Program overview
The Administrative Fellowship at Geisinger is a leadership training program that fosters your growth and development as a healthcare and insurance leader. Close relationships with the system leaders who serve as mentors, as well as the support and encouragement to create and implement solutions to real-world healthcare problems, define the experience.
Here’s how it works
Geisinger plans to accept 3 administrative fellows for the 2027 – 2029 cycle into the following tracks: Hospital Operations - Central Region Track, Geisinger Health Plan/Population Health Track, and Clinical Operations Track. Refer to our applications & selection process for more information. Although each concentration provides a unique experience, the core of our program is the integrated system itself and the knowledge gained through significant involvement with clinical operations, the health plan, community practice, finance, information technology and research.
Central Region Hospital Operations
The Central Region Hospital Operations track will provide an immersive experience in campus leadership at Geisinger Medical Center, Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital, Geisinger Shamokin Area Community Hospital and the Woodbine Healthplex. The fellow will gain an understanding of operational interdependencies and develop the leadership skills and competencies required of today’s hospital administrator. Projects will include opportunities to interface with various departments; engage in business planning, strategic planning and master facility planning; and collaborate with Geisinger’s Transformation Management Office on process improvement, problem-solving and change management. This track will be based out of Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pa., and precepted by Alex Zimmerman, chief administrative officer of the Central Region.
Geisinger Health Plan/Population Health
The Geisinger Health Plan track will provide a deep understanding of the interplay between Geisinger Health Plan and Geisinger’s Clinical Enterprise with a focus on population health and bending the cost curve. The fellow will gain a broad understanding of insurance operations and how integrated healthcare systems are uniquely positioned to move toward value-based care. This track will be based out of Danville, Pa., and precepted by Allison Hess, chief population health and quality officer for the Geisinger Health Plan.
Clinical Operations
The Clinical Operations track offers a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience leading and improving healthcare delivery across inpatient and outpatient settings. Through exposure to institute/service line leadership and practice management, the fellow will develop a strong foundation in healthcare operations, financial stewardship, quality and patient safety, regulatory compliance, workforce leadership, strategy development, data analytics and stakeholder engagement. This immersive experience is designed to develop future healthcare leaders who can effectively navigate complex organizations and drive meaningful impact for patients, providers and communities. This track will be based out of Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pa., and precepted by Dawn Zieger, vice president of Behavioral Health.
First-year opportunities
Fellows will work in selected key departments and divisions of Geisinger with the objective of obtaining an applied understanding of their respective skills and of the interplay amongst organizational units. First-year roles and responsibilities include:
- Project management and operational program development
- Design and implementation of clinical service line business plans
- Committee leadership and management
- Administrator on-call
- Performance improvement leadership
- Presentation to community boards and stakeholders
Second-year opportunities
The second year is flexible, and placement is based on the mutual needs, interests and goals of the fellow and the organization. The intent of the second year is to provide real and significant management accountability. Fellows often fill a role as interim operations managers in the clinical service lines of the health system. Some fellows have opted for a second year focused more on a specific interest, such as strategic planning or marketing at the health plan.
This two-year training program carries no commitment of employment at Geisinger upon completion, although the majority of administrative trainees have continued their careers in the system. The knowledge and skills developed during the program are broadly applicable to any healthcare or insurance organization.