Five accomplished and motivated young professionals recently graduated from the Mount Sinai Health System’s Administrative Fellowship Program.
Tyler Nichols, MPH
The Administrative Fellowship program is an innovative two-year program managed by the Office for Diversity and Inclusion, with strong support and guidance from Human Resources and executive and senior leadership. It is designed to provide hands-on and experiential learning opportunities to advance masters-prepared individuals of historically underrepresented groups in health care leadership into managerial and leadership roles within the Health System.
Ashley Pierre, MHA
The five Fellows who completed the program this year are Hina Akmal, MHA; Aria Kumar; MHA; Estefania Lanza Rodriguez, MPH; Cordell Downes, MHSA; and Ashley Sealy, MHA. “The program is a testament to how we are creating unique talent pathways for young professionals in health care,” says Shana Dacon-Pereira, MPH, MBA, CPXP, Assistant Vice President, Office for Diversity and Inclusion. “The experience Fellows obtain throughout the program provides a foundation for their careers in health care administration.”
Michelle Yue, MPA
In July 2024, one new Fellow, Tyler Nichols, MPH, started the program with a rotation in Budget and Patient Transport. Three current Fellows moved into their second year of the program: Gabrielle De La Rosa, MHA; Ashley Pierre, MHA; and Michelle Yue, MPA. “I am looking forward to utilizing the leadership and communication skills that I obtained over the last year into my new rotations and projects,” says Ms. Yue, who worked at Mount Sinai Beth Israel and is now engaged in a rotation with ambulatory care leadership at Mount Sinai-Union Square. “I am excited that I will have the opportunity to continue to foster old and new connections with both clinical and administrative employees.”
Gabrielle De La Rosa, MHA
Ms. De La Rosa, who is completing her fellowship at Mount Sinai Morningside and Mount Sinai West, remarked, “I am excited to leverage the leadership, operational, and strategic skills I developed during my first year to take on more complex projects and roles and to begin my post-fellowship career planning.” Ms. Pierre, who, like Ms. De La Rosa, moved to New York and joined the fellowship at The Mount Sinai Hospital, shared, “I plan to make more connections throughout the health care industry and learn more about new trends and technologies within the delivery of health care.”
To learn more about the Administrative Fellowship Program, contact the Office for Diversity and Inclusion at diversity@mountsinai.org. Additionally, follow the Office for Diversity and Inclusion’s social media channels on Instagram and LinkedIn to explore other programs and initiatives.
Mount Sinai Administrative Fellowship Graduates Share Their Next Steps
The graduating Fellows reminisced about their fellowship experiences and shared the roles they have moved into after the program.
Hina Akmal, MHA, Data Analytics Literacy and Change Management Specialist at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Hina Akmal, MHA
Ms. Akmal completed her fellowship at Mount Sinai Morningside and was instrumental in managing crucial projects and initiatives, including working closely with the Ambulatory team to open the new Mount Sinai-Harlem Health Center. Her interest in data analytics and project management influenced her final fellowship rotation, working with Mount Sinai’s Social Determinants of Health team. Ms. Akmal’s professional interests and endeavors have led her to accept a position as the Data Analytics Literacy and Change Management Specialist at Chidren’s Hospital Los Angeles, where she will be responsible for developing and implementing programs to enhance data literacy across the organization and manage change effectively.
Aria Kumar, MHA, Administrative Manager for Mount Sinai International
Aria Kumar, MHA
Under the tutelage of senior and executive leadership at Mount Sinai West, Ms. Kumar managed a variety of projects, including the hospital’s Short Term Capital Expense Reduction Program, aiding and improving the Operating Room Turnover process, and leading Workforce Management Implementation. She also served as the Interim Associate Director of Outpatient Departments at Mount Sinai West. During her final fellowship rotation, Ms. Kumar worked with the Mount Sinai International team to consult the Georgetown Public Hospital in Guyana, where she supported the team’s Ambulatory Operations work. Having completed her fellowship, Ms. Kumar will continue working in Mount Sinai International as an Administrative Manager, where she will continue to advance international strategic partnerships and business development efforts on behalf of the Health System.
Estefania Lanza Rodriguez, MPH
Estefania Lanza Rodriguez, MPH, Project Manager, Cardiac Services at Mount Sinai Morningside
Ms. Rodriguez has assumed the role of Project Manager at Cardiac Services at Mount Sinai Morningside, where she also completed her fellowship. Throughout her fellowship, she worked with leadership to improve throughput via interdepartmental collaboration projects, from discharge to home and space optimization management. Prior to the fellowship program, Ms. Rodriguez worked as a medical scribe, certified nurse, and epidemiologist.
Cordell Downes, MHSA, Administrative Manager, Ambulatory Operations at The Mount Sinai Hospital
Cordell Downes, MHSA
Throughout his fellowship at The Mount Sinai Hospital, Mr. Downes played a notable role in the creation and oversight of the hospital’s Discharge Lounge and the development of the Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital Babies and Children’s Ambulance. His experience in rotations across various divisions, including Inpatient and Ambulatory Operations, Oncology, Strategic Planning, Admitting and Throughput, Human Resources, and Support Services, have prepared him for his current role as an Administrative Manager in Ambulatory Care Services. Beyond the fellowship, he remains an active member of The Mount Sinai Hospital Diversity Council and the New York chapters of both the American College of Healthcare Executives and the National Association of Health Services Executives.
Ashley Sealy, MHA
Ashley Sealy, MHA, Senior Manager, Ambulatory Operations at Mount Sinai Doctors Medical Group
Ms. Sealy began her professional journey at Mount Sinai back in 2019 as a Supply Chain intern as part of the Office for Diversity and Inclusion’s Administrative Internship Program. Since returning to the Health System as a Fellow in 2022, Ms. Sealy served as Project Manager for Workplace Violence at Mount Sinai Beth Israel, developed revenue cycle dashboards via Tableau for the Mount Sinai Doctors Medical Group, coordinated Mount Sinai-Union Square’s Waste Reduction Strategy, and managed the standardization of Q-Reviews benchmarks for more than 70 ambulatory practices throughout the Health System. Her journey now continues as a Senior Manager at Mount Sinai Doctors Medical Group. Having found her niche in health care analytics, strategy, and project management, she is also pursuing a Master of Science in Business Analytics degree at SUNY University at Buffalo