Clinical Leadership Fellowship

Clinical Leadership Fellowship

We are currently accepting applications for the 2026 – 2027 class of Clinical Leadership Fellows.

The NYC Health + Hospitals Clinical Leadership Fellowship is a 12-month program designed to develop the next generation of clinical leaders in quality, population health, and health care administration. This is a unique program for post-residency physicians (any graduate of an ACGME-accredited residency program or current resident on track to graduate from an ACGME-accredited residency program by June 2026) that combines both academic and practical learnings and hands-on experiences.

Each participant will be placed in NYC Health + Hospitals’ Central Office or a Facility Office to acquire hands-on, practical work experience, supplemented by participating in leadership meetings and developing and leading a substantial quality improvement or population health-oriented project.

The fellowship teaches the skills necessary to advance hospital system quality improvement and strategic leadership initiatives. Participants will learn from a wide variety of clinical and administrative leaders from across NYC Health + Hospitals, providing a unique opportunity to work with current decision makers and assist in implementing various hospital operations-oriented projects and improvements.

F.A.Q.

Q: How is the fellowship structured?

The fellowship offers participants many opportunities to work with system leaders and a variety of learning modalities to exposure them to healthcare administration and quality improvement, including tools and approaches to effectively implement quality improvement, as well as population health-oriented initiatives.

Mentorship
Participants will receive mentorship both at their clinical site and within their administrative role. Fellows meet regularly with their assigned mentor and fellowship leadership as they progress through the program to ensure they are involved in work that is meaningful to them and reaching their individual goals. Fellows also frequently find mentors outside of their assigned mentor as they become more involved in specific projects throughout their fellowship year.

Leadership Meetings
Participants will participate in local and system level meetings focusing on quality improvement, population health, and leadership priorities. Meetings can include Root Cause Analysis, Quality Assurance/Performance Important Committee, Office Cabinet, Clinical Council, and initiative specific workgroup meetings. Through these meetings, fellows build relationships with senior level NYC Health + Hospitals leaders who have expertise in operations, population health, quality, patient safety, and finance, among other areas. Participants will become involved in quality initiatives and lead system level projects.

In-person Didactic Sessions and Webinars
Fellows will participate in a variety of didactic sessions including, but not limited to, a leadership speaker series with executives; structured educational sessions on quality improvement methodology, leadership fundamentals, data utilization tools, and overviews of system initiatives; Works in Progress session to workshop capstone project; discussion-based book and journal clubs; and physician wellness meetings.

Clinical Experience
Fellows are expected to practice in their respective specialty as an attending physician at one of our many clinical sites across New York City for 30% of their fellowship time. Many times, fellows are supervising residents or advanced practitioners in their clinical setting. Fellows also receive mentorship from their clinical site leadership. Clinical sites include NYC Health + Hospitals’ 11 acute care facilities and Gotham sites. Clinical schedules are structured to ensure participants are able to participate in all fellowship didactics.

Q: What are the topics covered in the NYC Health + Hospitals CLF curriculum?

Fundamentals of Leadership and Administration
Learn fundamentals of healthcare leadership and administration, including financial analysis, management skills, resource management, and strategic thinking.

Population Health Approach to Improve Outcomes
Learn essential components of a population health-oriented approach, including a focus on proactive delivery of care, social determinants of health, innovative uses of technology and data, and effective interventions for high-risk, high-need patients.

Team Facilitation and Change Management
Garner didactic and practical experience using change management techniques and engagement tools, working with interdisciplinary teams, and facilitating teams.

Fundamentals of Quality Improvement and Science of Quality Measurement
Review quality improvement essentials, with a focus on how this science has been translated and used in health care. During these teachings, policy and regulatory developments that may impact health care quality and patient safety in the future will be discussed.

Methods and Tools for Quality Improvement
Discuss approaches to selecting measures for quality improvement initiatives across inpatient and outpatient settings. Learn how to effectively use data in planning quality improvement and population health-oriented projects and how to use several quality improvement tools. During these teachings, participants will learn the basics of run and control charts, planned experimentation, using small tests of change, and engaging in other tools for measuring and improving. Use of health information technology in measuring and improving quality will also be discussed.

Developing and Implementing Quality Improvement Initiatives
Learn strategies for launching comprehensive quality improvement initiatives and engaging key leadership and stakeholders throughout the hospital while implementing, sustaining, and spreading improvements across the organization.

Designing Safe Systems and Building a “Just” Culture
Review the evidence of how patient safety has emerged as a critical focus issue in health care and explain concepts and tools used to achieve optimal outcomes. Explore how to create a “Just” culture that values patient safety and transparency.

Application Process and Eligibility FAQs

Q: What are the requirements for prospective clinical leadership fellows?

To be eligible for the NYC Health and Hospitals Clinical Leadership Fellowship (CLF), candidates must meet the following requirements:

• Be a graduate of an ACGME-accredited residency program or a current resident on track to graduate from an ACGME-accredited residency program by end of June of the fellowship start year.
• Hold current New York State medical license and DEA license by May 2026
• Submit three letters of recommendation, as outlined in Part D of the application.
• Provide an up-to-date Curriculum Vitae (CV).

Q: What is the application timeline?

The Clinical Leadership Fellowship application will open on June 2, 2025 and close on December 5, 2025. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Every applicant for the program will be interviewed for the central office fellowship and the facility fellowship. Once accepted to the fellowship you be asked to rank your administrative site and clinical preferences. All clinical sites can be found here. The Leadership Council will then review all preferences and make placements based on the best fit for both the fellows and the needs of the sites, taking your preferences into consideration. While you may indicate your preferred location, final placements will be determined by the Leadership Council. Final placements will be made in January and February of 2026.

Q: How large is the cohort every year?

There are typically 5 to 10 fellows in each cohort. All clinical specialties are encouraged to apply.

Compensation: Please refer to PAGNY’s direct website for further information.

Application

For the 2026 – 2027 application, click here. The application deadline is December 5, 2025. All materials must be received by then to be considered.

For general questions about the Fellowship, please contact:

Kaela Natale
Assistant Director, Quality & Safety
Email: clf@nychhc.org
Phone: 215-478-2774