Wharton Students Learn from Magee’s Board

In every corner of Magee, you can find students volunteering with the hospital’s staff, playing an important role in the day-to-day operations of Magee and learning a great deal along the way. This past year, Magee joined forces with The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania to help aspiring business leaders learn about running a nonprofit firsthand through the Nonprofit Board Fellowship.

The Nonprofit Board Fellowship program matches MBA and JD students with a Philadelphia nonprofit, creating an experiential learning environment unlike any other. The fellowship combines nonprofit service with personal development and membership in a community of like-minded peers.

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Ren with Dr. Jack Carroll, Magee President & CEO

Ren Yi Hooi was Magee’s Class of 2016 Board Fellow. Of her year working with Magee’s Board of Trustees, she says, “When I first stepped through the doors of Magee, I was struck by how friendly everyone was and how cheerful the whole place felt. This made me curious to find out more about what makes Magee so special and how it works. Through the year-long fellowship, I participated in Magee’s quarterly board meetings and met with most of the leadership team. I learned about the complexity of running hospital operations through the detailed committee meetings, exciting new initiatives such as the Healing Gardens and the momentous fundraising efforts behind them, the multitude of considerations around building effective board governance, and much more. Most importantly, I realized that under the guidance of the fantastic leadership team and board, Magee staff not only serve every patient with the highest quality and utmost care but also continually strive to take things forward and make it an even better place. Unlike many hospitals which may seem dull and sterile, Magee is a special place filled with warmth, care and hope – and it is the people who make it so.”

For Dan Kaufman, Associate Director of the Nonprofit Board Fellowship, the benefits of the program are abundantly clear. “The program focuses on leadership development as much as on serving the mission of a local nonprofit. Fellows have the opportunity to see live, real-time leadership examples from members of the board. They then spend time to reflect on the kind of leadership actions they want to take during the fellowship and in the future roles they’ll find themselves in—both on nonprofit boards and otherwise,” Dan says.

“As individuals, the fellows are all dedicated and passionate in ways that inspire me every day. They also come together and spend a lot of time building a strong, supportive community among themselves. It’s inside that community that they crystalize what they’re learning, reflect on their own development, and offer encouragement and support to their peers. In that sense—and in addition to 12 months of attending board meetings, subcommittee meetings, and training—I think one of the most important things we give to them is each other.”

To learn more about how volunteer opportunities at Magee, click here

Pictured above: Wharton Nonprofit Board Fellows

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