Administrative Fellowship

 Thank you for your interest in UNC Hospitals' Administrative Fellow Position. This information will aid your application process:

• The Administrative Fellowship Program
• Fellowship Coordination
• About UNC Hospitals
• About the Community
• Eligibility
• Application Checklist
• Testimonials
• Former Fellows
• Frequently Asked Questions

The Administrative Fellowship Program
The Administrative Fellowship program at UNC Hospitals consists of a one-year appointment to the administrative staff of UNC Hospitals. One Fellow is selected each year. The intention of this Administrative Fellowship is to provide entry-level experience to graduates of master degree programs in health care management and clearly related disciplines. The Fellow will have exposure to factors affecting the operation of a major university teaching hospital. This project-oriented program is extremely flexible allowing the Fellow to work in areas and on projects, which match the interests of the individual in alignment with organizational needs. Though this program is not “rotational” in nature, selection of projects will expose the Fellow to as many departments and in as much depth as the Fellow aspires. Sample projects may include chairing teams and/ or participating in:

• Preparation of Strategic Plans
• Quality and Process Improvement Initiatives
• Budget Preparation and Financial Management
• Certificate of Need Application and Site Planning
• Cost Benefit Analysis
• Revenue Cycle Improvements
• Productivity Management and Utilization Studies
• Business and Program Development

Through staff assignments, committee work and participation in the Hospital management team the Fellow will be exposed to policy formulation, resource allocation decisions, corporate planning and problem solving. During the year, the Administrative Fellow will gain familiarity with the operations of a major university teaching hospital, its Board, and also have the opportunities to understand and interact with the operations of community hospitals. The Fellow will become knowledgeable of the major internal and external forces that are shaping the future of the Hospitals, School of Medicine and medical staff organization. This position will offer a unique and challenging experience to an individual interested in pursuing an administrative career within a major teaching hospital environment.

Because the Administrative Fellowship program was created at UNC Hospitals in 1982, the history and purpose of the Fellowship program is broadly understood within the hospital and by executive leadership. Projects that the Fellow participates in will be both meaningful within the system, and of significant depth so as to provide a rich education.

The program is conspicuous in its flexibility, to allow for the Fellow to pursue and develop his or her own interests. To facilitate this the Fellow will directly report to Todd Peterson, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, UNC Hospitals.

Return to top

Fellowship Coordination

Preceptor: Todd Peterson
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Mr. Peterson has directed UNC Hospitals’ operations since 1989. He is responsible for management of UNC Hospitals, with the exception of functions relating to legal services, planning, public affairs, quality improvement, and volunteer services.  His prior experience at the University of California, Davis, Medical Center from 1980 to 1989 as an associate hospital director included responsibilities as Director of Finance and Director of Professional and Support Services. While at Hahnemann University Hospital from 1973 to 1980, his various responsibilities pertained to professional services and ambulatory clinics. He also served as Assistant Director of the Faculty Practice Plan and he completed his administrative residency at Hahnemann University Hospital. His earlier experience at Mellon Bank included marketing research and a management development program.

Mr. Peterson is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh (B.S., Business 1968) and the George Washington University (M.A., Healthcare Administration, 1974). He served at U.S. Army Headquarters, Republic of Vietnam (1970). His community activities have included board memberships for North Carolina Hospital Association, Chamber of Commerce, Chatham Hospital, YMCA, and an AIDS service center; judge of elections; and various adjunct faculty positions. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Mr. Peterson has served as preceptor for the Administrative Fellowship at UNC Hospitals since 1990, and he is committed to teaching and mentoring emerging leaders in health care.

Fellowship Coordinator: Dan Lehman, FACHE
Director: Operations
Mr. Lehman came to UNC Hospitals in 1994 as Associate Director of Planning and Program Development. While in this capacity the focus of his responsibilities included strategic planning, database development and management, facility planning and design, business and network development including the establishment of a network of UNC-owned and operated community-based physician clinics.

In early 2000, Mr. Lehman moved to a leadership position in hospital operations and is now responsible for a number of support and professional services including: the UNC Wellness Center, Nutrition and Food Services, Clinical Dietitians, Environmental Services, Patient Transportation Guest Services and the Service Response Center.

Prior to coming to UNC Hospitals, Mr. Lehman completed the two-year post-graduate fellowship program at Johns Hopkins and worked for Danville Regional Medical Center as Director of Planning and Market Research.

Mr. Lehman has an undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University (B.S. in Allied Health - Medical Technology) and a master's degree from The Sloan Graduate Program in Health Policy and Administration at Cornell University. Community activities include board memberships and appointments with Healthy Carolinians of Orange County, the University Child Care Center board of directors, chair of the master facility planning and construction task force at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church.

Return to top

UNC Hospitals

UNC Hospitals opened in September 1952 under the name North Carolina Memorial Hospital. In May 1989, the N.C. General Assembly created the University of North Carolina Hospitals entity as a unifying organization to govern constituent hospitals and to project a modern and accurate identity for the hospitals of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

UNC Hospitals includes North Carolina Children's Hospital, North Carolina Memorial Hospital, North Carolina Neurosciences Hospital, and North Carolina Women's Hospital and North Carolina Cancer Hospital. Recently completed, the N.C. Cancer Hospital offers enhanced amenities for patient treatment, as well as patient and family support, in an expanded and enhanced multidisciplinary clinic space. 

UNC Hospitals is a public, academic medical center operated by and for the people of North Carolina. The Hospitals' mission is to provide high quality patient care, to educate health care professionals, to advance research and to provide community service.

UNC Hospitals are the principal teaching hospital affiliates of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. The institution has approximately 7,000 employees and an annual operating budget of $1 billion. The Hospitals are a part of the University of North Carolina Health Care System and is governed by the UNC Health Care System Board of Directors.

As a 799 licensed bed tertiary care setting, the Hospitals provide sophisticated diagnostic and treatment services for people throughout North Carolina and surrounding states. Each year the Hospitals discharge nearly 38,000 patients and serve  approximately 900,000 clinic visits. UNC Hospitals are the patient care heart of a health science complex that includes five professional schools - dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy and public health.

Return to top

About the Community

The town of Chapel Hill began in 1838 in an effort to provide a community for the new University of North Carolina campus. The city is located three hours from the Atlantic coast and three hours from the Blue Ridge Mountains, allowing residents and visitors to enjoy a variety of recreational activities all year long. As one of the three “points” of The Research Triangle, Chapel Hill, along with Raleigh and Durham, continually receives accolades for being a top location to live and do business. Three Major Universities are found in the triangle; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University, and North Carolina State University. The A & E channel recognized Chapel Hill as the #2 city in their “Top Ten Cities to Have it All” and Money magazine rated the town as the #1 “Best Place to Live in the South.”

Chapel Hill is located in Orange County. The top employer is The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with UNC Health Care as the second largest employer.  A complete profile of the area including temperature, population and cost of living is available here.

Eligibility

The Administrative Fellowship program at UNC Hospitals is geared for the self-starter, who has a health care background academically and/ or professionally. We seek ambitious, hardworking, and enthusiastic candidates with the following credentials in one or more of these areas:

• Masters in Health Services Administration
• Master in Public Health
• Master in Healthcare Administration
• Master in Business Administration
• Or any other comparable degree with some professional experience in health care.

Return to top

Application

Please submit original copies of the following in one envelope:

1. Application form (download .pdf)
2. Official transcript from first year of Graduate School
3. A copy of your resume
4. Statement of goals and objectives addressing the following questions-
   -Why did you choose health care management as your career?
   -What makes UNC Hospitals the ideal place for you?
   -What makes you an ideal candidate for the UNC Hospitals Administrative Fellowship Program?
5. Three recommendation letters- preferably two academic and one professional

We will begin accepting applications no earlier than September 1. Please note that we will not accept applications in any electronic format.

Application deadline: The application deadline for the Administrative Fellowship at UNC Hospitals is October 15 with a decision made before the end of November and work commencing on or around the first of July. Please send application material to the attention of: 

Ms. Sharon Baker 
Senior Executive Assistant 
UNC Hospitals
101 Manning Drive
Campus Box 7600
Chapel Hill, NC 27514-7600
Email: sbaker@unch.unc.edu
Phone: (919) 966-4423
Fax: (919) 966-3709

Return to top

Testimonials

“The UNC Fellowship was an incredible experience. It was great to be part of the Leadership Team and see how decisions were made for the organization. I learned a lot from the projects that I participated in and completed.  Todd Peterson provides outstanding mentorship for the program. Overall, I feel fortunate that I was able to come to UNC Hospitals!”

Nathan B. Peterson, MBA, 2006-2007
Undergraduate: Utah State University
Graduate: University of Colorado at Denver

“My experience as a UNC Hospitals Administrative Fellow was incredible!  Todd Peterson allowed me to pursue projects independently, but also provided me with the unwavering guidance and support of a mentor.  I gained tremendous knowledge and perspective from our discussions about the history of UNC Hospitals that would have otherwise been impossible to achieve. I was also given the freedom to explore all aspects of the Health Care System with the full support of the entire Administrative Team.  The Fellowship gave me the skills and professional network to flourish as future leader in health care.”

Lauren Romano Onken, MHA, 2007-2008
Undergraduate: Virginia Tech University
Graduate: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

“My fellowship experience was nothing short of amazing. It was great to be involved in many projects and have the support of such a great Leadership Team. The level of responsibility, as well as the interactions with all different levels of management has proven to be an invaluable learning experience for me.

The fellowship program at UNC Hospitals has an incredible reputation and history, and I am honored to be able to call myself an alumnus of the program.”

Philia Rentea, MHA, 2008-2009
Undergraduate: Southern Illinois University
Graduate: Cornell University

Return to top

Former Fellows

 Return to top

Frequently Asked Questions

 We are happy to answer any questions you may have about the UNC Hospitals Administrative Fellowship. Here are several common questions many applicants have asked in the past.

 Return to top