About Us

Palos Verdes, CA
Villanova University, Bachelor’s degree in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience
2nd Year Fellow
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What brought you to CTCA/the fellowship program?

Seeking a change from sunny California, I ventured out to Philadelphia to attend Villanova for a college. At Villanova, I majored in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience and minored in Psychology. Outside of the classroom, I spent the majority of my time volunteering in clinical settings (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital), and playing active roles in Pre-Med Honor Society, Relay for Life and Kappa Delta Sorority.
Throughout university, I thought I wanted to jump into the clinical side of healthcare, however my experiences showed me that I have a desire to explore the business side of healthcare and work to create impact on an enterprise scale. Nearing my graduation from Villanova in 2017, I was unsure of which business area within the expansive healthcare field I wanted to explore – and this is one of the main reasons the Fellowship stood out to me as an ideal position. In addition to the rotational framework of the Fellowship, I was drawn to CTCA because I am extremely passionate for the fight against cancer. CTCA’s values of putting the patient first and continually striving for innovation and improvement is empowering.

What have you worked on during your time here?

I am currently a 2nd year management fellow, and am grateful that I have played an integral role in five equally impactful, yet diverse projects. My first rotation within the Fellowship was a pharmacy margin initiative with third year fellow Natalie Szczepaniak. Natalie and I implemented a bulk purchase strategy and inventory optimization at each of our sites. For my second rotation, I worked with past fellow, Ryan Engesser, on multiple projects. Our projects included: Service Line Strategy for GI Cancer (provided GI enterprise solutions to grow patient volume and revenue, including direct-to-employer colon screening), Non-Oncology Expansion (strategically evaluated expansion of our clinical expertise to non-oncology patients), and Genetic Testing (created and operationalized a partnership with a genetic testing company to offer a direct-to-employer offering). To kick-off my second year as a Fellow, I worked on an expedited initial patient evaluation project with first year fellow, Matthew Xu. We worked toward designing and operationalizing an expedited evaluation at each of our sites.

Where would you live after retirement and why?

After I retire, I would either like to live in one of the islands off of Seattle, or somewhere along the coast of Northern California. Both of these locations have the two things that activate my sense of exploration: water and mountains! I envision myself staying active by kayaking and paddle-boarding, as well as hiking through the many national parks and mountains in the area. And of course, I would be doing all these adventures with my future Golden Retriever.

Portland, Oregon
Vanderbilt University, Bachelor of Arts in Neuroscience and minored in Corporate Strategy
2nd Year Fellow
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What brought you to CTCA/the fellowship program?

While at Vanderbilt I took on a variety of leadership roles, including being President of Vanderbilt’s chapter of medical outreach organization MEDLIFE, Vice-President of a multicultural organization, Co-Captain of a dance team, and founded two other organizations on campus. These opportunities helped me realize that while I started college with the intention of being purely integrated with medicine and going to medical school, I had a passion for being entrepreneurial and a leader behind positive change. My work shadowing doctors and in hospitals further solidified my belief that I could deliver greater impact by utilizing my skills at the intersection of business and medicine. That helped me realize that when I graduated I wanted to be working on the hard problems in the healthcare industry to improve the ways in which patient care was delivered, while also being given the opportunity to rapidly develop my own skillset. That is when I found CTCA and the fellowship.

What have you worked on during your time here?

As a first year, I worked on projects developing our hematologic cancer service line and expanding our integrative services. Currently as a second year I have been involved in many different areas with projects in revenue cycle management, payor verifications/authorizations, site-based margin improvements, and supply chain management. My focus for these two years has been to gain exposure of many different areas within healthcare and to push myself outside of my comfort zone. These projects have definitely allowed me to do that and develop new problem solving, analytical, and conceptual skills in the process.

What hobby would you pursue full-time if time and money weren’t an issue?

Dancing. I’d spend all my time learning new choreo and styles of dance, and choreographing material myself.

Paradise Valley, AZ
Northwestern University, BS/MS in Biomedical Engineering (Pre-med), minor in Global Health and Ecological Engineering
2nd Year Fellow
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What brought you to CTCA/the fellowship program?

I am originally from Paradise Valley, Arizona, but decided to brave the cold and move to Chicago, where I attended Northwestern University. I completed a combined BS/MS in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Global Health and Ecological Engineering. I started my career at a precision medicine start-up in Chicago, which sparked my interest in cancer care. After making the switch to CTCA in February 2018 as a business analyst on the enterprise operations team, I transitioned and joined the Fellowship’s second-year class. The fellowship and CTCA provided a new challenge and exposure to a side of healthcare other than the clinical side I was so familiar with.

What have you worked on during your time here?

At CTCA, I have had the opportunity to work on projects across several areas, involving both the Outpatient Care Centers and telehealth.

How do you spend your free time?

What I enjoy most about the fellowship is the community of people who are passionate about making a difference and solving problems in healthcare. Aside from Fellowship work, I enjoy trying out new breweries around Chicago, cooking my favorite food (tacos), and taking weekend trips to Colorado to ski.

Gaithersburg, MD
Northwestern University, Bachelor’s degree in Economics with a minor in Global Health
1st year fellow
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What brought you to CTCA/the fellowship program?

I originally started college thinking I wanted to study biology and eventually go to medical school. Part way through, I realized that while I was still interested in healthcare, I was less interested in medicine and more interested in the strategy and evolution of our healthcare system.  I stumbled across CTCA at my school’s career fail and was immediately interested in the fellowship as it was the perfect mix of business and healthcare. I picked the fellowship because I wanted the opportunity to work in a team centered environment that would help me grow my leadership and problem solving skills as well as expand my knowledge of our healthcare system.

What have you worked on during your time here?

My first project was working to design and implement a shortened patient intake and evaluation process for an employer group that wanted to partner with us. My second project was working with the insurance pre-certification team to analyze our pre-certification process and develop strategies to streamline the process and minimize lost insurance reimbursement revenue.

If you had to eat one type of food for the rest of your life what would it be?

Pancakes! Or really any kind of breakfast food other than French toast

Bucks County, PA
Villanova University, Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with minors in Mathematics & Business
1st Year Fellow
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What brought you to CTCA/the fellowship program?

I first found out about the fellowship while preparing for a career fair last fall. When I started looking for jobs my senior year, I knew I wanted to be in a very collaborative, team centric environment. I also knew I wanted to be working on quick turn-around projects that would have an immediate impact on the company. So, even though it didn’t necessarily line up with my engineering background, I knew this position would be right for me and I would be able to use my engineering-based problem solving skills in different applications.

What have you worked on during your time here?

As a first-year fellow, I have been working with a team of 4 fellows to improve the process of billing and receiving payment from insurance providers. Through this project, I have been exposed to many of the operational aspects of healthcare, and I am looking forward to learning as much as a can both from the project and from my teammates.

If you had to eat one type of food for the rest of your life what would it be?

If I had to eat one food for the rest of my life, it would be stir-fry. So many possibilities for variations!

Northville, MI
Northwestern University, Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience and Asian Studies University
1st Year Fellow
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What brought you to CTCA/the fellowship program?

I’m originally from Metro Detroit, and I attended Northwestern University, where I studied Neuroscience and Asian Studies.  I chose this eclectic combination of majors to continue learning Chinese while pursuing a natural science with enormous relevance both to human health and decision making. Outside of the classroom, I became involved in human rights advocacy and community engagement. During my summers, I interned at a healthcare tech start-up focused on streamlining genetic test ordering in oncology practices, and a hospital system in Michigan, where I worked in data analytics. Post-graduation, I chose CTCA to further hone my leadership and technical capabilities, while gaining a greater understanding of the shifting trends in contemporary American healthcare. In the long-term, I plan on attending medical school and ultimately working at the intersection of clinical medicine, public policy, and telehealth.

What have you worked on during your time here?

Since starting with CTCA, I’ve worked on two main projects: rural strategy and physician referrals. With rural strategy, I have focused on partnering with rural health associations and start-ups to extend coverage to uninsured patients in rural areas. More recently, I’ve pivoted to a physician referrals project, where the goal is to create a sustainable and efficient referral network with partnering PCPs and specialists.

How do you spend your free time?

Beyond work, I enjoy scuba diving, hiking, skiing, and traveling. My most recent adventures include hiking trips through Iceland and North Carolina, and I’m looking forward to upcoming trips to Cuba and Colombia.

Portland, OR
Northwestern University, Bachelor's degree in Integrated Science Program and Mathematics
1st Year Fellow
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What brought you to CTCA/the fellowship program?

After growing up in rainy (and beautiful!) Portland, OR, I traveled Chicago (near Chicago, some might say) to attend college at Northwestern University, where I majored in Integrated Science and Mathematics and obtained a certificate in Managerial Analytics. During my time at NU, I was very involved with new student orientation program and Greek life - while vastly different, both experiences gave me an appreciation and passion for community engagement, intentional mentorship, and inclusion/advocacy work. I also spent a meaningful amount of time conducting research in a molecular genetics lab, an experience I enjoyed greatly for its components of innovation and problem solving.
While these experiences in scientific research did appeal to me greatly, I found myself seeking a more fast-paced, high impact role as I left college. With this in mind, the management fellowship seemed to be a perfect fit for my career aspirations in regards to both project work and experiential growth opportunities. The concrete focus on impactful healthcare projects, emphasis on mentorship, and self-governed entrepreneurial spirit found in the program really are one-of-a-kind.

What have you worked on during your time here?

Thus far, I’ve primarily worked on a project regarding the new patient evaluation process, and specifically finding ways to shorten and standardize evaluations to better meet patient needs. This experience has been fantastic in helping me develop both my conceptual and analytical problem-solving skills, as well as giving me a much better understanding of the clinical elements of hospital operations. I’ve loved coming to work every day knowing that I will be challenged to push my boundaries and enhance my learning within a context of support and care. 

What’s one song that you have memorized completely?

A song I’ve memorized completely (and one of my favorite songs of all time) is Sunday Candy by Chance the Rapper – something about the musicality, gospel energy, and Chance’s flows have stuck with me since the very first listen, and I really love and respect the philanthropy and advocacy Chance has done for the city of Chicago. 

Brooklyn, NY
Vanderbilt University, Bachelors degree in Medicine Health and Society
1st Year Fellow
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What brought you to CTCA/the fellowship program?

I’m originally from New York City but found myself in Music City (Nashville, Tennessee) for an undergraduate education at Vanderbilt University. At Vanderbilt I double majored in Medicine Health and Society and Human and Organizational Development with a minor in Corporate Strategy. I  describe my studies as a mix of public health, sociology, and business with a psychology twist. The highly interdisciplinary nature of my studies allowed me to explore interests in a wide range of topics and fostered my interest in seeking new knowledge and finding ways to apply it across disciplines.
During my undergraduate career, I completed internships at Philadelphia VA Medical Center, University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Mental Health Policy, Services and Research, Michigan Medicine and Vanderbilt University Medical Center in the department of Quality Safety and Risk Prevention. The combination of my internship experiences and coursework have inspired her desire to be a part of teams committed to providing safe, accessible and empowering health care experiences to patients and families
As a job seeking senior, I knew that I wanted to work at the intersection of healthcare and business and I knew that I wanted to work in an environment that would encourage learning, exploration and accelerated development so when I learned about the Management Fellowship at Vanderbilt’s career fair I knew it was a natural fit. So far, I’ve gained much more than I could’ve ever imagined as a Management Fellow. The work is so rewarding and every day I feel like I can make a positive difference on my team, on the company and on the patients we serve.

What have you worked on during your time here?

As a first year, I worked on an initiative to design a process for offering referrals to patients who can not treat at CTCA. This project has allowed me to respond to a blue sky problem with a solution-oriented idea, think through the all of the operational requirements and push the idea from process flows outlined in a slide deck to a function that will be implemented. Along the way, I’ve received incredible mentorship from the second and third year fellows on the team, Megan Pelino and Natalie Szczepaniak.

What hobby would you get into if time and money weren’t an issue?

Scuba diving! I’ve always wanted to try scuba diving and living in Florida now presents a perfect opportunity to get scuba certified.