Administrative Fellowship Program

Please note: Connecticut Children's will not be hiring an Administrative Fellow for 2025-2026.

The Connecticut Children’s Administrative Fellowship Program is a one-year, post-graduate program designed to cultivate the next generation of healthcare leaders through exposure, practice and experience with the various functions of a growing pediatric health care system.

Connecticut Children’s is a non-profit, freestanding children’s hospital provide more than 30 pediatric specialty services with multiple locations across three states. Our continued growth and nationally ranked-services evidence our commitment to providing exceptional care that kids and parents not only deserve – but also love. We are One Team fueled by a collective pursuit to improve the physical and emotional health of children. Read more about our mission, vision and values.

What to Expect

Program Structure

As the only health system in Connecticut dedicated to children, we are eager to invest in the professional development of those who share our vision to transform children’s health and well-being. Our program is customized, based on the Fellow’s specific interests and the organization’s ongoing initiatives. Fellows have access to the variety of settings that our growing health system holds, as well as interaction and observation at Leadership, Community, and Board of Directors meetings. Executive- and leadership-level team members support the Fellow by serving as project sponsors, encouraging professional growth, and providing valuable mentorship. Our program offers a hands-on and tailored experience with opportunities in any of our health system’s key areas:

Hospital & Ambulatory Operations
Strategic Planning & Development
Finance
Quality & Patient Safety
Transformation & Continuous Improvement
Marketing & Communications
Advocacy & Government Relations
Human Resource Management
Care & Clinical Integration with Connecticut Children’s Care Network
Community & Population Health with the Office for Community Child Health
Philanthropy with Connecticut Children’s Foundation
Research & Innovation with Connecticut Children's Research Institute

Application & Selection

Please note: Connecticut Children's will not be hiring an Administrative Fellow for 2025-2026.

Our application and selection process follows the National Administrative Fellowship Centralized Application Service (NAFCAS) minimum requirements and uniform dates. Applications may be submitted through NAFCAS or directly to Connecticut Children’s. Please review the instructions below to ensure that your application is complete.

Qualifications
Candidates must either:

be a recent graduate with a MSHA, MHSA, MHA, MPH, or MBA with an emphasis in healthcare management from a CAHME-accredited program; or
have successfully completed all course-work of a CAHME-accredited graduate program requiring a one-year residency or fellowship for graduation.

Instructions & Requirements
Applications to the Connecticut Children’s Administrative Fellowship may be submitted by either:

using the National Administrative Fellowship Centralized Application Service (NAFCAS); or
emailing all required material in one, consolidated PDF document to our current fellow, APalavage [at] connecticutchildrens.org (Alex Palavage), with the subject line “Connecticut Children’s Administrative Fellowship Application.”

Whether submitting your application through NAFCAS or directly to us, complete applications must include all of following required material:

1. Cover Letter addressed to the Administrative Fellowship Selection Committee.

2. Resume

3. Three (3) Letters of Recommendation, including:

One (1) academic;
One (1) professional; and
One (1) other (academic, professional, or letter from your program director)

4. One-page Personal Statement (12-point font, single spaced) explaining your:

interest in Connecticut Children’s Administrative Fellowship Program specifically;
- short and long term career goals in health care;
- objectives you hope to achieve during the fellowship.

5. Graduate School Transcript(s), noting that:

if you are submitting your application through NAFCAS, the centralized service requires official graduate transcripts. Please refer to NAFCAS for more details.
if you are submitting your application directly to us via email, official graduate transcript(s) are not required. You may submit unofficial graduate transcript(s) as part of your consolidated PDF.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is the Administrative Fellow a paid position?
A: Yes. Our program offers a full-time position with a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.

Q: How many Administrative Fellows does Connecticut Children's accept each year?
A: We select one fellow each year.

Q: Do you require that candidates have previous work experience?
A: No. Prior work experience is not required. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates.

Q: Can the fellowship be used as a residency placement in order to complete my master's degree?
A: Yes. Qualified applicants include those who have successfully completed all course-work of a CAHME accredited graduate program that requires a fellowship for graduation.

Q: How long is the fellowship?
A: Our program is structured to be one (1) year long.