Key Takeaways
- Integrating servant leadership and community service into health administration education better prepares future leaders for population health challenges.
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Selma chose Xavier University for her Master of Health Services Administration (MHSA) after careful reflection on her personal values and professional goals. She explains: “I always knew I wanted to pursue higher education...and while I was at the University of Kentucky, I did a lot of research which kind of led me to this whole advocacy and being a part of the community.”
Xavier’s program distinguished itself by prioritizing service and servant leadership. Unlike traditional MHA programs, the MHSA at Xavier incorporates community impact into its core. “The biggest thing that led me to Xavier was just the emphasis on that ‘S’ in the MHSA. There’s a huge emphasis on service and being a servant leader, and that was really something that I saw for myself.”
How does this play out? Selma highlights Xavier’s Philanthropy Project, where students partner with local nonprofits to develop grant-winning initiatives—her own group designed a garden program for seniors, targeting physical activity, nutrition, and social engagement. Such projects aren’t just resume-builders; they cultivate empathy, leadership, and a practical understanding of population health.
Xavier’s MHSA uniquely integrates service learning with rigorous academic preparation.
Community-based projects like the Philanthropy Project connect coursework with real-world outcomes.
Graduates gain hands-on experience working directly with local organizations, preparing them for servant leadership roles.
Direct question answered: What is The Health Collaborative, and what did Selma do as a Workforce Initiatives Intern?
Selma describes The Health Collaborative as a pivotal organization in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region, serving as a “convening table” for health systems to tackle workforce challenges collectively. “The best way to describe it is Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky is a very unique part of the country because we have so many health systems within like a 20-minute distance from each other. The Health Collaborative brings all those CEOs together...to improve workforce, create pipelines, and look at data.”
During her internship, Selma helped lead the Tap Health Summer Academy—a trio of programs (Tap MD, Tap Healthcare, and Tap Nursing) exposing high school juniors to careers in healthcare. This early exposure is critical in an era marked by growing workforce shortages, particularly in nursing and allied health professions.
Selma’s impact in this role included:
Guiding students through site visits to various health systems and facilities
Assisting with program logistics alongside a small, dynamic team
Observing workforce data and local hiring trends firsthand
One of the highlights? “Cincinnati State was approved to have one of the first BSN programs in Ohio, which was really cool to see,” she recalls, underscoring the region’s commitment to solving the healthcare pipeline crisis.
Direct question answered: How did Selma approach the fellowship application process, and why did she choose St. Elizabeth?
The fellowship process, by Selma’s account, is both daunting and transformative. “When you join an MHSA or MHA program that requires a fellowship, you know you’re going to be competing with your classmates...I applied to about 11 or 12 fellowships, almost every fellowship I could.”
Her selection criteria were clear:
Diversity of Experience: She applied to academic medical centers, community hospitals, and children’s hospitals across the U.S.
Program Structure: Selma sought a program that balanced challenge with support, preferring a shorter duration over two-year commitments.
Mission and Fit: The defining moment came in interviews with St. Elizabeth Healthcare executives. “The questions they asked during the third and final interview were so meaningful and showed they were actually looking at my resume and personal statement. It just felt like the right choice.”
She credits both her mentors and St. Elizabeth’s culture for making the decision clear. “I’m very grateful for the previous fellows...they were so welcoming. I knew instantly it was the right fit.”
18-month duration, allowing for both breadth and depth of experience
Senior leader engagement throughout the process
Culture of genuine interest in fellows’ growth and success
Direct question answered: What has Selma’s experience as a fellow been like, and what kinds of projects has she tackled?
Ten months into her fellowship, Selma describes it as “the best 10 months I’ve ever had.” She credits her preceptor, Roseanne—the Vice President of Government Relations and Planning—for setting the tone. “She is just a powerhouse, one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet, and very passionate about her job.”
Her project portfolio includes:
Patient Experience: Modernizing the Patient Family Advisory Council (PFAC)
Marketing: Supporting the launch and outreach for the new Dearborn Cancer Center
Community Health: Collaborating on a mental health summit and ongoing mental health initiatives
Cross-functional Exposure: Rotating across departments and leading special projects
St. Elizabeth’s close-knit culture amplifies the value of each project. “Everyone at St. Elizabeth is so welcoming, and I’ve had the opportunity to work on quite a few projects throughout the organization,” Selma notes, emphasizing the hands-on, people-first approach that distinguishes the fellowship.
Direct question answered: What are Selma’s plans after her fellowship, and how does St. Elizabeth support career advancement?
Selma has found her professional calling in community outreach and population health. “I have found a great love for community outreach, health education...and I think there should be a job lining up potentially within the community outreach space. I’m not 100% sure yet, but that’s where I see myself working.”
She is also advancing academically, recently accepted into the University of Cincinnati’s PhD in Health Education program—a rare accomplishment for a young fellow. This reflects both her ambition and St. Elizabeth’s support for continuous learning. “It lines up really well with my personal and professional goals, so I’m really excited to see how that’s going to impact my journey with St. Elizabeth.”
Why do fellows stay? Tenure and loyalty run deep at St. Elizabeth: “My preceptor has been at St. Elizabeth for the last 35 years. Our CEO has been there for 40. There’s a lot of emphasis on staying there and making it better year after year.” Selma aspires to be part of that tradition, with her eyes set on long-term community impact.
Direct question answered: What advice does Selma offer to students and early-career professionals aiming for success in competitive fellowships?
Selma distills her experience into three actionable tips:
Authenticity First: “Have your own sense of authenticity—stay true to what you like. Don’t put yourself in a mold because it’s impressive. Just do what you want to do.”
Keep an Open Mind: Try everything, even if you’re unsure. “The whole purpose of a fellowship is to get out there and do different things. Some things you’ll love, some you’ll hate, but at least you know.”
Invest in Relationships: Build meaningful connections by showing genuine interest in others. “Take the time to know people—ask thoughtful questions you’re actually interested in. It means so much to them, especially because they’re always busy and thinking about work.”
For those unsure how to engage with executives, Selma suggests casual, open-ended questions to break the ice: “At the end of a meet and greet, I’d always ask, ‘Are you doing anything fun this weekend?’ That would often trickle into more personal conversation.” This Midwest approach to networking can be applied anywhere—connection starts with authenticity.
The St. Elizabeth Healthcare Administrative Fellowship offers a compelling value proposition for candidates and recruiters alike:
Mid-size Health System, Major Opportunities: Fellows gain exposure to a full spectrum of healthcare administration, not siloed to a single function.
Culture of Longevity and Loyalty: Long tenures among senior leadership create continuity, mentorship, and a sense of belonging.
Community Commitment: Projects directly impact Northern Kentucky’s population health, mental health, and care delivery.
Selma’s trajectory demonstrates the organization’s investment in its fellows. Her blend of hands-on project work, access to decision-makers, and opportunity for post-fellowship advancement exemplifies what leading-edge fellowships should strive for in a competitive healthcare talent market.
Selma Cikaric’s story is a case study in the power of mission-driven fellowships. The St. Elizabeth Healthcare Administrative Fellowship, informed by Xavier’s commitment to service and shaped by regional collaboration, stands out as a model for others to follow. For executive leaders, the message is clear: invest in authentic, high-touch leadership development, and your organization will attract and retain top talent. For aspiring fellows, the path to meaningful impact starts with self-knowledge, an open mind, and a willingness to connect—both with your community and your colleagues.
<p>[Music] hello everyone this is Cole from the American Journal of healthc care strategy and joined with me is Selma Selma please go ahead and introduce yourself hi everyone my name is Selma saric and I am currently the administrative fellow at St Elizabeth Health Healthcare in Northern in Kentucky and I am going to receive my Master's of Health Services Administration from Xavier University this may that is so exciting this may uh coming up and Xavier is a really well-known program and we're so happy to have you especially from Kentucky there's so many students in kind of the Midwest United States in that region who are really excited to kind of learn about their programs can you tell me what led you to apply for Xavier why you're interested in that program specifically yeah of course so I always knew I wanted to pursue higher education that's always been a big goal of mine um and while I was at the University of Kentucky for my bachelor's I received um a bachelor's in psychology and I did a lot of research which kind of led me to this whole like advocacy and being a part of the community and healthy eating habits and I was trying to decide what I really wanted to do I wasn't sure if I wanted to kind of take the education route or if I wanted to do something within Healthcare or even just get like an MBA so I did a lot of research my senior year while I was at UK and it kind of led me to Xavier's um MBA program first so as I was on the website I saw they had like another degree which was an mhsa and I was like oh that's interesting I wonder what that is um and when I clicked and like looked through it I was like okay this is really cool it seems like it's um very geared towards the community it's very much there to help people and Healthcare obviously is such a big like sector so I I thought there would be a great opportunity just to kind of grow as a person throughout the course of my career so um I reached out to the program director and the recruitment chair at the time had a great conversation with them and I knew I wanted to be somewhere closer to home so I thought it was just the perf decision but I would say probably the biggest thing that led me to Xavier was just the emphasis on that s in the mhsa so Xavier isn't like traditional mha programs because there's a huge emphasis on service and being a servant leader and that's really something that I saw for myself and that was probably the biggest reason why I chose to go there that's really interesting can you give me an example of like what what the service part looks like what does that look like yeah so the Serv service part within our mhsa can kind of look like a bunch of different things oftentimes our cohorts were really involved within the community so the biggest thing I can probably speak to is our first year within the mhsa program we do something known as a philanthropy project where we connect with a local nonprofit in the community um and we pretty much create this whole plan on how can win them grant money for their organization and the biggest piece is you obviously have to connect with the organization that you're working with and then you have to fight for them and show what the need is um so I had a great experience with my group we partnered with a um Senior Center within Cincinnati it's in the Marmont area um it was called Mary elders and we made this whole plan on um creating a garden for the seniors because it touched on three things that they were interested in which was physical activity healthy eating for the seniors and then actually getting them to come to the facility so it was a great opportunity getting to work with the executive director Stephanie over there and it was also really cool seeing all the other nonprofit organizations that um my classmates had Chosen and kind of what their plans were to help their organizations that is really nice that that s in the name isn't just a letter I love that it has that that meaning to it it sounds like like some really nice projects and hopefully I'll have to start asking other mhsa graduates from Xavier what some of their projects were because I didn't even realize that was a thing so that's really incredible and then after your under or I guess not after your undergrad but during your mhsa you worked for the workforce uh initiatives uh you are a Workforce initiatives intern at the health collaborative yes what was that like what is the health collaborative can you just share a little bit about that yeah of course so the health collaborative is an amazing organization it works so the best way to describe it is Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky is a very unique part of the country because we have so many Health Systems within like a 20 minute like distance from each other so the health collaborative serves as one of those organizations that kind of brings all of those big CEOs together um and we sit down and have conversations on how we can you know improve Workforce within the community how we can create different pipelines and um just look at like data and and healthc care and all all different types of things so a lot of the organizations within um this area work alongside the health collaborative so I was very fortunate to work on a team of three which was awesome so I served as the workforce initiatives intern so I worked alongside another one of my Xavier cohort members Grace who's is currently at the University of Kentucky as an administrative fellow and we had our boss helina so we would help helina create this program known as the tap Health Summer Academy so there were three programs there was tap MD tap Healthcare and then tap nursing and through those programs we would take the students who were typically juniors in high school and we would take them through different Health Systems and different healthare facilities just to kind of expose them to all of the options that they have in healthcare which is really great and it was it was an amazing like summer we we learned so much just about like Workforce issues in the area we got to see a lot of statistics on the openings and just kind of what's going on and one of the really cool things that we were able to kind of see happen during our time with the health collaborative was Cincinnati State is a local like Community and Technical College and Cincinnati State was approved to have um one of the first BSN programs in Ohio which was really cool to see that is awesome yes so again like that service mindset really is showing itself here and we need to get these high school students interested now because of the shortages that we're already facing so oh yeah I think that's incredible I love I was just kind of soaking that in that was really interesting and then so then after that um you know I know Xavier I think is one of the programs that requires you to do a Fellowship right yes okay excellent and then so you you were applying for fellowships how many did you apply for and then how many you know choices did you have and then why did you choose St Elizabeth so the whole Fellowship process I'm going to be so honest was very very daunting to begin with just because when you join an mhsa program or an mha program that requires a fellowship you know you're going to be competing with your classmates so that's something that you have to take into consideration but I think I remember I applied to about 11 or 12 fellowships um I applied to almost every Fellowship I I think the only Fellowship I applied to within our area was St Elizabeth so all of my all of the other fellowships were kind of spread across um the United States so I tried to keep a good diverse portfolio I applied to academic medical centers Community Hospitals children's hospitals and I think when I was going through the fellowship I was really interested in finding something that would match what I was looking for I wanted to have a lot of different opportunities I wanted to be put in a in a spot where I would be able to be challenged but not to the point where I I wouldn't have like assistance if I needed it and I think that's the best part of a fellowship you're supposed to learn and grow and make mistakes and um I feel like as I was going through the recruitment process it was really easy to weed out which organizations I couldn't really see myself with and I know one of my professors uh D Ellingwood he's since retired but he gave us great advice when we were looking at the fellowships he said from the beginning you want to find somewhere that you don't have to pretend to be something you're not and I took that into great consideration going into this and I when I was looking through them I was really focused on like the mission the vision um and just the program structure so I didn't want to be in a two-year long Fellowship I knew that but I did end up Landing a fellowship that was 18 months which I mean not as bad but I thought it would give me six months to kind of go through everything and then I would have the year to kind of work on different projects and solidify where I see myself going but the biggest reason why I St Elizabeth is just because it felt right and it was through the conversations I had the questions that the executives asked during the third and final interview were so meaningful and it it showed that they were actually looking at my resume and they were looking at my personal statement and I'm very grateful for the previous fellows Reagan and kishan for their guidance throughout everything they were so welcoming um and I feel like it just it felt like the right choice it I I knew instantly almost that's excellent and good for you on on being able to make that choice and and have that great experience it's so challenging for so many of the students I know like you said the fellowship process it can be competitive it can be stressful so I'm really happy you were able to find a spot that you enjoyed and then what has it been like so you said it's 18 months you're 10 months in so a little bit more than halfway done so congratulations on that and then how has it been have you been learning a lot has it been really challenging what's it been like it's honestly I'm not even going to lie it's been the best like 10 months I've ever had and I'm very very fortunate to be with the organization that I'm with I just love everything that we do so first off my preceptor she's amazing she's the vice president of government relations and planning um her name is Roseanne and she is just a Powerhouse she is one of the most like nicest people you will ever meet and she's very passionate about her job um obviously she works in the government relations space so she's often in Frankfurt um and with the recent acquisition of um our Dearborn location she's now kind of between Frankfurt and Indiana or Indianapolis quite a bit so she's she's amazing and then just her team is just so so nice everyone at St Elizabeth is so welcoming and I've had the opportunity to work on quite a few projects throughout the organization which is awesome so I do a lot right now within patient experience with a Pac so a patient family advisory Council we're in the works of modernizing that which is awesome I'm working within the marketing department to Market our new Dearborn Cancer Center I work within the community on a diff a bunch of different projects so um we had this big mental health Summit held last year sometime in I'm going to say in August or September and we've been working with other Community Partners to kind of tackle the issue of mental health within the region which is a lot of work but it's definitely very meaningful work and it's been an amazing process so yeah I I really think I've just done so much to kind of put myself in different positions where I'm learning different things and it's been it's been a great experience that is so good to hear it might be a little too early to ask but I do want to ask anyways do you know what kind of area you want to work in after your fellowship yet yes so I have found a great love for community outreach health education different things like that um and I'm actually really excited because I I've spoken with my preceptor about this and I think that there should be a job lining up potentially um within the community outreach space I'm not 100% sure yet I don't want to get a little too excited but that's kind of where I see myself working community and population health is just something I feel very passionate about and growing up in Northern Kentucky you know you see a lot of different things and there's a lot of levels to it and our our little spot is just so special so being able to give back and have a career dedicated to that would be incredible and um the other thing that's really cool is I have always wanted to pursue a PhD um and I was recently accepted into the University of Cincinnati's PhD in health education so it lines up really well with my personal and professional goals so I'm really excited to see how that's kind of going to impact my journey with St Elizabeth congratulations that is a huge step and uh it does sound from based on everything you told me at the beginning of the interview like that is an excellent fit for you so congratulations on that that is incredible um I love get their phds it's I think it's really important that we you know continue to to try to gain education especially in the administrative space and so another thing is that so you do want to stay with St Elizabeth then after your fellowship definitely I I think one of the best parts about St Elizabeth is the fact that everybody lives within our like a good majority of people live within our community so um it's one of those special things where our executives are very tenured like my preceptor has been at St Elizabeth for the last 35 years our CEO has been there for I want to say 40 so there's a lot of emphasis on you know staying there and making it better year after year and that's something that I really see myself doing and I've had those conversations with my preceptor because she has this little plaque that says like 35 years of service and I'm like I want to have that one day that is so nice that's wonderful I love it when people want to stay with their their Fellowship programs are their institutions afterwards that really shows how good the program is when people want to stay he so I guess one of the questions is is you know you've been really successful in your your fellowship you're getting a lot of projects done successfully and as well as just getting into the fellowship getting into the PHD program that's you know those are challenging things that a lot of people starting off in grad school might look at and it seems daunting down the road what are some tips that you can give individuals like my myself on how you've been so successful like what are a few things that you've done that's led to your success of course oh that that's actually a really good question I think the first thing that I would say would be to have this have your own sense of like authenticity you know what you like stay true to that you don't ever have to kind of put yourself in this mold of oh I have to do something because it's impressive no just do what you want to do um I think it makes it a lot easier when you have things that you're doing that you actually enjoy um and I think that's where I found so much success within my fellowships I've definitely done um things that I never expected to do but it's still been a great learning experience because it's led me to the things that I really do truly want and see myself doing in the future um the second thing I would probably say is to keep an open mind this kind of goes with what I said earlier you know you have to try everything out you have to see what you really like um and sometimes I think especially with people that go straight from undergrad to graduate school to having their first like big job it can be a little daunting trying to know exactly what you like so if you aren't sure figure it out you know explore the whole purpose of a fellowship is to really get out there and do different things and some things you're going to love and some things you're going to hate that's totally okay but at least you know you know so that's kind of what I would say and then the third thing is you know when it comes to fellowships it there's a lot of things that I would probably say but the biggest piece of advice I could give is to really take the time to know people and that means asking thoughtful questions that you actually are interested in I think the biggest thing especially with all of the executives within St Elizabeth we have um our fellowship is set up to where we have like a meet and greet with every executive and obviously during the first portion like you would ask how they got to where they got to what their path looked like different things like that but I also took the time to kind of ask what their personal lives look like and now when I bump into them like at at the hospital or in the hallway or something I'm like oh are the kids like how's the wife and little conversations like that mean so much to them especially because they're always busy they're always thinking about work so if you can find a way to kind of have that personal connection with them and you know remember things that actually matter to them outside of work you're going to go so so far that is all excellent advice so keeping an open mind while also not being afraid to say that you like something and then going to that last point I have a question on that how do you do that how do you ask an executive about his personal life can you give me an example because when I go to an executive I'm kind of afraid of saying like do you have kids you know what I mean I think that might geographical difference in the US but I think it's something that we should do more so I want to hear how you do that yeah I honestly did forget the Midwest is very open so we like to have those conversations but I think the B the biggest way that I kind of managed to create those relationships would just be like asking you know are you doing anything fun this weekend at the end of the interview or at the end of the meet and greet I would always ask like oh are you doing anything fun um and then normally that would trickle into them saying oh well the wife and I are going to take the kids to baseball and I'd be like oh you have kids like that's cool and then they would you know go into it some Executives were really um upfront about it to begin with they would just like say it themselves but I would always just try to ask those little questions that would kind of um open up the door to ask those bigger questions so I always ask like are you doing anything fun this weekend and that kind of gets it gets it going perfect example so either move to the Midwest or just start off with a with an easy you know anything going on this weekend you know try to be casual that's great advice I think it's important you know to hear that perspective from you because you know I know remember when I came in and I talked to my first executive ever um it was definitely like like scary in a way like you know think of them not as people at first which is why it's so important to interact because then you realize we're all just you know people we've all had very similar experiences so that's excellent I really appreciate your time this morning and your experiences I think it'll be very helpful for a lot of the fellows out there as well as a lot of the employers who are looking to recruit individuals like yourself so thank you so much for your time it couldn't be more appreciative thank you so much</p>
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