Administrative Fellowship

Delve into health care administration with hands-on projects and operations experience

Ready to apply?

WellSpan is a member of the National Council on Administrative Fellowships (NCAF) and adheres to all associated application processes and deadlines.

Apply on NAFCAS

Healthcare is ever-changing. Dynamic, innovative leaders like you are needed to guide health systems and hospitals into the future. Our administrative fellowship program will prepare you for a successful career in healthcare administration and leadership.

Program structure

Our fellowship is a two-year project-based experience with three 8-month rotations. As a system-wide fellow, you’re able to work on projects throughout the organization, not limited to your rotation placement. This will allow you to gain an understanding of the structure of our organization and work closely with a variety of leaders across our system.

Potential rotations include but are not limited to:

health care operations (both hospital and service line)
strategic planning
business development
marketing and communications
government relations
quality and patient safety
innovations
human resources
population health

Mentorship

The fellowship places you in a position of high visibility both with our leadership team and across the system. You’ll be exposed to the challenges and opportunities at a system-level, as well as in service line and entity operations. Your experience will uniquely position you to translate learnings into your post-fellowship career. For example, fellows will be mentored by:

a senior leader who will serve as your preceptor for each rotation to help guide your experience to meet your goals
four executive sponsors who oversee and advocate for continuous advancement of the program
a program coordinator who serves as a liaison between fellows, preceptors, executive sponsors, and senior leadership

Have any questions? Visit our FAQs or email us at fellowships@wellspan.org.

2nd year fellows (2022-2024)

Paul Johnson, MSLM

Western Governor's University

Taylor Plavchak, MHA

Penn State University

1st year fellows (2023-2025)

Shianne Goering, MHA

University of Iowa

Ashley Paschl, MHA

Penn State University

Dylan Taylor, MPH

SUNY Downstate

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

Unfortunately, no, WellSpan does not sponsor visas.

Preceptors are determined by fellow interest and some of our prior leaders who have served as a preceptor include:

VP & President Ephrata Community Hospital
VP & President WellSpan Surgery and Rehab Hospital
VP of Primary Care Service Line
VP of Behavioral Health Network
VP of Marketing and Communications
VP of Quality and Patient Safety

Our fellows have opportunities to drive strategic projects for our system. Some examples of projects our fellows have been engaged with include:

Lead HEDIS Childhood Immunization Status
Reduce potentially Avoidable ED visits
Organize Black Men in White Coats Summit
Conduct stay interviews
Evaluate new markets for expansion
Develop service line acquisition/consolidation plans

We believe strongly in prioritizing work-life balance. It’s essential to promote well-being and a core reason our organization is a desirable place to work.

Additionally, our system is in a centrally located area close to major metropolitan centers, outdoor living and recreational activities. Whether you’re from central Pennsylvania or new to the area, it's a great place to live and work.

Our two-year fellowship program offers Fellows the opportunity to gain a comprehensive understanding of our organization, work on in-depth projects, and build relationships with our leadership team.

Our fellowship program offers a unique opportunity for fellow to experience healthcare operations and expand their leadership skills while working with executive leaders across a comprehensive health system. WellSpan is just as fortunate with being able to work with upcoming leaders on the healthcare landscape and benefit from different perspectives and ideas. It is shared-learned and innovation at its best!

Megan Lecas

SVP of Service Lines

Administrative fellowship alumni

Hillary Grove, MHA

"The WellSpan Health Administrative Fellowship has shaped me into the leader I am today. It has afforded me possibilities to learn, act, and lead in various disciplines within healthcare. From the beginning of my fellowship, I had opportunities to mold my experience to gain as much exposure and enlightenment to be well-rounded within the healthcare system. I have benefitted from the roles that I have explored within my fellowship and also from the leaders that I was mentored by and with whom I worked closely. It was a unique experience to be invested in strongly by the senior leadership team and their influence has made me more confident and knowledgeable in my career at WellSpan Health."

- University of Scranton, Director of Operations - Diagnostic Services

Erica Kahl, MHA

"My Administrative Fellowship was a transformative experience. WellSpan’s inviting and collaborative culture serves as the perfect foundation for fellows to immerse themselves in health system strategy and operations and take on leading roles in high-impact projects. In two short years, I was able to participate in dozens of projects and initiatives, attend leadership meetings and community events, and establish deep connections across the organization. The guidance I received from my preceptors and other leaders was pivotal in helping me to hone my skills and refine my post-fellowship career goals. The challenge and broad exposure of my fellowship undoubtedly shaped me into the professional I am today and set me up for success on my career trajectory."

- Penn State University, Director of Growth and Business Development

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Administrative Fellowship

Delve into health care administration with hands-on projects and operations experience