NYC Health + Hospitals Launches Application for Clinical Leadership Fellowship 2026 – 2027
Fellowship provides a one-year opportunity for post-residency graduates to gain experience in health care administration Application deadline for next year’s fellowship is Friday, September 26 The 2025 - 2026 class includes seven physicians who begin their fellowship next Monday
Jul 08, 2025
New York, NY — NYC Health + Hospitals today announced the open application period for the Clinical Leadership Fellowship, a one-year program to develop the next generation of clinical leaders in health care quality improvement, population health, and health care administration. The fellowship is open to post-residency physicians and combines both academic and hands-on experience, participation in leadership meetings, and a final project on quality improvement or population health. The fellowship teaches the skills necessary to advance strategic leadership initiatives, and provides a unique opportunity to work with decision makers at the nation’s largest municipal health care system. Physicians who have completed or are on track to complete a residency program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education prior to July 1, 2026 can apply. The application deadline for next year’s fellowship is Friday, September 26, and applications are accepted on a rolling basis. A video featuring alumni of the program is available here.
Previous fellows have played critical roles in NYC Health + Hospitals’ initiatives:
- Creating and implementing workflows to support our system during the COVID pandemic.
- Expanding Virtual ExpressCare (telehealth services) and launching the telehealth abortion access program.
- Optimizing MyChart messaging to improve communication between patients and their care teams.
- Implementing a new referrals system to improve the quality of telehealth consults and increase access to specialty care.
- Improving Clinical Services at Medical Respite to Reduce ED Visits and Hospitalizations.
- Improving Access to Diagnostic Mammography to increase successful completion rates.
- Improving Pediatric Primary Care Screening Through the Implementation of Tablets in a Digital Health Platform.
- Using discharge navigators for congestive heart failure patients to ensure that more. patients are discharged with the appropriate guideline-directed medication therapy.
- Supporting surge planning for pediatric Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).
“As we continue to transform health care in our communities, the Clinical Leadership Fellowship offers an unparalleled opportunity for post-residency physicians to develop critical skills in quality improvement, population health, and health care administration,” said Ted Long, MD, MHS, Director of the NYC Health + Hospitals Clinical Leadership Fellowship and Senior Vice President of Ambulatory Care and Population Health at NYC Health + Hospitals. “These emerging leaders work closely with senior executives, driving essential operational enhancements across our health care system while gaining invaluable hands-on experience. This program equips future leaders with both the academic foundation and real-world experience they need to drive meaningful change in safety net hospitals.”
“When Clinical Leadership Fellows develop strategies that improve both clinical efficiency and operational performance, we enhance patient care while also strengthening the financial stability of our providers,” said Kenra Ford, Senior Vice President of Clinical Services Operations at NYC Health + Hospitals.
“The Clinical Leadership Fellowship is a core part of NYC Health + Hospitals’ commitment to developing the next generation of leaders in safety net health care,” said Matthew Siegler, Senior Vice President of Managed Care and Patient Growth, and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals’ Accountable Care Organization. “As these dedicated fellows work through the current and complex challenges of our nation’s largest municipal hospital system, they acquire invaluable experience that will certainly set them apart as they build their careers.”
“The Clinical Leadership Fellowship offers an incredible opportunity for emerging leaders to dive into the heart of population health work,” said Nichola Davis, MD, MS, Vice President and Chief Population Health Officer at NYC Health + Hospitals. “Fellows engage directly with our Population Health team, gaining practical experience in proactive care strategies that address health inequities and improve outcomes across communities. By working on initiatives like chronic disease management and social determinants of health, fellows will play a key role in shaping the future of health care at NYC Health + Hospitals.”
“The Clinical Leadership Fellowship program continues to be a gem at NYC Health + Hospitals, with the next generation of physicians being so instrumental to drive meaningful change and improvement across the system,” said Hillary Jalon, MS, Vice President and Chief Quality Officer at NYC Health + Hospitals. “Through this program, they gain the tools to facilitate change management, lead interdisciplinary teams, and implement initiatives that improve patient care.”
“The Clinical Leadership Fellowship has been an invaluable experience in establishing a foundation for my career as a physician committed to health equity and quality care,” said Thea Belay, MD, Clinical Leadership Fellowship alum 2023-2024 and incoming Director in the Office of Medical & Professional Affairs at NYC Health + Hospitals. “To work and learn from the leaders of such an expansive municipal system in the greatest city in the world has been so rewarding. From this year, I’ll be taking away a solid understanding of complex health care delivery, quality improvement, and equitable care that will be vital for the rest of my career, regardless of where it takes me.”
“The Clinical Leadership Fellowship has given me the tools to lead with compassion, innovate in health care, and make a meaningful impact on the lives of New Yorkers,” said Tamara Kliot, MD, Clinical Leadership Fellowship alum 2022-2023 now a Director in the Office of Quality and Safety at NYC Health + Hospitals. “It’s not just a program; it’s a transformative experience.”
“It was amazing to be among like-minded co-fellows who had similar career interests and values,” said Delia Shen, MD, Clinical Leadership Fellowship class of 2023-2024. “I loved the opportunity to work within one department, but also have the access to learn from leaders and programs in different offices and facilities. The flexibility to meet and work on projects across departments is something that was so valuable to understanding the system’s landscape and helps in my current day to day all the time.”
Dr. Kaushal Khambhati, class of 2023 and the Director of Hospital Clinical Operations in the Office of Quality and Safety, as well as an attending Emergency Medicine Physician at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, said “I was and am still in awe at the opportunity to learn directly from some of the highest impact players in health care in New York City. Identifying areas of opportunity, navigating change management, and building collaborative interdisciplinary workspaces were some of my key takeaways.”
Dr. Diandra Wong, class of 2025, said “As a native New Yorker, I knew I wanted to stay within the NYC Health + Hospitals system. CLF allowed me to continue anchoring my work in clinical encounters with patients, but also equip me with the tools to address systemic barriers to quality care through quality improvement and population health initiatives.”
Dr. Alec Feuerbach, class of 2025, said “I chose CLF because I believe in the mission of NYC Health + Hospitals as a safety net system for all people who need care and I want to play a part in making it the strongest system possible. I came into medical school with an interest in public health and public policy, initially thinking I would be interested in research, but gravitating over time towards implementation and systems thinking. This fellowship, therefore, felt like a perfect fit for me.”
The curriculum includes fundamentals of leadership and administration, population health approaches to improving outcomes, team facilitation and change management, fundamentals of quality improvement and the science of quality measurement, developing and implementing quality improvement initiatives, designing safe systems, and building a “just” culture.
The 2025 – 2026 class of fellows begins their fellowship on July 14. The fellowship class includes the following participants:
Bronx
- Tejpreet (TJ) Singh, DO is a 2025-2026 NYC Health + Hospitals Clinical Leadership Fellow in the Office of Quality and Safety. He will conduct his clinical practice at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln.
- Adjoa Mante, DO is a 2025-2026 NYC Health + Hospitals Clinical Leadership Fellow in the Office of Population Health. She will conduct her clinical practice at NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Tremont.
Brooklyn
- Oliwia Opacka, MD is a 2025-2026 NYC Health + Hospitals Clinical Leadership Fellow in the Office of Ambulatory Care. She will conduct her clinical practice at NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull.
Manhattan
- Neha Sikka, MD is assigned to the Office of the Chief Medical Officer at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue and will work clinically as an Emergency Medicine Attending Physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue.
- Yalini Pathmakumar, MD is a 2025-2026 NYC Health + Hospitals Clinical Leadership Fellow in the Office of Quality and Safety. She will conduct her clinical practice at NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem.
Queens
- Elizabeth Batista, MD is a 2025-2026 NYC Health + Hospitals Clinical Leadership Fellow in the Office of Ambulatory Care. She will conduct her clinical practice at NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens.
- Stella Yun, MD is a 2025-2026 NYC Health + Hospitals Clinical Leadership Fellow in the Office of Medical and Professional Affairs. She will conduct her clinical practice at NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens.
The application deadline is September 26. Applications will be reviewed and interviews conducted on a rolling basis. To apply, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org/clinical-leadership-fellowship/.
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About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest public health care system in the nation. We are a network of 11 hospitals, trauma centers, neighborhood health centers, nursing homes, and post-acute care centers. We are a home care agency and a health plan, MetroPlus. Our health system provides essential services to more than one million New Yorkers every year in more than 70 locations across the city’s five boroughs. Our diverse workforce of more than 43,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
