Program Structure

Northwestern Medicine Harrison Administrative Fellowship Program Structure

We designed the 18-month program to help you develop the skills and attributes you need for a senior-level career in health care. The administrative fellow reports through and is supported by executive, program and medical leaders, and former administrative fellows.

Starting in July each year, the Administrative Fellowship Program combines structured and self-directed activities. We will assign you a vice president and director mentor who will support you throughout the program. You’ll spend the first 30 to 60 days gaining an understanding of Northwestern Medicine through informational interviews, strategic and operational exposure, and professional development training.

Then, you’ll spend the rest of your first year in the program leading projects at an operational and strategic level. Leading these projects will support your development as a leader through robust curricular activities and exposure to Northwestern Medicine leaders. Projects are based on our current organizational priorities, and they combine the interests of each fellow while maintaining a balance across several categories, such as clinical operations, strategic planning and system function.

The last six months of the fellowship are a transitional period dedicated to finding a full-time management role at Northwestern Medicine that suits both your career goals and the organization’s needs. Your assigned mentors and fellowship program leaders will support you throughout this process. 

Fellowship Roles

The Administrative Fellowship Program has two separate roles:

• Academic medical center fellow: A cohort of three will be hired for the academic medical center fellowship. In this role, your experience will mainly take place at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, the academic medical center in downtown Chicago that anchors our system. Academic medical center leaders will sponsor and mentor you, working with fellowship program leaders to provide you with robust support. You will still get experience at our locations in the Chicago suburbs, from exposure to senior leaders and your project involvement; however, most of your experience will focus on activity at the academic medical center.
• Health network fellow: One fellow will be hired for the health network fellowship. In this role, your experience will focus on our 10 hospitals throughout the suburbs of Chicago. Health network leaders will sponsor and mentor you along with fellowship program leaders. You will still get experience at the academic medical center, from exposure to senior leaders and your project involvement; however, most of your experience will focus on activity throughout our health system.

Fellowship Competencies

The competencies of the Northwestern Medicine Harrison Administrative Fellowship align with the organization’s value-based leadership model. We expect fellows to graduate from the program with these skills:

• Adaptability
• Communication and emotional intelligence
• Identifying problems and solutions
• Project management
• Leading change and influencing others
• Building trusting relationships
• Financial acumen

Responsibilities

As a fellow, your responsibilities will include:

• Working with program leaders to develop a balanced portfolio of projects that span a variety of categories
• Completing DMAIC (define, measure, analyze, improve, control) training while leading a DMAIC project in parallel during the first 12 months.
• Engaging in defined leadership development activities
• Serving as a resource for other members of senior management, as appropriate