MGPO Fellowship in Health Policy and Management
WRITTEN DESCRIPTION
Program Duration
The fellowship will be 1 or 2 years, to be worked out specifically with each fellow. Candidates selected
for a two-year fellowship may be eligible to obtain an MPH degree from the Harvard School of Public
Health.
Scope of Training
The fellowship provides a unique immersion experience and curriculum in the management and policy
activities of the MGPO. Under the guidance of fellowship director and other fellowship faculty, fellows
will gain exposure to and competency in such aspects of health care management as:
- Performance measurement and improvement
- Care redesign tactics
- Population health management
- Hospital operations and governance
- Pay-for-performance
- Global payment
- Physician contracting
- Human resources
- Quality and safety
- Project management
The fellowship is an “experiential” fellowship, meaning fellows gain management competency through
direct participation in management activities. In addition, fellows will receive structured didactic
curriculum in management and leadership. Successful graduates of the fellowship will be well-positioned
to obtain a mid-level management or policy position in a hospital or health care organization.
Schedule
Fellows will be expected to dedicate approximately 60-80% of their time to fellowship activities. This
percentage may vary depending on 1) whether or not the fellow pursues an MPH degree, and 2) clinical
responsibilities arranged with each fellow’s respective department. Attendance at early morning or
evening meetings may be part of the fellowship.
Supervision
Fellows will receive supervision from a fellowship faculty member on assigned management and policy
activities as determined by the fellowship director. Any supervision that may be required as part of the
clinical portion of the fellowship will be worked out on an individual basis with each fellow’s respective
department.
Clinical Responsibilities
Fellows will be expected to maintain a clinical role within their department. Clinical aspects of the
fellowship will be worked out with each fellow’s respective department chief following the fellow’s
selection and acceptance into the fellowship. Such clinical aspects to be discussed will include specific
clinical responsibilities including on-call responsibilities, billing/reimbursement, and admitting privileges.
Salary
Fellows will be paid by the MGPO an annual salary of approximately $70,000 for the fellowship portion
of the fellow’s activities. Additional income for clinical responsibilities will be worked out as part of the
fellowship with the fellow’s clinical department.
Vacation and Leaves of Absence
Fellows will be granted three weeks of paid vacation time annually. Fellows will be granted leave of
absence for such events as illness, childbirth, etc. according to standard Partners policies.
FELLOWSHIP WRITTEN CURRICULUM
Overview
The primary goal of the MGPO Fellowship in Health Policy and Management is to foster the growth and
development of early-career physicians interested in health policy and management through direct
involvement in MGPO projects and initiatives. Fellows will gain an understanding of the complexities of
health policy and management via frequent exposure to and mentorship from senior hospital leaders.
Fellows will be expected to participate in mangement curiculum and didactics. Fellows will participate in
projects, committees, and task forces that will enable them to develop competency in several areas of
health policy and management, including (but not limited to) hospital operations and efficiency,
contracting, hospital and provider payment, physician credentialing, pay-for-performance, care redesign
tactics, population management, global payment, quality measurement and improvement, managing
people and relationships, and human resources. At the conclusion of the fellowship, fellows will have
developed the requisite skills, knowledge, and perspective to succeed in a mid-level healthcare
management or policy position.
Fellowship Competencies
Fellows will receive training in and exposure to several aspects of health care management and policy
through direct participation in MGPO activities. Some of this training will come through direct
involvement in projects, while other training will come through participation in and attendance at
meetings and conferences of MGPO, MGH, and/or Partners managers. Following are specific
competencies fellows will be expected to attain, and possible avenues of training in each competency:
Fellowship Competencies
Performance measurement and
improvement
Possible Opportunities for Training and Exposure
Meeting attendance (MCCC*, Medical Director’s meeting)
Participation in Ongoing Physician Performance Evaluation (OPPE) process
MPH course
Hospital operations and
governance
-
Meeting attendance (GEC, POEC, Medical Director’s meeting)
Direct faculty mentorship
MPH course
Payment systems: Pay-forperformance, Global payment
-
Meeting attendance (MCCC, Medical Director’s meeting)
Participation in P4P measure development process
Participation in Internal Performance Framework measurement process
MPH course
Physician contracting
-
Meeting attendance (MCCC, Medical Director’s meeting)
MPH course
Organizational culture and
behavior
-
Direct participation in MGPO initiatives
MPH course
Human resources
-
Participation in hiring process for MGPO initiative
Quality and safety
-
Direct faculty mentorship
Participation in Center for Quality and Safety initiative
Involvement in quality or safety activities of fellow’s department
MPH course
Management communication
-
Assistance with MGPO communication (medical director memos, Fruit Street
Physician, etc.)
Meeting attendance and participation
Observation of MGH/MGPO leaders
Management science
-
Direct faculty mentorship
MPH course
Care Redesign Tactics and
Population Health
Management
-
Direct faculty mentorship
Direct participation in MGPO initatives
Meeting attendance (Medical Director’s meeting)
Project management
-
Direct involvement in or leadership of MGPO initiatives
*MCCC= Managed Care and Contracting Committee
In addition to the competencies outlined above, the fellow will be expected to conceive, manage, execute,
and measure a cap stone project of their choosing as it relates to the MGPO’s mission and management
priorities. The fellow will be expected to submit a minimum of one publication in a nationally respected
journal annually based on this cap stone project.
Evaluation
Evaluation of fellows will be based on the fellow’s performance relative to the management competencies
listed on the prior page, as well as other aspects of professionalism and character that are integral to a
successful career in health care management and/or policy. Fellows will have an informal verbal review
and feedback session with the program director on a quarterly basis. Formal written reviews will occur at
the end of 6 and 12 months during each year of the fellowship. The program director will solicit feedback
from other fellowship faculty members with whom the fellow has worked as part of the semi-annual
formal review. Career counseling and mentoring will occur informally on a continual basis during regular
meetings between the fellow and program director, and between the fellow and other faculty members.
Fellows will have the opportunity to offer verbal feedback on the fellowship experience to the program
director during the quarterly verbal feedback sessions. Fellows will be asked to provide a formal written
evaluation of the fellowship faculty and overall fellowship experience on an annual basis. The fellowship
faculty will meet on an annual basis to review this evaluaton, and discuss the status and future direction of
the fellowship.
Program Leadership
The program director will be immediately responsible for the training and activities of fellows. The
program director and fellow will meet on a weekly basis to review the fellow's progress on his or her
various projects and activities. The program director will assist the fellow in identifying and establishing
secondary mentors from among the leadership of the MGPO and MGH administrations, MGH Center for
Quality and Safety, MGH clinical departments, and/or Partners/PCHI based on the fellow's specific
interests. The fellow will meet with his or her secondary mentors on a periodic or as-needed basis.
Program Size
One new fellow will be selected each academic year. As some fellows may wish to pursue a two-year
fellowship, there may be two fellows in the program at one time.
Selection Process
Recruitment for the fellowship will occur annually. Applications will be due by June 15th. Letters
of recommendation are due no later than July 6th 2012. An information session with the
fellowship director and current fellow(s) will take place between the call for applications and
application due date. Given the small size of the fellowship, recruitment will be limited to within
the Partners system.
Interested applicants will be required submit an updated CV, a one-page statement of interest, and
two letters of recommendation, one of which must be from the applicant's current department chair
or program director. Selection will be internal to the MGPO and independent from any formal
matching process.
Depending on the number of applicants, selected applicants will be invited to interview with
members of the selection committee. The interview process will consist of one 1:1 interview with
a selection committee member, and one group interview with the selection committee.
Selection Process (cont’d)
The selection committee will consist of the following members (chaired by the fellowship
program director):
David Torchiana, MD
Tim Ferris, MD, MPH (program director)
Eric Weil, MD
Jeff Weilburg, MD
Sandhya Rao, MD
Susan Zackon, RN, MBA
One to two former fellows
Following the completion of interviews, the selection committee will create a rank list of applicants. The
committee will inform the top applicant from the rank list of his or her selection by July 11th following the
interview period. The fellow can accept or decline the fellowship offer in writing by July 20th 2012. If
the selected fellow declines the offer, the same process would be followed for the next highest fellow on
the rank list until an acceptance occurs.
Affiliation Agreements
There will be no outside affiliations as part of the fellowship.
Program Environment and Working Conditions
Fellows will be provided with appropriate workspace including computer and telephone. Fellows will
have access to printers, office supplies, and limited office support from MGPO administrative staff.
Fellows will be supported in their clinical role, and will communicate to the fellowship director if clinical
responsibilities begin to exceed the allotted amount (approximately 20% of a fellow’s total time) as
prescribed in the fellowship agreement.