UPMC Insurance Services Division (ISD) Administrative Fellowship Track

About
Year One
Year Two
Preceptors
Current Fellows

About the UPMC ISD Administrative Fellowship Track

The two-year ISD fellowship is a leadership development program that serves as means to develop a broad experience in fellows' career that will foster their professional development within the Insurance Services Division of UPMC.

ISD Fellows will rotate through UPMC Insurance Services Division (UPMC Health Plan, WorkPartners, and Community Care Behavioral Health), have an externship to another UPMC location, serve as the primary fellow for a UPMC system-wide service line, and have an optional rotation in any of the other entities in which interest is expressed.

Each rotation will serve as a learning experience for fellows by testing their abilities, as well as instilling applicable system and divisional knowledge related to the strategic plan and vision of the organization. Fellows will work with their rotation preceptor to develop goals and expectations for the rotation. Applicable project(s) work will be assigned within each rotation in order to ensure fellows' progress is meeting the expectations of the program. ISD fellows may also be assigned projects that span the entire two-year fellowship program.

In addition to departmental designated projects, fellows will also have the opportunity to seek out projects that meet their personal career objectives. At the end of the program, fellows will work closely with their preceptors in finding employment opportunities within the organization.

Supplemental learning opportunities

UPMC is highly committed to the training of administrative fellows, and offers opportunities to:

Gain an understanding of the core processes within the Insurance Services Division
Have broad exposure to operations of an Integrated Delivery and Financing System
Better understand clinical operations and finances
Strengthen health care experience through work on various in-depth projects
Be mentored by senior-level executives
Coordinate and participate in executive-level meetings
Establish a network of contacts throughout the health system
Improve management and leadership skills
Refine communication and analytical skills

Year One Opportunities: Core Functional Rotations

Fellows spend their first year rotating with the UPMC Insurance Services Division executive team. UPMC is the largest medical and behavioral health insurer in western Pennsylvania, insuring more than 3.5 million lives. UPMC Insurance Services Division serves as the centralized hub for a wide array of health insurance plan services and operates in the Downtown Pittsburgh campus located at the US Steel Tower.

Fellows participate in core functional rotations, a service line, and an externship during their first year of the program and pursue a specific interest during their second year of the program. Upon completion of the program, fellows are prepared to move into highly competitive roles within the organization.

Rotation opportunities

The fellowship is comprised of rotations, in which the fellows will primarily be involved in project work. Key areas of focus may include (but are not limited to):

Government Programs
Commercial Products
Organizational Performance
Operations
Clinical Operations
Administration
Finance Quality Improvement
Network Development
WorkPartners
Community Care Behavioral Health

Externships

Examples of first year externships include:

The UPMC Health Plan Erie Office
The UPMC Health Plan Philadelphia Office
UPMC Pinnacle
UPMC Susquehanna

Service lines

Examples of service lines ISD fellows may work with include:

Surgical Services Oversight Committee

Projects

Examples of projects that ISD fellows may work on include:

Developing strategic business initiatives
Issuing RFI and RFPs
Managing consultants or third-party vendors
Coordinating various task forces
Creating financial dashboards and budgets
Performing cost benefit analysis
Maintaining current Employee Engagement initiatives
Implementing quality-of-care improvement initiatives

Year Two Opportunities

The Insurance Services Division Fellowship Track recruited its inaugural fellow during the 2016-2018 fellowship program.

The following roles are potential examples of a second year Fellowship role:

Program Manager
Product Manager
Staff Associate
Network Manager
Business Development & Strategy Manager

Preceptors

Roles and expectations

ISD fellows are each assigned an advisor who serves as a mentor and an advocate throughout the entire fellowship. Fellows are also each assigned a preceptor during each rotation. Preceptors are responsible for guidance and progress by:

Defining projects
Ensuring that fellows' needs are being met
Meeting with fellows regularly
Providing timely feedback regarding performance and progress
The fellows are responsible for providing their advisors and preceptors with all necessary information to ensure a mutually beneficial experience.

Current preceptors

Marion McGowan — Senior Vice President Population Health, Chief Clinical Officer UPMC Health Plan (Primary Preceptor 2018-2019)
Helene Weinraub — Vice President, Medicare, UPMC Health Plan
Kim Zynn — Vice President, National Network Development & Strategic Expansion, UPMC Health Plan
John Lovelace — President, UPMC for You, Inc.; President, Government Programs and Individual Advantage
Angela Perri — Associate Vice President Medicare and SNP, UPMC Health Plan
Dave Weir — President, Work Partners
Georgean Wielock — Vice President, Operations, Configuration, & Ancillary Products, UPMC Health Plan
Sharon Czyzewski — Vice President, Human Resources, UPMC Insurance Services Division
Carl Schartner — Senior Director, Organizational Performance, UPMC Health Plan
Kim Cepullio — President, UPMC Commercial Products, UPMC Health Plan
Deb Wasilchak — COO & Government Programs Officer, Community Care Behavioral Health Organization
Gordy Gebbens — Senior Vice President, Finance & Controller, UPMC Insurance Services Division

Current Fellow

Shireen Haq, MPH
Second Year Fellow
University of Texas
haqs@upmc.edu