Administrative Fellowship Program

The administrative fellowship meets all of ACHE's criteria to participate as a program. Our goal is to find a candidate who will be the best fit for the organization and will benefit most from the experience.

The fellowship begins in July of each year. Ideal candidates for the position will meet the qualifications below.

Education requirements:

• Minimum of a master’s degree, attained within one year prior to application or upon completion of the fellowship required, such as Masters in Business Administration (MBA), Masters in Health Administration (MHA), Masters in Health Services Administration (MHSA), Masters in Public Health (MPH), or a related field.
• Candidates with a master’s degree focused in healthcare administration from a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) are preferred.

Experience:

• Healthcare industry experience, such as an internship, externship, fellowship or applicable employment highly desired.
• Record of leadership and teamwork, and demonstration of excellent verbal and written communication skills required.

Other qualifications:

• Possesses broad knowledge of current and historical perspectives in areas such as healthcare business management, administration, clinical practice management, finance, human resources and/or information systems.
• Candidates must be self-starters willing to work in a fast-paced, multidisciplinary, system environment.

To apply, please submit the following materials via REDCap by 5pm on Sept. 22, 2023:

• Current resume (2 pages maximum)
• Personal statement of interest (500 words maximum)
• Official graduate and undergraduate transcripts
• Three (3) letters of recommendation: (1) academic, (1) professional and (1) other (academic or professional)

Primary Executive Leadership Preceptor: Kisha Hortman Hawthorne, PhD, FACHE

Dr. Hawthorne is the Senior Vice President (SVP) and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Care Network at  CHOP. In this capacity, she serves as the operational and strategic leader for the hospital’s primary care network and Urgent and Specialty Care Centers (SCCs). Prior to her current role, Dr. Hawthorne served as CHOP’s SVP and Chief Information Officer (CIO) for seven years. As CIO, she was responsible for strategic leadership of the Information Services (IS) department, managing a $50 million capital budget, a project portfolio of more than 90 large and mid-size projects and 550 full time staff members, ensuring organizational information security and protection of patient and family health data. As an executive leader, Dr. Hawthorne serves on various strategic CHOP committees including the Growth, Ethics, and Patient Safety committees.

For additional information about the administrative fellowship program, please reach out to CHOPAdminFellowship@chop.edu.

Salonia Brown

Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for a New Jersey-based RCM services and technology company

Salonia (Sal) Brown was CHOP’s first executive fellow for the 2008-2009 year. CHOP served as his introduction to healthcare, which quickly spawned into his passion. During his tenure as an executive fellow, which Sal likens to a rapid experiential leadership development program,  he had the opportunity to shadow some of the institution's most esteemed and accomplished senior leadership. At the end of the fellowship, Sal stayed on and joined CHOP within its Revenue Cycle Management division. Over the next several years, Sal moved into several leadership roles within CHOP.

Post-CHOP, Sal has more than 15 years of experience in progressive roles within the healthcare finance and revenue mycle Management industry. His experience spans directly across the healthcare provider and RCM vendor side, leading RCM operations for health systems as well as large RCM engagements from the vendor side managing operations, P&Ls and ultimately customer success.

Most recently, Sal held the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for a New Jersey-based RCM services and technology company. In addition to his corporate accomplishments, Sal is also the founder and CEO of HC Data Exchange LLC, a specialized revenue cycle consulting firm. This boutique organization is committed to assisting healthcare providers in enhancing their processes and delivering unparalleled end-to-end results. HC Data Exchange offers comprehensive, innovative and tailored RCM solutions that cater to clients of varying sizes, enhancing financial performance and driving operational excellence. Sal received his B.S. from Penn State University in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and Business Management and his MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management.

Kerry Mackey, DBA

Vice President of Hospital Operations, Women & Children, NYU Langone Hospital Long Island and NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine

Kerry Mackey, DBA, is the Vice President of Hospital Operations, Women & Children, NYU Langone Hospital Long Island and NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine. Currently, Kerry oversees the financial and operational performance and the strategic development of the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Emergency Medicine, Pediatrics, Family Medicine, Dental Medicine, Chaplain Services and Community Outreach.

Before joining NYU Langone in 2014 as Associate Director of the Cobble Hill Emergency Department, Kerry was a highly decorated Captain in the United States Air Force. After completing his active duty commitment with the United States Air Force in 2009, he joined CHOP as an administrative fellow, distinguishing himself with his excellent leadership and collaborative spirit.  At CHOP, Kerry was the Operations Supervisor for Orthopedic Surgery (Children’s Surgical Associates) and the Operations Manager in Cardiac Nursing (CICU, CCU, CPRU, Cath Lab and Cardiac OR).

Kerry works hard to build his expertise continually and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Healthcare Administration and Planning from Tennessee State University, a Master’s Degree in Administration with a concentration in health services administration from Central Michigan University, and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in finance from La Salle University. He recently earned his doctorate in business administration from Temple University.

Kamilah Weems, MS

Director, Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships, The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)

Kamilah Weems, MS, is the Director of Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships at the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). She has extensive experience in the areas of project and program management, operations, and strategic planning and in this role, she oversees the development of new initiatives to advance the continuum of medical education. Since joining the AAMC she has led initiatives to develop cross continuum competencies in telehealth as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and has led awards and grants programs to highlight innovative curriculum in substance use disorder and pain management. Kamilah was also the inaugural chair of the AAMC’s DEI Council, which advises and provides recommendations to the organization’s senior leadership team.

Prior to joining the AAMC in 2018, she spent nine years at CHOP in several leadership positions. The Administrative Fellowship solidified her commitment to health care and her goal to work toward improving the health for all. After completing the Administrative Fellowship, Kamilah was the Manager of Operations for the Ambulatory Care Network, followed by the organization’s first Special Assistant to the CEO and finally as Administrative Director for the office of entrepreneurship and innovation. In these various roles, she gained extensive experience working with clinicians and other frontline staff to develop innovative ideas to improve patient safety and the overall quality of care.

Kamilah holds a Master of Science in Biomedical Science and Organizational Leadership from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Xavier University of Louisiana.

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is an equal opportunity employer, committed to creating an environment where all people feel valued and respected and can contribute to their fullest potential.  A non-discrimination and harassment policy is strictly enforced. No applicant for employment shall be subjected to discrimination because of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, disability, age, sexual orientation or family status.

To carry out its mission, it is of critical importance for  Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) to keep our patients, families and workforce safe and healthy and to support the health of our global community. In keeping with this, CHOP has mandated all workforce members (including trainees) onsite at any CHOP location for any portion of their time be vaccinated for COVID-19 as a condition of employment.

This mandate also applies to workforce members or trainees performing work for CHOP at non-CHOP locations. Additionally, all workforce members based in, or regularly scheduled to work at, any New Jersey location are mandated to be both vaccinated and boosted for COVID-19, with booster timing consistent with applicable guidelines. The CHOP COVID-19 vaccine mandate is in alignment with applicable local, state and federal mandates. CHOP also requires all workforce members and trainees who work in patient care buildings or who provide patient care to receive an annual influenza vaccine. Employees may request exemption consideration for CHOP vaccine requirements for valid religious and medical reasons. Please note start dates may be delayed until candidates are fully immunized or valid exemption requests are reviewed. In addition, candidates other than those in positions with regularly scheduled hours in New Jersey, must attest to not using tobacco products.

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other protected category. CHOP is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor seeking priority referrals for protected veterans.

CHOP is committed to building an inclusive culture where employees feel a sense of belonging, connection and community within their workplace. We are a team dedicated to fostering an environment that allows for all to be their authentic selves. We are focused on attracting, cultivating and retaining diverse talent who can help us deliver on our mission to be a world leader in the advancement of healthcare for children.

We strongly encourage all candidates of diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply.