The UAB Administrative Fellowship with Morgan Gaghen

What Makes the UAB Administrative Fellowship Unique?

The UAB Administrative Fellowship offers a comprehensive bridge between academic preparation and executive-level healthcare leadership. In Morgan Gaghen’s words, “the people that I had seen and talked to that had completed fellowships, it was just a great learning experience. You get to get that management experience, you get to get that leadership experience—and you don’t quite yet have to dig into, ‘I’m going to start working in telemedicine or in ambulatory.’ You get to explore all those areas and learn about healthcare as a whole in a health system.”

Here’s what sets UAB’s fellowship apart:

• Hands-On Experience: Fellows rotate through key departments, gaining real-world exposure to hospital operations, patient flow, ambulatory care, and strategy.

• National Focus: The program welcomes applicants from across the country, not just Alabama—an intentional move to diversify perspectives and talent.

• Leadership Network: UAB has invested in a robust preceptor and executive advisor team, ensuring fellows are supported by leaders from hospital ops, ambulatory care, and leadership development.

• Blinded Selection: The application process removes school, gender, race, and other identifiers to prioritize capability and fit.

As Gaghen puts it, “we don’t look for just one type of candidate. I think there’s still benefit to doing it, even if you’ve already been a manager or been a director.” That’s a clear signal: UAB isn’t gatekeeping by age, background, or geography.

Why Combine an MHA with an MBA? The Value of Dual Degrees

A recurring theme for healthcare leadership today is breadth plus depth. Morgan Gaghen, whose own background spans clinical therapy, administration, and dual graduate degrees, explains: “That MBA degree really focuses on the full business industry, so I could get a better idea of how does healthcare compare to the auto industry, and how does it compare to the tech industry. It helps you think out of the box a little bit more as a leader.”

Explicitly, the dual degree delivers:

1. Broader Business Acumen: The MBA exposes fellows to cross-industry best practices and systems thinking.

2. Deeper Healthcare Expertise: The MHA anchors leaders in the specifics of U.S. healthcare finance, regulation, and delivery.

3. Career Flexibility: Graduates are better equipped to pivot between provider organizations, consulting, or adjacent industries.

In a sector where Medicare finance can seem like a “unique niche,” as the podcast host noted, this dual background ensures you aren’t siloed in either clinical or business thinking. For leaders considering their educational next steps, Gaghen’s story is instructive: “I decided to do a dual MHA and MBA degree—trying to beef up that finance and admin side since I was coming more from the clinical side.”

Who Should Apply for the UAB Administrative Fellowship?

The UAB fellowship is open to a wide range of candidates: recent graduates, clinicians pivoting to management, and even established professionals seeking hands-on system experience. As Gaghen notes, “we absolutely are open to taking people that are more experienced, too, or on the lower experience side. We don’t look for just one type of candidate.”

Key attributes UAB looks for:

• A graduate degree (MHA, MBA, or related) or recent enrollment in one.

• Demonstrated interest in healthcare leadership or administration.

• Openness to diverse experiences: As Gaghen stresses, “getting to kind of pick [leaders’] brains about different areas that they work in and how they as a leader take on challenges differently than leaders in another area.”

• Willingness to relocate (or at least consider) Birmingham, Alabama—though UAB actively recruits nationally.

Even for those making above-average salaries or managing families, Gaghen advises, “it’s really beneficial even just for networking and meeting people throughout the health system.” While the pay may not match mid-career roles, the accelerated exposure and long-term opportunity can make it a high-ROI move.

What’s the Structure of the Fellowship? How Are Rotations and Connections Managed?

UAB’s fellowship balances breadth and depth. Fellows don’t just shadow executives—they actively participate in projects and decision-making across the health system.

Program Timeline and Rotations

• First 2 months: Initial meet-and-greets—about 60—across hospital leadership. “We still do that, but we’ve gotten to where we’re trying to structure that a little bit better and split it up, because even though it’s good, it’s a lot of info at once.”

• Next 5 months: Immersive hospital operations work, paired with continued relationship-building.

• Second phase: Switch to ambulatory (outpatient) care, mirroring the hospital operations approach.

• Year 2: Focus on advanced projects, often aligned with fellows’ desired career paths.

Key experiential elements:

• “You’re able to do something while meeting people and getting introduced to people, and then you switch over to the ambulatory side and you kind of do the same thing again.”

• Leadership development office and executive team involvement to teach both practical and soft skills.

• Wide exposure: “We try to make it a more intentional experience of getting to where you can see all those areas of operations, getting to see strategy, finance, ambulatory, and be able to kind of have a hands-on experience with all those areas.”

This structure ensures fellows gain more than surface-level knowledge—they develop trusted relationships and operational intuition across the system.

How Did the Fellowship Prepare Morgan for Hospital Operations Leadership?

Gaghen’s own transition from fellow to Director of Operations at UAB Highlands Hospital provides a vivid case study in the fellowship’s effectiveness.

Key outcomes from the fellowship:

• Accelerated Readiness: “I definitely think it would have been a lot tougher for me to go straight to this role without fellowship… I got to work with radiology, I got to work with center for patient flow, I got to work with our ED and different operations all throughout, so it made me a candidate that could take on something that I now work with—inpatient, clinic, ED, and age-friendly services.”

• Expanded Network: “When I moved into this role, if I had a question or if an issue popped up or if we needed to do a new project… I knew very quickly who is the leader that I can call that works within ambulatory or works within some of our procedural space.”

• Systems Thinking: The broad exposure provided “a big picture understanding of healthcare in a system and hands-on experience to then narrow in on focus areas.”

For new leaders, these aren’t soft benefits—they’re differentiators that matter in high-pressure, high-complexity environments. UAB’s model echoes the Japanese manufacturing wisdom popularized by Lean and Six Sigma: leaders are more effective when they’ve walked the floor in every department before taking the helm.

What Does the Application and Selection Process Involve?

The UAB Administrative Fellowship process is transparent, national, and intentionally equitable.

Step-by-Step Application Process

1. Applications open in August with a deadline around early September (last year: September 4th).

2. Required materials: Resume, cover letter, and personal statement connecting your goals to UAB’s mission.

3. Blinded review: “We try to take off any identifiers for location, gender, race, school—we try to even the playing field there.” Applications are reviewed by multiple leaders without bias for alma mater or demographics.

4. Zoom interviews: Selected candidates have remote interviews with program leaders.

5. On-site experience: Finalists (5–8 per year) are flown in for campus tours, executive meetings, and an overnight stay in Birmingham—all expenses covered.

6. Selection: Offers are made with careful consideration for mutual fit.

Pro tip: UAB’s commitment to a “blinded” process means nontraditional candidates and those outside Alabama are welcomed, not screened out. “We really do read every single one of [the resumés] no matter how many we get.”

Competitiveness and National Outreach

The pool fluctuates from 50 to 200 applicants annually, but the program is always seeking new talent. “We are always open to more,” Gaghen emphasizes, noting that interest has remained strong—even post-COVID. The approach is, as she puts it, “to judge people off of a resume even if you don’t realize you’re doing it… We started that process up and it’s gone really well for us.”

How Does UAB Foster Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Fellowship?

Diversity isn’t lip service at UAB—it’s embedded into both process and culture.

• Blinded application review to reduce unconscious bias.

• Chief Diversity Officer input: The blinding process began after consultation with UAB’s diversity leadership: “We had met with our Chief Diversity Officer and just said, we want to make sure that we’re being equitable, getting great candidates, giving everybody a chance.”

• Resource groups and mentoring: UAB offers about 10 employee resource groups, including groups for women in healthcare and LGBTQ professionals, plus a minority mentoring network. “If people have a particular interest or something they relate to, we try to get them involved with those resource groups really early on.”

• Continual introductions: Even for those not initially interested, the diversity team and their resources remain available throughout the fellowship experience.

This approach ensures that fellows from every background feel supported, heard, and able to connect with peers who share their perspectives or challenges.

What Support and Mentorship Structure Does the Fellowship Provide?

UAB’s fellowship isn’t a solo venture. Support comes from a full executive and advisor team, drawing on two decades of program history.

Key Features:

• Executive Team: Includes the CEO of the hospital, Executive Vice President of Ambulatory, Executive Vice President of Operations, Chief Leadership Development Officer. “We really wanted to tie in all those things so that the fellow could see ambulatory operations, hospital operations, and have leadership development along the way.”

• Fellowship Advisers: Alumni of the program, such as Gaghen herself and Frank Sortino (now at the AVP level), mentor fellows at every step.

• Organizational Buy-in: The fellowship is “very well known within the system”—meaning departments are eager to support fellows’ success.

Morgan notes, “Just having more people invested in the success of the fellow is always good.” The program’s longevity means alumni are now senior leaders and understand the journey firsthand.

How Does the Fellowship Prepare Graduates for Executive Roles?

UAB’s outcomes are clear: the most common first role after fellowship is Director, followed by service line manager and, for some, vice president. “It seems like you guys are really doing a good job. Based on our research, the director position was the most common after Fellowship, followed by a service line kind of manager, and then the third was a VP.”

Graduates emerge with:

• Systems-level understanding of hospital and ambulatory operations.

• A network of mentors, sponsors, and colleagues across all areas of healthcare delivery.

• The confidence and capability to lead both people and projects.

• Direct experience in strategic, financial, and operational decision-making.

Gaghen’s career path—moving directly from fellow to Director of Operations—is no outlier. The program is designed to create rapid, sustainable advancement for fellows willing to take initiative and leverage their learning.

Final Takeaway: Why the UAB Administrative Fellowship Is a Launchpad for Leadership

For anyone considering the next leap in healthcare leadership, UAB’s Administrative Fellowship offers more than a line on your CV. It’s an immersive, hands-on, and nationally accessible program that prepares you to step into executive roles with confidence and vision. The program’s commitment to diversity, equity, and deep operational exposure ensures every fellow—no matter their background or prior experience—has the tools and relationships needed to thrive in complex healthcare environments.

Morgan Gaghen’s journey is proof that UAB’s model works. As she puts it, “It’s made me a better administrative partner to the clinical team… I know who to call, whether I know the answer right then or if we’ve got to figure it out together, you’re going to be able to figure it out with us.”

Actionable Insight:
If you’re a current graduate student, recent grad, or early-career leader ready to make an outsized impact in U.S. healthcare, consider applying for the UAB Administrative Fellowship. Start preparing your application in August, highlight your leadership aspirations and commitment to equity, and be ready to embrace an experience that will expand both your network and your horizons.

For further details, visit the UAB Administrative Fellowship page and connect with alumni—many are eager to pay forward the same support they received. Your next step in healthcare leadership may be just a conversation away.