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The Administrative Fellowship
Valleywise Health’s administrative fellowship program is designed to help train the next generation of healthcare leaders. Our one-year fellowship is an opportunity for a Master’s prepared student to explore various aspects of health system operations, obtain foundational knowledge of health system structure and governance, learn “real-world” applications of classroom concepts, and work within the framework of a safety-net system of care.
Program Purpose
Our fellowship provides the fellow with the depth of time and breadth of mentorship required to chart their path in the healthcare industry. The fellow will gain robust experience that will support their professional development as they embark upon a career in healthcare leadership and administration.
Our fellowship program’s priority is projects that focus on disciplines to include: Operations, Nursing, Strategy, Finance, Quality, and other areas that impact the needs of our organization. Our second priority is the opportunities available for the fellow to participate in a variety of other initiatives. These include shadowing leaders, and participating in meetings and projects as determined by the preceptor and fellow, to learn, grow and contribute to the organization and industry at large.
Program Structure
Fellows will participate in rotations across departments to gain insights into diverse functional areas and complex project assignments. The fellow will have a primary location and preceptor at the health system, and a preceptor at each rotation. Projects may overlap rotations to provide the fellow with the opportunity to see their work through completion.
Opportunities for Fellows
Mentorship from Assigned Preceptors and Executive Mentors
Fellows are supported through a robust teaching and mentoring framework, providing guidance and insights from experienced healthcare leaders.
Rotations Across a Wide Cross-Section of Hospital Departments
The program emphasizes hands-on learning, allowing fellows to transition from academics to real-life application in hospital administration.
Exploration, Experimentation, and Skill Development
Fellows can discover healthcare interests, explore career goals in a safe environment, experiment with classroom learnings in practice, partake in a diverse array of assignments, acquire depth and breadth of health systems operations knowledge, and hone problem solving and critical thinking skills.
Impact on Strategic Healthcare Initiatives
Fellows have the opportunity to lead and participate in projects that are rooted in our strategic priorities, impact the care continuum, and help advance our vision “to be nationally recognized for transforming care to improve community health”, and our mission to “provide exceptional care, without exception, every patient, every time.”
Fellow Support & Learning Model
Our fellow will receive consistent and continuous mentorship, guidance and support. In addition to 2 executive level fellowship preceptors, the fellow will have the opportunity to learn from leaders across the organization during their rotations.
The fellow will have the opportunity to learn through long-term strategic projects, meeting observations, and project assignments. Our model is designed to help the fellow develop time management and project management skills. 1 – 2 long-term projects will be developed in partnership with fellowship preceptors to accelerate the fellow’s learning in a specific area of Valleywise Health, based on interest and organizational need.
Preceptors
Executive Preceptor
Co-Preceptors
Co-Preceptors
Co-Preceptors
Runjhun Nanchal
Senior Vice President of Strategy, Marketing and Communications
Sherry Stotler
Chief Nursing Officer/ Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services
About Valleywise Health
Valleywise Health is the safety-net system of care and only public teaching hospital for Maricopa County, AZ. With locations throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area, Valleywise Health has a proud 147-year tradition of providing exceptional care, without exception, every patient, every time.
Established in 1877 as a “pest-house”, Valleywise Health has grown dramatically from a place where doctors treated tuberculosis patients, to a health system with a new state-of-the-art acute care hospital, the Diane & Bruce Halle Arizona Burn Center, a Level I Trauma center, three behavioral health hospitals, 11 comprehensive primary care centers, Arizona’s largest HIV/AIDS primary care clinic, and 2 multi-specialty ambulatory towers including an ambulatory surgery center. Additionally, Valleywise Health hosts 600+ residents annually in 17 graduate and post-graduate medical education programs.
In 1971, after community leaders recognized a need to rebuild the original “pest-house” campus, Maricopa County General Hospital opened in downtown Phoenix. It was renamed Maricopa Medical Center in the 1980s. In 2003, voters approved a “special health care district” and created an independent five-member Board of Directors to oversee the system that was then removed from direct oversight of the County. Maricopa Integrated Health System, or MIHS was created.
MIHS set a goal to transform healthcare in the Phoenix area by modernizing its aging facilities and expanding its resources and services. Proposition 480, which was overwhelmingly approved by Maricopa County voters in 2014, turned that goal into a reality and laid the foundation for the “Care Reimagined” program. In 2019, MIHS rebranded to Valleywise Health, as the system embarked upon the Care Reimagined journey. Valleywise Health had four main goals for the overall program:
- Rebrand all aspects of the healthcare system
- Expand its reach of services to underserved communities
- Integrate behavioral health throughout the model of care for medical services
- Replace its existing, outdated hospital with a new, state-of-the-art acute care hospital
Through the voter approved Care Reimagined project, the health care system has seen a transformation. Valleywise Health opened several brand new comprehensive primary care clinics with FQHC (Federally Qualified Health Center) status, a multi-specialty ambulatory tower, and a new behavioral health hospital. In addition, in June 2024, it opened a new 233 bed, 670,000 square foot acute-care facility designed to meet the ever-changing needs of Maricopa County.
Today, the public healthcare system is one of the busiest in the nation and reaches far across Maricopa County. It’s also an engine of medical training for the next generation of physicians, nurses and allied health care professionals through the Creighton University Arizona Health Education Alliance. This historic commitment led to Valleywise Health earning “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader’ designation from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation for the sixth consecutive year.
Application Requirements and Dates
The Valleywise Health Administrative Fellowship is open to candidates receiving a Master’s level degree in health administration, business administration, public health or equivalent between June 1, 2024 and June 1, 2025 from a nationally accredited program and institution of higher learning. This also includes candidates who have completed the course work, and their graduate program requires a final-year fellowship.
If you have any questions regarding the Valleywise Health Administrative Fellowship, please contact the Fellowship administrator Lisa Zepeda at [email protected].
Important Dates
December 15, 2024: Application Deadline
Between November and December, 2024: Phone Interviews
January and February 2025: On-site/Final Interviews
March 2025: Offer Extended
End of June, 2025: Program Start Date
Next Steps
To be considered, you must complete this application and upload the following documents into a job application no later than December 15, 2024:
Please ensure to expand drop downs and read all information carefully
Resume
Personal Statement (Up to 2 pages, single-spaced)
Share professional goals and interests in pursuing the Valleywise Health Administrative Fellowship Program. Include responses to the questions below.
- How do you see yourself contributing to advancing our organization’s safety-net mission to “Provide exceptional care, without exception, every patient, every time”?
- Review Valleywise Health’s Values (see below). Briefly describe one personal, professional or academic experience that demonstrates at least one of these values: Accountability, Compassion, Excellence, Safety
- Accountability: We hold ourselves and each other accountable by accepting personal responsibility for all that we do and stewardship of the resources we deploy on behalf of our community
- Compassion: We demonstrate sensitivity to our patients and each other by offering emotional, spiritual, cultural and physical support
- Excellence: We are committed to delivering breakthrough quality and service that exceeds expectations, improves outcomes and provides exceptional patient care
- Safety: We ensure a safe environment for all and a high reliable, effective care experience
- What are your career aspirations (1, 5, 10 years)?
Letters of Recommendation
Must provide at least two (2) letters of recommendation, of which at least one (1) must be from an academic source. If providing a letter of recommendation from a professional source, that can come from your experience during an internship. Letters of recommendation should be addressed to the Administrative Fellowship Selection Committee. If the individual(s) providing the recommendation(s) would like to send the letter of recommendation personally, they can send the letter of recommendation to Lisa Zepeda at [email protected]
Transcripts
Official undergraduate and unofficial graduate transcripts
How to Apply
Please upload your resume, personal statement, and letters of recommendation to the application. Your personal statement and letters of recommendation should be uploaded to the “supporting documentation” section.
Rotation Schedule
Sample Rotation Schedule
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Rotation
Preceptor
1
Health System Orientation and Tours
SVP, Strategy, Marketing and Communications, and Chief Nursing Officer
2
Strategy, Marketing and Communications
SVP, Strategy, Marketing and Communications
3
Nursing Administration
Chief Nursing Officer
4
Primary Care Ambulatory/FQHC
SVP, Ambulatory Services
5
Specialty Care Ambulatory
Chief Nursing Officer
6
Support Services
VP of Support Services
7
Quality and Regulatory
VP of Quality and Safety
8
Supply Chain
VP of Supply Chain Operations
9
Managed Care
VP of Managed Care
10
IT Services
Chief Information Officer
11
Clinical Ancillary Services
VP of Clinical Ancillary Services
12
Government Relations
SVP of Government Relations
13
Human Resources
Chief Human Resources Officer
14
Revenue Cycle
VP of Revenue Cycle
15
Behavioral Health
SVP of Behavioral Health Services
Have Questions?
If you need more information about the Valleywise Health Administrative Fellowship, we’re here to help. Our team is happy to assist with any inquiries and provide additional details to help guide you through the application process. For any questions, please reach out to the Administrative Fellowship administrator Lisa Zepeda at [email protected].