Program aims to help develop the next generation of talented, diverse leaders to optimize operations and further enhance patient care

(BLACK PR WIRE) (February 27, 2010) PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ARAMARK Healthcare, in conjunction with the Institute for Diversity in Health Management, has named six future hospital executives to serve as post-graduate Fellows to promote professional development within hospital administration roles.�

The goal of this program, from our perspective, is to support the development of healthcare leaders for the future, said ARAMARK Healthcare Group President John Babiarz. Our Fellows will explore innovative ways to help hospital executives address their top challenges. Certainly, in this economy, they will be focused on cost efficiency and value, as well as clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, market share for our hospital partners and financial performance.�

Beginning in June, the following Fellows, representing some of the country’s leading healthcare administration graduate programs, will be mentored by executive preceptors at some of the top hospitals in the U.S.
• Derrick Yang, MHA, University of Michigan. Yang, of Grand Rapids, MI, served as an intern with Children's Memorial in Illinois and conducted cloning experiments at the University of Michigan Stem Cell Core. He will be placed at Advocate Health System in Illinois.
• Laura Leahy, MHA, Penn State University. Leahy, of Poughkeepsie, NY, completed residencies at Mount Nittany Medical Center in Pennsylvania and Middletown Community Health Center in New York. She was the 2009 winner of the Penn State MHA Oral Competition and she will be placed at Advocate Health System in Illinois.
• Chenita Lawrence, MHA from University of South Carolina. Lawrence, of Clover, SC, did an internship at Palmetto Health Baptist Hospital in South Carolina focusing on nurse triage, and another at Providence Hospital in Columbia, South Carolina. She performed research at the Institute for the Partnership to Eliminate Health Disparities. She will be placed at Baylor Health System in Texas.
• Raheela Khan, MHA, Texas Woman's University. Khan, of Houston, TX, completed her degree while working as a Lab Manager Research Technician at Baylor College of Medicine. She will be placed at Baylor Health System in Texas.
• Kimberly Nielson, MHA, University of Michigan. Nielson, of Ann Arbor, MI, completed an internship at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire. She was a participant in �Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities� in Harlem and a Teach for America first grade teacher in Atlanta. She will be placed at Bon Secours Health System in Maryland.
• Teenice Nebblets, MHA, Pennsylvania State University. Nebblets, of Roosevelt, NY, did administrative residencies/internships at Atlantis Health Plan, Nassau University Medical Center and A. Holly Patterson Long Term Care, all in New York. She completed her high school education in three years and her Bachelors and Masters degrees in five years. She will be placed at Main Line Health in Pennsylvania.
Our Fellows were identified through a highly competitive national application process based on academic excellence, leadership qualities and commitment to community service, said Anthony Stanowski, ARAMARK Healthcares Vice President of Industry Relations.
During the year, the Fellows will get valuable hands-on experience as healthcare administrators, supported by executives at their host hospitals. They also will work as a cohort toward the goal of submitting publication-worthy research examining how support services impact:
• Clinical outcomes
• Patient satisfaction
• Departmental efficiency
• Market Share; and
• Financial performance.
The Fellowship also includes educational opportunities around diversity management, including access to the resources of the Institute, an American Hospital Association affiliate.
Our underlying goal in supporting this Fellowship is to promote diversity at the executive level in health care leadership, said Fred Hobby, President and CEO of the Institute for Diversity in Health Management. In its second year, this program is adding two additional Fellows, which in this economy, is a testament to ARAMARK Healthcare’s values as they pertain to education, equal opportunity and leadership development.�

The program supports ARAMARKs global strategy for diversity and inclusion, which includes working to hire, retain and develop a workforce; maintaining a workplace culture that values and leverages differences and similarities; aligning client solutions with the changing demographics of the customers we serve; and supporting key community segments that align with business goals.�

About ARAMARK Healthcare
ARAMARK Healthcare is a leader in providing best-in-class clinical support services that are essential to healthcare delivery. Understanding that clinical excellence and the environment are interdependent, ARAMARK Healthcare directly impacts the entire healthcare continuum � patient, employee, nurse and physician satisfaction, operational efficiency and service excellence. Through its facilities, food and clinical technology services, ARAMARK Healthcare helps more than 1,000 hospitals and senior living facilities deliver the optimal experience for patients and residents, their families, and the physicians, nurses and staff who care for them. For more information, visit www.aramarkhealthcare.com.