Fellowship Curriculum
2011-2012
Program Director:
Gregory Ciottone, MD, FACEP
Chief Medical Officer
American Hospital Management Company
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Assistant Director:
Stephen P. Wood ACNP-BC, MS
Department of Emergency Medicine
Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Faculty:
Randall Arlett
Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director
American Hospital Management Company
Daniel Smigelski, MHA
Vice President
American Hospital Management Company
Enrique Alzate, MBA
Chief Operating Officer & Director
American Hospital Management Company
Gary Shillin, MBA
Chief Administrative Officer
Department of Emergency Medicine
Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians
Beth Israel Deaconness Medical Centre
Gregory Ciottone, MD, FACEP
Chief Medical Officer
American Hospital Management Company
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Jacquelyn Riley, RN, BSN
Chief Nursing Officer
American Hospital Management Company
Ralph Foster II, MBA
Vice President of Business Development
American Hospital Management Company
Program Duration:
Fellowship: Twelve (12) Months.
Eligibility:
The American Hospital Management Company, a Washington, DC based company managing an international system of medical centers, with hospitals throughout the Caribbean, Latin America, Central America, and Africa, seeks motivated and dynamic candidates with an interest in international healthcare. Applicants must have completed a recognized undergraduate degree program or equivalent, and must have exceptional communication, collaborative and organizational skills. A second language, such as Spanish or Portuguese, is helpful but not required.
Funding:
The fellowship is self-funded by the applicant and/or designee.
Participating Organizations and Medical Centers:
2011 Fellow Opportunities
Mount St. John’s Medical Centre – St. John’s, Antigua
Hospital Nacional- Panamá
Hospital Universitario Del Rio – Cuenca, Ecuador
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center – Boston, Massachusetts
2012 Fellow Opportunities
Mount St. John’s Medical Centre – St. John’s, Antigua
Hospital Nacional- Panamá
Hospital Universitario Del Rio – Cuenca, Ecuador
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center- Boston, MA
Program Description:
The AHMC International Healthcare Administration Fellowship Program is designed to provide the Fellow with the education and practical experience necessary to successfully establish a career in international healthcare management and administration. Through real-time, hands-on operational experiences in established international healthcare institutions, the Fellow will learn the skills needed to manage and operate these complex and unique medical centers. This practical experience, learning side-by-side with seasoned international healthcare administrators, allows the AHMC Fellow to have the opportunity to see these skills being applied in real-time operations. The program is based on a “hands on” approach with the Fellow an integral part of the hospital’s executive team, and active in the organization’s business cycle. Both the practical and the didactic components expose the Fellow to new, evidence-based practices.
The fellowship begins with a two-month rotation through several key departments. The rotations are a vital component of the fellowship in that they:
- Help the fellows familiarize themselves with the international healthcare environment;
- Are necessary for successful project outcomes;
- Allow the organization to familiarize itself with the fellows;
- Allow the fellows to identify areas within the organization where they would like to spend extended time through project work or further rotations
Fellows shadow executive leadership and rotate through administrative and clinical areas, spending time with ancillary and clinical support services. These initial rotations provide a good overview and a base of knowledge of hospital operations and governance.
After initial rotations, the preceptor and fellow determine the appropriate concentration and project portfolio tailored to the strengths and areas of improvement for each individual fellow. Executive mentors are then matched with fellows based on selected concentrations. This partnership ensures that fellows strengthen and work on necessary skill sets through periodic review of goal achievement.
Once concentration areas are selected, a second—more specific—rotation occurs in the area of interest to the fellow. Unlike the broad-based rotations, tours through these areas are focused on operational mechanics and analysis within departments and areas of interest.
Unique to AHMC fellows is an opportunity to fulfill an attachment with the Chief Administrative Officer in the Harvard Medical Faculty Physician Consulting Group based out of Boston, Massachusetts. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a teaching hospital with Harvard Medical School and consistently recognized as one of US News & World Report's Best Hospitals, will be the site where fellows complete the attachment.
Program Objectives:
The program will help fellows achieve the following:
- Develop a knowledge base and skills set to be expert in all areas of international healthcare management and operation.
- Understand the financial requirements of international healthcare institutions, including third-party billing, capitation, and private payer systems.
- Understand physician recruitment and medical staff interactions.
- Develop an understanding of Quality as it applies to hospital operation and be able to develop a Quality plan for an international medical center.
- Understand the human resources role on the hospital business.
- Understand the basic objectives and benefits of using Six Sigma in healthcare
- Develop a comprehensive knowledge base of Joint Commission International Accreditation requirements and how to prepare institutuions for accreditation.
- Develop skills to take leadership roles in the international healthcare industry.
- Develop an understanding of medical tourism and its implications for international medical centers.
- Experience and implement proven strategic planning techniques.
- Understand leading concepts in healthcare marketing.
Training Structure:
The fellow will be involved in the following basic areas of training: didactic lectures and readings, participation in international hospital-based executive teams, local and regional leadership committees, research, and project development.
- Didactic Education:
The didactic component of the training occurs throughout the duration of the fellowship and consists of readings, small group lessons, and lecture series by an AHMC Corporate Executive Team member. The fellow will also be asked to give at least two(2) presentations during his or her concentrated rotation at designated site
- Hospital Executive Committee participation:
Before the start of the fellowship, the fellow will be asked to choose one of the international medical centers that AHMC operates in which he/she will spend the majority of time. This “home medical center” will serve as the focus of the hands-on training experience. The Fellow will be appointed to the Executive Team of that medical center and assigned an executive mentor. The Fellow will be given specific tasks throughout the year, that will include the participation in all hospital administration functions as an Administrative Fellow.
- Research & Project:
The research and project development portion of the training will span the entire fellowship period. The fellow will be asked early on to define a research goal and to begin designing his/her project after the initial 2-month rotation. The research and subsequent project summary will focus on a specific area of International Healthcare Administration, and will be approved by the Fellowship Director. The goal of the project summary is for it to be published in peer-reviewed literature
Project Work
The AHMC International Healthcare Administration Fellowship Program allows a fellow to learn how to work both independently and as a member of multidisciplinary team through project-based work. Within AHMC facilities, the fellows are assured that the quality and caliber of projects build the specific skills needed by healthcare administrators. From day one, fellows are treated with respect as a professional or colleague, and not merely as a student or intern.
Fellows’ projects are evaluated for skills development in one of the following core administrative competencies:
- Governance and the Organization
- Planning and Marketing
- Human Resources
- Financial Asset Management
- Plant and Facility Management
- Healthcare Information Systems Management
- Quality Assessment and Improvement
- Government Regulations and Law
- Organizational Arrangements and Relationships
- Profession/Education/Research/Ethics
Project deliverables could be categorized into any of the following including presentations, written papers, proposals or other products.
With the concentration option, incoming fellows have the opportunity to participate in operational projects aligned with the area of interest selected. The intent of this approach is to increase fellows’ exposure to detail-rich projects consistent with their career goals.
Collaborative Mentorship
The AHMC International Healthcare Administration Fellowship Program emphasizes leadership specifically by allowing full accessibility to the entire senior operations team. This allows fellows the opportunity to both observe effective leadership in others and to develop his or her leadership skills. Further insight from interviews indicates that candidates are keenly interested in the degree and quality of mentorship.
In addition to the overall preceptor-fellow relationship, the AHMC model assigns specific Executive Mentors to fellows based on their current interests and career objectives. Depending on the fellows’ own abilities and interests, specific recommendations for assigned mentors include: the President, Vice President, Chief Medical Officer, Hospital CEO or Director of Quality. The role of the mentor is two-fold. First, the mentor serves as a formal guide through the fellowship year regarding either professional or project-specific advice. Second, the mentor will monitor the fellows’ monthly progression and project portfolio as it pertains to the career interests of each individual fellow.
This collaborative mentorship allows administrative fellows to not only gain exposure to various types of leadership and managerial skills through daily interaction with all members of the senior operations team, but to form a strong mentorship relation with executives regarding project management and exposure as it relates to career interests.
Recommended Readings:
Recommended reading list will be provided to fellow upon delivery of the AHMC Fellow Manual.
Recommended Conference Attendance:
American Hospital Management International Healthcare Conference (Held Annually)
- Attendance fee will be waived for all AHMC applicants. Travel and accommodations are the responsibility of the fellow.
- Pending participation, which is high recommended, fellow will be given opportunity to present project work at annual conference.
Evaluation:
A. Fellow Evaluation:
The fellow will have ongoing contact with the fellowship director and faculty. He /she will be evaluated formally at the midpoint and at the end of the fellowship period. Evaluations will consist of assessment of thesis and research progress and ongoing assessment of knowledge base. Multiple evaluators will be used (e.g., faculty, peers,
Self and other professional staff). Successful completion of the fellowship will be accomplished by achieving unanimous approval of the faculty and fellowship director and passing grade on the thesis.
B. Faculty Evaluation:
At least once a year, the program will evaluate faculty performance including a review of the faculty’s teaching abilities, commitment to the fellowship program, International Healthcare Management knowledge, professionalism, and scholarly activities.
C. Project Evaluation:
The Fellow will complete a project during the course of the 12 month Fellowship. The project will be based on an accepted subject and data will be collected during the concentrated rotation of the program. The project report will be evaluated based on originality of subject, data collection and analysis, writing, and impact on current International Healthcare Management theories and practices. It is expected, but not required, that the project summary will lead to a peer-reviewed journal publication. Student will be guiding on criteria and scoring criteria.
D. Program Evaluation and Improvement
The program faculty will document formal, systematic evaluation of the curriculum at least annually. The program faculty will monitor and track fellows and faculties’ performance. If deficiencies are found, the program will prepare a written plan of action to document initiatives to improve performance in the areas identified.