CAHME/The Joint Commission Fellowship Award for Advancing Sustainable Health Care

 

The Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) and The Joint Commission recognize that sustainability, a well-educated workforce, and healthcare quality & safety have a broad and all-encompassing impact on the health of the community.

The Joint Commission in collaboration with CAHME created a fellowship unlike any other. This one-year fellowship is awarded to a student who will graduate from a CAHME Accredited or Certified program, and who demonstrates the commitment to sustainability, quality and safety, and process improvement.

 

Eligibility

  • Student in a CAHME Accredited or Certified Program.
  • All applicants must include a letter of recommendation from their Program Director.
  • The selected candidate will demonstrate an interest in quality and safety, either through curriculum, activities, or experience.
  • Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States without employer sponsorship.

Fellowship Location and Dates

  • This fellowship includes a hybrid work environment, meaning the selected candidate will perform work onsite at their designated office location on a recurring basis and from an alternative work location. The supervising manager can request the fellow to perform work onsite at any time. The Joint Commission office is in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, USA.
  • Begins July 1, 2025, and concludes June 30, 2026.

Fellowship Compensation

  • $65,000 fellowship stipend (plus benefits)

Application Checklist and Timeline

  1. Students apply online and submit the following:
       -Resume
       -Nomination Essay Responses (6 questions)
       -Transcript
       -Program Director Letter of Recommendation. While the program director is preferred, other faculty may submit the letter with the approval of the program director.
  2. Online application must be submitted by Friday, September 27, 2024. 
  3. Interviews October 2024.
  4. Winning student will be selected by November 1, 2024.
  5. Fellow honored at CAHME Awards Ceremony at the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Congress on March 23,
    2025.
  6. Fellowship begins July 1, 2025.

Essay Questions

We suggest creating a word document with essay responses prior to entering them in the online application in case of technical difficulties. All questions must be answered in 100 words or less (approximately 500 characters).

  1. Describe how accreditation serves to ensure and enhance healthcare quality.
  2. Discuss an example from your academic or extracurricular experiences where you demonstrated a strong commitment to sustainability. Explain the specific actions you took, the impact they had, and how this commitment aligns with promoting high-quality healthcare that is environmentally responsible.
  3. Describe a specific instance where you demonstrated leadership characteristics, for example, leading study groups, or initiating and managing a project. Provide details about your role, the goals or objectives of the project, the challenges you encountered, and the results or outcomes achieved.
  4. How have your volunteer activities contributed to improving the well-being of others. Include how they have had a meaningful impact, both on those you served and on your own personal development.
  5. Describe a research project you conducted during your master’s program that relates to healthcare quality and safety, sustainability, and/or process improvement.
                   -Optional to include PDF or a link to the research project.
  6. What are your primary goals and expectations for your one-year experience at the Joint Commission, particularly in terms of gaining a deeper appreciation of accreditation, its role in supporting healthcare quality and safety, as well as its connection to sustainability efforts within healthcare?
Fellow Activities and Responsibilities
  • Complete all employee new hire orientation and corporate compliance training, as well as mandatory employee training throughout the year.

  • Meeting with the Corporate Compliance Officer to understand the processes for maintaining the confidentiality of all organization-specific information, including PHI.

  • Understand the components of Joint Commission accreditation surveys and certification reviews and observe one accreditation survey and one certification review (program TBD).

  • Understand the components of a CAHME site visit survey and observe one CAHME site visit at an institution of higher learning.

  • Observe meetings of Customer Advisory Councils, e.g., Hospital Advisory Council and HSCL, as well as all Strategic Business Unit-specific advisory councils.

  • Support Strategic Business Units, Governance and Corporate Affairs and Joint Commission Resources staff in facilitating applicable in-person meetings, conferences and other educational events.

  • Work with the Standards Interpretation Group to understand the process for responding to standards-related inquiries, both clinical and Environment of Care/Life Safety Code.

  • Work with the Department of Standards and Survey Methods to understand the standards development process, including supporting the work of Technical Expert Panels and summarizing field review input on proposed new or revised standards.

  • Work with the Department of Performance Measurement to understand the measurement development process, including doing research on potential new or revised measures.

  • Work with the Office of Quality & Patient Safety to understand the process for reviewing de- identified potential adverse or sentinel events, including attending weekly case review meetings.

  • Work with the Corporate Compliance Office to understand potential threats and risk management activities, including attending a meeting of the Corporate Compliance Council.

  • Work with the Department of State and External Relations to understand activities related to state government and payor advocacy, including conducting research on proposed bills and regulations. Accompany staff on meetings with state officials or state legislative committees.

  • Work with the DC Office to understand activities related to federal government relations, including conducting research on proposed bills and regulations. Accompany staff on meetings with federal officials or Congressional committees.

  • Work with Business Development staff to understand the new customer life cycle.

  • Work with Marketing staff to prepare collateral for trade shows and conference exhibits.

  • Work with Market Research staff compiling data and trends for various business unit strategic plans.

  • Work with JCR staff to understand the publication development process, including e- products such as AMP with Tracers, accreditation manuals, Perspectives and other monthly newsletters.

  • Work with JCR staff to understand the process for securing domestic and international consulting engagements.

  • Work with the Department of Corporate Communications to understand the process for developing news releases and responding to requests from media outlets.

  • Work with staff from the National Quality Forum on activities supporting its mission and goals.

  • Complete the white paper summarizing key learnings from the CAHME/TJC Fellowship.

  • Complete other duties as assigned.

Additional Benefits
  • Appear on CAHME and The Joint Commission website and social media

  • Featured in Modern Healthcare

  • Honored at the 2025 CAHME Awards Ceremony at ACHE Congress and receive complimentary registration and travel.

  • Featured in a press release

For More Information:

Brianna Moccia
Communication Specialist
301-298-1820 ext. 707
bmoccia@cahme.org