Administrative Fellowship

Important dates

Exact dates will be provided in late spring 2024. Please check back for updates.

• Webinars
  • Coming summer 2024
• Application deadline
  • Early September 2024
• Candidate process
  • Zoom interviews: mid-September 2024
  • On-site interviews: late September 2024
  • Offers extended: early October 2024
  • Program start date: early June 2025

Educational requirements

• Graduate of a master’s program and an interest in practicing in health care administration
• In lieu of a master’s degree, applicants may be considered if they’ve completed all on-campus didactic requirements of a master’s program in health care administration or equivalent.
• Master’s degree in health care or business is preferred

Application materials

Email the following items in one combined PDF file to adminfellows@uabmc.edu:

• Cover letter addressed to the Administrative Fellowship Selection Committee
• Current resume
• Personal statement that introduces yourself and addresses the following questions (750-1,000 words):
  • What interests you about the administrative fellowship at UAB Medicine?
  • What makes you the ideal candidate for the administrative fellowship at UAB Medicine?
  • What are your goals and expected outcomes for the fellowship?
• Three letters of recommendation:
  • Academic
  • Professional
  • Other
• Official graduate school transcript (may be sent separately)

Fellowship Executive Committee

Brenda Carlisle, MHSA, BSN, RN, CENP
CEO, UAB Hospital

Carlisle recently was appointed CEO of UAB Hospital in Birmingham, Ala. UAB Hospital is the flagship hospital of the UAB Health System and 8^th largest hospital in the nation, ranking UAB Hospital and Health System among the most advanced, prestigious medical institutions in the United States.

Carlisle has served UAB as vice president of Clinical Operations since 2017, earning recognition for comprehensive operational excellence and strong financial performance.

Prior to joining UAB, Carlisle was CEO, vice president of Patient Care Services, and vice president of Operations at Brookwood Baptist Medical Center in Birmingham, a tertiary medical center subspecializing in women’s and psychiatric services.

Carlisle received her Master of Health Science from St. Francis University and her Bachelor of Science in nursing from the University of South Alabama. She is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the American Organization of Nurse Executives, and the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society for Nursing. She is certified in executive nursing practice by the American Organization of Nurse Executives and has completed intensive community leadership training through the Birmingham Women’s Momentum program and Baptist Hospital under Quint Studer, formerly of Studer Group, in Pensacola, Fla.

Carlisle is focused on present and future opportunities for UAB Hospital, saying, “My entire professional life has been dedicated to health care, first as a staff nurse, then managing ORs and ERs, and eventually identifying success factors in patient care, hospital operations, and technologically complex, community-oriented service lines.”

“My service at UAB Medicine and University Hospital has given me the opportunity to work with incredible teams, where we have been able to improve our patients’ care, access, experience, and outcomes,” Carlisle said. “I look forward to using my clinical and leadership experience to ensure the highest standards of care, outcomes, and workplace engagement as we continue to make improvements and move UAB Hospital forward.”

Patricia Pritchett, JD, BSN
Executive Vice President, Ambulatory and Administrative Services, UAB Health System

Pritchett serves as executive vice president of Ambulatory and Administrative Services for UAB Health System. Pritchett is responsible for ambulatory operations for UAB Health System with more than 160 ambulatory clinics located both on the UAB campus as well as throughout Birmingham and other regions of the State of Alabama representing more than 1.5 million clinic encounters and 5.2 million worked wRVUs.

Additionally, Pritchett has administrative responsibility for areas such as Corporate Compliance, Regulatory, Office of Patient Experience and Engagement, Spain Rehabilitation Center, and Post-Acute Care. She has enjoyed previous careers in nursing and the practice of law. She currently serves on the board of directors for Momentum, Opera Birmingham, the Alabama Physician Network, and the American Cancer Society – Central Alabama.

Jordan DeMoss, MSHA
Executive Vice President, Clinical Operations, UAB Medicine

During his 18 years at UAB Medicine, DeMoss has served as a senior leader of the O’Neal Cancer Service Line, the Center for Psychiatric Medicine, Laboratory Services, Respiratory Care, Spain Rehabilitation Hospital and Rehabilitation Services, Food and Nutrition Services, Guest Services, Environmental Services, and Spiritual Care, as well as assistant administrator of UAB Hospital-Highlands and in the corporate office of the UAB Health System. DeMoss earned his B.A. in international business administration from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn. and his Master of Science in health care administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

DeMoss has served as chair of the board for the Alabama Chapter of the March of Dimes and the Literacy Council of Central Alabama. He has also served on the boards of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama and the Exceptional Foundation. He currently services on the boards of Forge Cancer Survivorship and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. He is an adjunct instructor for the UAB School of Health-Related Professions.

DeMoss is a member of the 2013 classes of the Birmingham Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 and the Alabama Leadership Initiative. He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and a member of the 2015 Fellows Program for America’s Essential Hospitals. He is married to Lauren, a health care attorney at Maynard Nexen LLC, and they have three sons: Bennett, Rowan, and Maddox.

Jean Ann Larson, EdD, MBA, BSIE, FACHE, FIISE, LFHIMSS
Chief Leadership Development Officer, UAB Medicine
Senior Associate Dean, Leadership Development, UAB Heersink School of Medicine

Larson is a senior health care leader with more than 30 years of progressive experience in administration, process engineering, operations, quality, safety, learning and leadership development. In her dual role as leadership development officer across the UAB Health System and the UAB Heersink School of Medicine, she works with senior leaders across the enterprise to build UAB leaders’ effectiveness and sustainability. She is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and has an undergraduate degree in industrial engineering, an MBA in international management, and a doctorate in organizational change and leadership from Pepperdine University.

She is a past board member and industry award winner in both the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and the Society for Health Systems of the Institute for Industrial Engineering. She has edited and authored several books and published many articles. Her most recent book is, “Organizational and Process Reengineering Approaches for Health Care Transformation” (published August 2015, CRC Press), and she won the 2015 HIMSS Book of the Year Award.

Larson has served on several not-for-profit boards and is active in health care and leadership professional associations. She is an adjunct faculty member for the UAB School of Health Professions, routinely speaks on health care and leadership, and is actively involved in career mentorship of women in health care.

Larson and her husband, Robert, are the parents of two adult children, and they enjoy traveling, exploring different cultures, and spending time with family and friends.

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Fellow advisors

Frank Sortino
Associate Vice President, Radiology Clinical Operations, UAB Hospital-Highlands

Sortino served as the administrative fellow at UAB Hospital and later as the director of business operations for UAB Hospital Inpatient Administration. He currently serves as the associate vice president of Radiology Clinical Operations.

Sortino grew up in South Florida, where he attended the University of Florida before coming to UAB in 2015. He and his wife, Megan, have been happily married for seven years. They have two children: a four-year-old son, Charlie, and a two-year-old daughter, Emery.

Sortino is excited about building a career that seeks to innovate, inspire, and improve the health of our community.

Morgan Gaghen, MSHA, MBA
Director of Operations, UAB Hospital-Highlands

Gaghen serves as the director of operations for UAB Hospital-Highlands, a 110-bed acute care facility with 16 OR surgical suites, a Level 3 ED, and a 12-bed ICU.

Originally from Gadsden, Ala., Gaghen first gained interest in health care in high school while working at an outpatient physician practice. She began working at UAB in 2013 as an occupational therapy assistant in the acute care hospital setting.

Gaghen holds both a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Science in health administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. During her time at UAB Medicine, she’s had the opportunity to work with Supply Chain & Support Services, UAB Hospital-Highlands, the COVID-19 command center and emergency response, imaging, the Center for Patient Flow, and the Cardiovascular Institute. She completed a two-year fellowship with UAB Hospital administration in 2023.

Current fellow

Clarence Hwang, MSHA, MSHI

Hwang is the 2022-2024 UAB Hospital Administrative Fellow. Born in Orlando, Fla., he graduated from the University of Florida in 2016 with a B.S. in computer science. He then worked as an ED tech at UF Health Shands Hospital until 2020, with the opportunity to own initiatives such as revamping supply control processes and identifying billing opportunities to capture productivity in the trauma bay.

Hwang earned a Master of Science in health administration and Master of Science in health informatics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. As an intern at UAB Hospital-Highlands, he led a dashboard project contributing to the Level 1 Geriatric ED Accreditation, established new contracted staffing agreements to support Radiology Services, and partnered to bring Red Cat Coffee to the UAB Hospital-Highlands campus. His continued interests in the academic medical setting led him to pursue the UAB Hospital Administrative Fellowship.

Former fellows

• Naseem Nimer (2023) – director of operations, Rehabilitation Services, UAB Hospital
• Maria Gonzalez-Gomez (2023) – engagement manager, Clinical Practice Transformation
• Charlie Angel (2022) – director of business operations, UAB eMedicine
• Carlie Dobbins (2022) – associate principal, Clinical Practice Transformation
• Cayla Brown (2022) – director of clinical research integration
• Morgan Gaghen (2021) – director of operations, UAB Hospital-Highlands
• Esther Arnold (2021) – director, Strategic Projects, UA Health Services Foundation
• DeWayne Bailey (2021) – manager, Alabama Rural Health Collaborative, UAB Health System
• Jessica Zeller (2019) – director of operations, Clinical Practice Transformation, UAB Hospital
• Dawson Smith (2017) – vice president, Affiliate Operations and Network Development, UAB Health System
• Nisha Patel (2017) – director, Wellness and Administration, UAB Medicine
• Frank Sortino (2016) – associate vice president, Clinical Operations
• Anisa Xhaja (2014) – director, Cancer Program Planning & Performance Improvement, UAB Medicine
• Lee Hammonds (2012) – associate vice president, Cardiovascular Institute, UAB Medicine
• Martin Smith (2011) – chief operating officer, UAB Callahan Eye
• Brian Berthiaume (2008) – director, Transplant Administrative Operations, UAB Hospital
• Jordan DeMoss (2007) – vice president, Clinical Operations, UAB Hospital
• Melissa Mancini (2005) – associate vice president, Strategy and Business Development, UAB Health System
• Lauryn Schultz (2001) – senior administrator, Department of Medicine Clinical Programs and Operations, UA Health Services Foundation
• Ragan Manning (2001) – senior director, Resource Utilization, UAB Hospital

UAB Medicine offers two summer internship opportunities: administrative and supply chain. Each internship offers a comprehensive experience designed to complement and enhance the foundation of a qualified individual’s academic education.

Administrative internship

The Administrative Internship at UAB Medicine is an engaging summer program designed to give qualified individuals a comprehensive experience in health care management at an academic medical center and enhance skills from their educational foundation. During this 12-week paid opportunity, interns are integrated into hospital leadership and engage in meaningful project work that reflects strategic priorities and personal interests. This opportunity creates a unique journey for professional growth and personal development.

Program information

Preceptor: Morgan Gaghen, director of operations – UAB Hospital-Highlands
Pay: $20/hour
Duration: 12 weeks
Eligibility: Currently enrolled in MHA, MPH, MBA, or other related program

Application requirements

• Current resume/CV
• Cover letter addressed to the “Administrative Internship Committee”
• Online application

Application timeline

• Applications open: November 2023
• Application deadline: 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2023
• Candidate interviews: mid-January 2024
• Internship start date: May 2024

Please email adminfellows@uabmc.edu if you have questions about the UAB Medicine Administrative Internship.

Supply Chain

The supply chain internship at UAB Medicine provides qualified individuals with a comprehensive experience in supply contracting and sourcing management, designed to complement and enhance the foundations of their academic education. Interns are responsible for learning the supply chain functions and processes with a focus on contract writing and negotiations, completing projects, and other work as assigned. The intern’s responsibilities may include:

• Negotiating legal, business, and financial terms and conditions.
• Evaluating and quantifying the financial impact of agreements on the organization.
• Drafting, editing, and securing approvals and signatures on agreements.
• Working with analysts to translate pricing from agreements to the hospital’s ordering system.

In addition, interns may be given certain work assignments to reinforce the learning experience, assess their understanding of assignments, and assist the leadership and supply chain teams.

• Preceptors
  • Thomas McWilliams, Senior Director of Strategic Sourcing
• Eligibility
  • Enrolled in a master’s or law program and an interest in practicing in health care administration or supply chain management. Experience in contract drafting, supply chain, and sourcing is strongly preferred.
• Application Materials
  • Current resume/CV
  • Cover letter addressed to the Supply Chain Internship Committee

Please email adminfellows@uabmc.edu if you have questions about the supply chain internship.