEO Michael Dowling tripled the award bucket just moments before the winners were announced.

In total, over $12,000 in prize money went to students from Tottenville High School, Sacred Heart Academy, Valley Central High School and Glen Cove High School for their clarity, enthusiasm, and content in the Presentation Award category. We also awarded over $14,000 in prize money to students from Amityville High School, Baldwin High School, Bellmore-Merrick JFK High School, and Valley Stream Central High School for their creativity in the Poster Award category.

“We have doubled our participation from both students and Northwell Health sites since last year,” says Lauren Pearson, Manager, Workforce Readiness. “What a truly amazing and inspiring day. I am so grateful to work here, doing a job I love, surrounded by amazing people and leadership.”

Promoting STEM Careers

With STEM careers on the rise, educating students early on is a high priority at Northwell Health. One of the many goals throughout the Spark! Challenge is to ignite student’s interest in the STEM careers we have throughout our health system. With each unique site/service line visit, these students received an in-depth look as to the many clinical and non-clinical career paths we have available. Our employees know these students will be our next leaders and want to show them the endless opportunities a career in health care can provide for them, and support them in their journey.

In the words of Michael Dowling, “Never believe you can’t do something. When you get up each day, try, and then perfect that process and move forward again. Don’t be stagnant. Always keep moving. There is no limit to your success.”

 Learn more about our student initiatives.

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We Got a Golden Ticket

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We Got a Golden Ticket

Well actually, 350 nursing students from 21 nursing colleges and universities received a “Golden Ticket” to the 2nd Annual Northwell Health Golden Ticket Nursing Showcase. Previously known as the Student Nursing Dinner, Northwell Health has been connecting thousands of students to our nursing staff and leadership for 9 years – and this year was no different. Kerri Anne Scanlon, Deputy Chief Nurse Executive, Northwell Health & Chief Nursing Officer, North Shore University Hospital said, “Each year we bring together the top 10% of nursing students from the best colleges and universities because we want to hire and train the top talent of tomorrow to help drive our mission forward.”  Scanlon goes on to say that, “We don’t have to do the Showcase to recruit new graduates or nursing students. We do this event to expose the students to the Northwell Health culture, our exemplary nursing programs and have one-on-one time to learn and hear from our service line staff and leadership.”

Students were eager to start the day and by the time we opened our doors at the Crest Hollow Country Club at 7:30am, they were lined up to check-in. Receiving a goodie bag and raffle ticket, students were on their way to start their session. With two sessions – one for juniors and one for seniors nursing students – students were exposed to many facets of Northwell Health’s Externship, Fellowship and new graduate opportunities. Presentations from senior leadership including Northwell Health’s Chief People Officer, Deputy Chief Nurse Executive & Chief Nursing Officer, VP of System Nursing Education, and Senior Vice President & CNO, Maureen White spoke about their experiences, our nursing programs and how anyone at Northwell Health can achieve a career dream with the resources and educational opportunities available to employees. In the junior session 6 previous externs, and in the senior session 10 nurses, spoke about their experience and had Q&A with the audience.  

 Ellen Lorenz, Nursing Fellowships and Recruiting Program Manager said, “The Golden Ticket Showcase is such an amazing event. Students have the unique opportunity to not only hear about our programs but to meet our Nursing Leaders, Educators and Registered Nurses. I am so proud of our team and am delighted to have been part of this special day.”

The sessions concluded with hundreds of Northwell Health employees participating in a Nursing Expo from 6 hospitals including North Shore University Hospital, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, Zucker Hillside Hospital, Staten Island University Hospital, Lenox Hill Hospital, Southside Hospital, and Cohen Children’s Medical Center. We also had 12 different service lines ranging from ED, Perioperative Services, Behavioral Health, to Oncology and Med/Surg, where team members spoke about their facilities and units. Our recruitment team was on-hand to talk about job opportunities as well and give pointers on resume writing. One of the attendees said, “As a current student, it was incredibly exciting to hear about the nursing opportunities [at Northwell Health] and the impact that the system and its professionals have had on the greater community. The event was not only an informative opportunity to learn more about Northwell, but it was also an incredibly well-thought out welcome to those who are most excited to enter the profession.”

The day was filled with endless information, Northwell swag, and way too much food. Our attendees were also able to take a break at our photo booth where they posed with their friends and our employees to create lasting memories.

 

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After 8 hours of fun, the students embarked on their journey’s home, our employees organized the resume’s they received, and we celebrated another successful Golden Ticket Showcase. We are excited that we are able to partner with such great universities and colleges who grow and develop the next generation of nurses – they will be the hands that make a difference, the minds that challenge us, and the hearts that will never stop caring for those in need.

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From Intern to Full Time Employee

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From Intern to Full Time Employee at Northwell Health

Written by: Briana O’ Shaughnessy 

Before beginning my journey at Northwell Health, I received a B.S. in Community Health with a Minor in Sociology at SUNY Cortland. After walking at graduation in May, 2016 I began my internship with Northwell Health which was the culminating piece of my degree. The internship I held was very unique and an experience I will be forever grateful for. It was designed as a rotational program and the idea was to expose me to a variety of departments in corporate HR to help me decide where I wanted to focus. Over the course of 12 weeks I had the privilege of working with seven different teams and countless wonderful employees. Not only was the experience eye opening in regards to the career path I wanted to follow, but it was also a wonderful networking opportunity and allowed me to begin fostering productive working relationships. Perhaps the most helpful piece of information I took away was that almost every employee I talked to had one thing in common- their careers have taken many unexpected turns and that few are doing what they originally set out to do after graduating undergrad. These accomplished employees took advantage of  the unique and exciting opportunities provided by Northwell, and were not afraid to go outside of their comfort zone to find what they are passionate about. After hearing this, my fears of being a new grad who doesn’t know “what they want to do” started to disappear. I realized that I had my entire life ahead of me and that I could never possibly predict what opportunities would arise – all I knew for sure was that Northwell Health was the place that would provide me with them. 

One week before the completion of my internship on August 9th, I was offered a position through FlexStaff, Northwell Health’s internal temporary staffing agency. I was thrilled. Although this was not a permanent position, it was a foot in the door at the company I wanted to build a career with. I was hired as an Administrative Support Associate with the Workforce Readiness team. This team creates a pipeline for Talent and prepares our future workforce for healthcare careers. This is done through countless events and programs designed to introduce certain populations, such as students and veterans, to the countless career opportunities in healthcare that Northwell Health has to offer. After one day of spending time with this team during my internship I knew it was a perfect fit. The people could not have been more welcoming and I knew I wanted to be a part of the incredible work done here. Fortunately, three months after accepting the FlexStaff position, I was offered a full-time position as a Coordinator. I was so happy I would get to officially be a part of this team, and most of all I was so excited that I could continue the work I felt so strongly about and watch different programs and projects grow and develop.

I was quickly drawn to the work done with high school students. I have always had a passion for educating our country’s youth and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. The Spark! Challenge and Medical Marvels are two programs in particular that aim to introduce students to careers in healthcare that they otherwise may not learn about in school. These programs force the students to think critically and explore the many facets of healthcare. Another ongoing project I am involved with is college recruiting. This is an area I never thought I would be a part of, but am very happy that I am. My main goal here is to partner with universities to introduce them to open careers at Northwell Health.  I work with professors and career centers to link eligible students and alumni with our health system and explore opportunities that can benefit both them and us. This may be done by simply sending out a job description or setting up different events on campus or at one of our sites. Perhaps the most exciting part of my job is that our team is diverse in the populations we serve giving me a chance to learn something new every day on a variety of people. One day I could be working with college students, while another I could be assisting our Veteran Specialist with the veteran population, another day calling candidates to set up interviews for our elite nurse fellowships.

As a new grad I was extremely nervous to begin my journey outside of the classroom, however, to my pleasant surprise it has been wonderful. Northwell Health has welcomed me with open arms and in my seven months here has presented me with two outstanding opportunities. I am excited to see what else my journey has in store.

Picture: Briana is in the front left of the picture with the Center for Workforce Readiness Team that focuses on the communication with students in high school and college as well as nursing externships, fellowships and Veteran relations.  

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Q&A with Adam Becker, HMP Mentor and Graduate

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From pre-med to Financial & Operations Management Senior Associate, Adam moved from Chicago to New York to began his career at Northwell Health as Healthcare Management Program intern. His experience as an intern opened his eyes to health care and his experience solidified his decision to accept a full time position post graduation in the administration department at North Shore University Hospital.

Read Adam’s Q&A about being an HMP intern, now HMP mentor, and how the program was a foundation for his career.

Why did you want to participate in the Healthcare Management Program (HMP) and how did you hear about it?

When I began my undergraduate studies at Union College, my initial plans had been to pursue the pre-med track, with the ultimate goal of one day becoming a Physician. Upon taking Intro to Chemistry during one of my first classes at Union, and seeing the grade that I received at the end of the term, I quickly realized that this path would not be for me! Fast forward to my junior year, by that time a declared political science major, I remained eager to find opportunities and experiences that would allow me to pursue a role in healthcare, but in a non-clinical capacity.

While the majority of my internship search efforts were focused on opportunities related to health care policy, I stumbled upon a unique internship experience that was offered by Northwell Health (formerly North Shore-LIJ Health System). The Healthcare Management Program at Northwell Health is an internship designed to provide students with first-hand knowledge and insight into the field of healthcare administration. This seemed far-removed from my initial interests in policy, but also a far destination for a student originally from Chicago. 

After speaking with members of the Northwell team, that unbeknownst to me would soon become my colleagues and mentors; I realized that applying to the Healthcare Management Program would be the perfect opportunity to explore my interests in the healthcare field. By participating in the Healthcare Management Program I could fuse my interests in healthcare, business, and policy in a way that no other program or opportunity could provide.

Can you tell us about your experience in the internship?

As a participant in the Healthcare Management Program I developed the skills required to succeed in a dynamic and fast-paced environment. The internship provided me with an opportunity to explore the field of hospital administration through real project work lead by executive mentors. From the relationships that I developed, to the foundational knowledge gained in both analytics and project management, the internship was a phenomenal experience for my professional growth. Furthermore, the opportunity to learn from, and engage with, executive leadership, clinical leadership, and others, afforded me a unique perspective into the daily roles and responsibilities of healthcare administrators. By gaining exposure to world-class professionals, combined with challenging and exciting project work, the Healthcare Management Program reaffirmed my passion for health care, but more importantly, the experience served as the onramp for my career in health care administration.

After participating in the HMP, what made you decide to take a full time position at Northwell Health in our Management Associate Program as a Financial & Operations Management Associate?

Through my participation in the Healthcare Management Program I gained the skills necessary to be able to succeed in a dynamic professional landscape. As a result, many of the tools that I developed in the internship provided me with the ability to engage with a variety of different organizations, including financial ones, about potential career opportunities. Although I was intrigued by entry-level positions offered by the other companies, I realized that these institutions could never offer the one component of working in health care that I enjoyed the most: the opportunity to impact the life of a patient.  

My decision to join this organization in the Management Associate Program (MAP) was made for that simple reason: to wake up each morning knowing that in some way shape or form I could impact the life of another. The passion that I felt to continue to grow in the organization that had paved my professional foundation, combined with a desire to pursue a career in healthcare was the two main contributing factors towards my decision of joining the Management Associate Program.

How was it mentoring an HMP intern this summer after going through the program yourself?

After having been a participant in the program myself, the opportunity to mentor three Healthcare Management Program interns this summer was a phenomenal experience for me both professionally and personally. From a professional standpoint, just as the Healthcare Management Program provided me with an opportunity to learn a skill set in analytics and project management, mentoring students this summer allowed me to develop my own management skills and style. It was a great experience to be able to train others on the same tools that I had been taught when I had gone through the program just a few years prior. 

On a personal level, the investment that I had in the program as a former participant made the dedication level to the success of the internship experience that much higher. My goal for the summer was to ensure that the students had as beneficial of an experience as I had, if not better.  As one of their mentors, I wanted to provide them with as many opportunities to develop their skill set, form professional relationships, as well as encourage them to cultivate the same passion for health care that I had gained during my own internship experience. The mentorship experience was tremendously rewarding and I am glad that as a former participant I had the opportunity to help others begin their own professional journeys.

purpletip Our 2017 Healthcare Management Program is now open for submission. Become part of our 61,000 strong and submit your resume today. 

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Northwell Health’s Healthcare Management Program

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Northwell Health’s Healthcare Management Program Internship. The future of health care is in your hands.

This summer, our newly expanded, elite 8-week Healthcare Management Program (HMP) Internship,  offered undergraduate students a unique opportunity to influence the future of health care. With over 500 applications nationwide, thirteen top students were chosen to participate at one of our ten participating facilities. 

From day one, they were welcomed as a respected member of our team and immersed in real, meaningful project work with executive leaders and mentors- all working together toward the goal of transforming care.  This program engaged and developed our future health care leaders by helping them realize their full potential, and giving them a hand on experience into health care administration and operations at various hospitals and facilities.

During the program, interns were given numerous opportunities to advance their skills and the Northwell Health mission through:

  • Strategic, important project work. Opportunities like, new facility process mapping, annual report creation, hospital performance dashboards, venture capital planning, fundraising initiatives, product line financial reporting, redesigning of hospital units and so much more. 
  • Weekly educational sessions. Lead by our executives, our weekly Lunch & Learns from the best showcased topics such as Finance, Operations, Budgeting, Role of a Healthcare Administrator, Project Management, and Career Mobility.
  • Networking opportunities. From chatting with past HMP interns and mentors at our Alumni Dinner to on-site visits & Lunch & Learns, the HMP interns were immersed in networking opportunities with various leaders and team members.
  • Hospital and facility tours. To help students understand how their impact behind the scenes makes a difference to our overall operations they were given all access tours to our facilities.
  • And yes….we even had time for fun events arranged specifically for the HMP intern group such as our Escape the Room team-building adventure!

As a stepping stone into our Management Associate Program (MAP) after graduation, the HMP internship teaches you that from bedside to the business offices, there is nothing more fulfilling than knowing that we each play an integral part of the care of our patients and the customer experience.  

Don’t just take our word for it; hear from our 2016 HMP Interns….

“I came into this internship thinking that I would only do operations work, however I had the opportunity to work on various projects and people within the hospital. The biggest thing I learned is that there is so much coordination between departments and a huge focus on teamwork.”

Ben BruerCohen Children’s Medical Center

“I can confidently say I have been very privileged and lucky to have had such an incredible opportunity. Since day one, I was immediately welcomed with nothing but smiles and guidance. Every single employee made it his/her business to ensure I was helped in any way I needed.”

Samantha MeiselsNorthwell Health Foundation

“I learned the complexity of health care, the costs associated, and the importance of human connection. Healthcare is often overlooked, but few other industries allow people to conclude a work day with an immense feeling of satisfaction and I am fairly convinced it is an industry that I would very much like to participate in.”

Dennis ZhangLong Island Jewish Forest Hills

“Northwell Health provided me with independence on many projects, allowing me to take the lead, while always having mentors and resources available for guidance.”

Matthew DonnellyNorth Shore University Hospital

lbluetipWe are now accepting applications for the 2017 HMP program. Visit our Students page for up-to-date information.