Christopher J. Durovich Administrative Fellowship
Fellowship Overview
Developing aspiring leaders is essential to Children’s Health’s mission to make life better for children. The Administrative Fellowship program provides motivated health care professionals with Executive mentorship and unique exposure to Children’s Health’s rapid growth and strategic innovation. North Texas is among the nations of largest growing regions, leading Children’s Health to expand to meet the demand of our increasing patient population.
The Fellowship is a 12-month system-level overview for aspiring health care professionals. Fellows gain comprehensive exposure to hospital leadership and operations through project work and observational rotations.
Administrative Fellows complete Department rotations in clinical and non-clinical areas, followed by a 6-month elective rotation based on their areas of interest. Department rotations include but are not limited to the Plano and Dallas hospitals, Ambulatory, Finance, Strategy, Physician Operations, Nursing, Legal and Compliance, Human Resources, the Foundation, Planning Design & Construction, and Corporate Services.
Administrative Fellows are full-time Children’s Health employees who receive competitive annual compensation and a relocation stipend. Additionally, Fellows can attend local professional networking events and national conferences and pursue professional development opportunities.
Children’s Health offers industry-leading benefits:
Employee portion of medical plan premiums are covered after 3 years.
100% match on employee savings contributions beginning at 4% on day one, increasing to 10% at 15 years.
Paid Parental Leave (up to 12 weeks)
Caregiver Leave
Adoption and surrogacy reimbursement
Mentorship
Administrative Fellows are mentored by Dane Peterson, Chief Operating Officer, in both group settings and one on one meetings. Additionally, Fellows are matched with Executive and past Fellow mentors based on their interests. This includes accomplished leaders such as the Dallas Market President, Northern Market President, Executive Vice President of Corporate Services and Chief Health Equity Officer. Previous Fellow mentors guide current Fellows through the program and help the transition from Fellowship to their careers. Inpatient and Ambulatory Operations, Human Resources, Behavioral Health, and more.
Leadership
Fellows and leaders from across the system convene for a monthly luncheon to discuss relevant topics to the healthcare industry. Fellows also have the opportunity to meet with system leaders to discuss MODEL Leadership, which are the competencies required for leadership success at Children’s Health.
Application Information and Timeline
Administrative Fellowship FAQs
Current Fellows
Blake Connell, 2024 Administrative Fellow
Blake Connell serves as an Administrative Fellow in the 2024 cohort at Children’s Health.
Prior to joining Children’s, Blake served the children of North Texas and beyond, working as a foster parent in Houston and as an Associate Program Director for Camp Sweeney here in North Texas. In summer 2023, Blake took part in ambulatory business operations and strategic planning as an intern within the department of pediatrics at Texas Children’s. Blake is eager to apply his experiences in leadership and business operations to make life better for children.
Raised in the blue ridge mountains of Virginia, Blake received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Virginia and is currently earning a Master of Health Administration degree from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Carol Jiwan, 2024 Administrative Fellow
Carol Jiwan serves as an Administrative Fellow in the 2024 cohort at Children’s Health.
Prior to joining Children’s, Carol served as a Quality Improvement Coordinator at Baylor Scott & White in Austin, TX, where she led significant improvements in specialty physician metrics, supported survey readiness processes, co-chaired the Texas State internship program, and managed clinic vendor contracts. Passionate about supporting underserved pediatric populations, Carol has volunteered in autism summer camps, as well as worked with children from low-socioeconomic backgrounds and rural communities, providing care and guidance to improve quality of life.
Carol grew up in Saudi Arabia and earned her B.S. in Physical Therapy from Manipal University in India. She then went on to complete her M.S. in Exercise Sciences and her Master’s in Healthcare Administration from Texas State University.
Hyunjee Lee, 2024 Administrative Fellow
Hyunjee Lee serves as an Administrative Fellow in the 2024 cohort at Children’s Health.
Prior to joining Children’s, Hyunjee served as an outpatient coordinator in psychiatric hospitals, skillfully managing care for both adults and adolescents. Her compassionate approach to guiding families through mental health crises showcased her dedication to empathy and integrity. Amid organizational changes, Hyunjee showcased adaptability by restructuring her framework, significantly enhancing program efficiency. Driven by a passion for positive change in underserved communities, she led medical mission trips to South America during graduate studies, contributing to national leadership in a global medical missions organization.
A first-generation immigrant from South Korea, Hyunjee earned her Bachelor’s in Healthcare Studies and Business Administration Minor from the University of Texas at Dallas, followed by a Master’s in Healthcare Administration from Texas Woman’s University.
Lamonica Savage, 2024 Administrative Fellow
Lamonica Savage serves as an Administrative Fellow in the 2024 cohort at Children’s Health.
Prior to joining the Children’s Health Administrative Fellowship team, Lamonica dedicated 21 years to the Radiology Department at Children’s Health, most recently as the Multimodality Team Leader on the Plano campus. In this role, she collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to advance organizational goals and recognized that her clinical experience and passion could make a greater impact through an administrative path.
Lamonica grew up in Jonesville, Louisiana. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences from the University of Louisiana Monroe. She then earned her Master of Science in Healthcare Administration at the University of Arizona Global Campus.
Rani Thakkar, 2024 Administrative Fellow
Rani Thakkar serves as an Administrative Fellow in the 2024 cohort at Children’s Health.
Prior to joining Children’s Health, Rani gained diverse experience as a Summer Administrative Resident with UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute, where she leveraged data analytics, change management, and marketing skills to facilitate partnerships with an acquired health system and created a business plan for UPMC’s Domestic Concierge Department. She also collaborated with Advanced Practice Provider (APP) leadership to design a productivity-tracking database, enhancing RVU-driven metrics to improve APP utilization and guide recruitment strategies. In her role as a Student Associate in UAB Hospital’s GI Surgical Oncology Unit, Rani contributed to process improvement efforts by supporting non-clinical operations and working closely with nurse leadership to address unit needs.
Rani calls Columbia, South Carolina home and completed her Bachelor of Arts in Public Health from the University of South Carolina. She holds a Master of Business Administration and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Health Administration at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
The John and Susie Adams Excellence Endowment
