2012 - 2013 Fellows
Fellows Perspective
Krystle Graveline, MHA
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Graduate Institution: University of North Carolina
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In 2010, Krystle Graveline received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Pre-Professional Studies from the University of Notre Dame. She attended the University of North Carolina, where she received, with honors, a Master of Healthcare Administration degree and completed an internship at Duke University Hospital, where she worked on special programs for nursing. The El Paso, Texas native also worked on strategic and consulting projects for the University of North Carolina Department of Family Medicine and managed a Latino health research project for the North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences Institute.
As an administrative fellow, Krystle works with Debbie Sukin, Senior Vice President, St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System, and CEO, St. Luke’s The Woodlands Hospital and St. Luke’s Lakeside Hospital, on a variety of strategic and operational projects, including the implementation of a new outpatient wound care clinic.
Chris Hunerkoch, MHA
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Graduate Institution: University of Washington
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An Illinois native, Chris completed his undergraduate degree at Tulane University, received a Master in Healthcare Administration from the University of Washington and worked in a consulting capacity for the University of Washington Medical Center and Virginia Mason Medical Center. He also completed an internship at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, working on projects in process improvement, operational performance and patient safety, primarily in Organ Transplantation and Cardiology.
As an administrative fellow, Chris works with Debora Simmons, Senior Vice President and Chief Quality Officer, St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System, on projects relating to business development and quality, including systemizing a hospital vaccine-preventable diseases policy and developing physician alignment strategies.
| Ashley Kimmel, MHSA |
| Graduate Institution: Pennsylvania State University |
Ashley, a Reading, Pennsylvania native, graduated with dual degrees in 2012 from the Pennsylvania State University. She completed her degrees through a five-year integrated program, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Health Policy and Administration and a Master of Health Administration. While at Penn State, she also completed internships at Delaware Neurosurgical Group (Newark, DE) and at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Physician Services Division. She was involved in graduate research related to healthcare employee occupational safety and to social media use in healthcare.
Ashley is completing her fellowship through the ARAMARK International Administrative Fellowship and was placed at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital as her host site. She works closely with Elizabeth Jones, Vice President, Professional Services, and her team on projects related to operations and process improvement. Additionally, she spends half of her time as a fellow at Texas Medical Center, working on multi-institutional projects that initiated from both the regional and federal level.
| Dave Lawson, MHA |
| Graduate Institution: University of Minnesota |
Dave is from Littleton, CO, and received a Master of Healthcare Administration from the University of Minnesota. He completed of a bachelor’s in public administration from Brigham Young University – Idaho. Upon graduation, he worked as a personal loan consultant for Countrywide Home Loans. While pursuing his graduate degree, he transitioned to healthcare, where he worked for the fully integrated health system HealthPartners, on strategy, finance and operations-based projects.
As an administrative fellow, Dave is works for St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in coordination with GE Healthcare to create system and operations efficiency by reducing length of stay. Among many other projects, he is working with physicians in developing heart failure clinics in the Houston area.
| Amu Patel |
| Graduate Institution: Trinity University |
Amu received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and a bachelor’s degree in Economics from The University of Texas at Austin. Upon graduation, she joined Protiviti Consulting, where she focused on process improvement and controlling business risk for a variety of companies. Following her career in consulting, Amu worked for Texas Medicaid & Healthcare Partnership, as a Reporting Specialist to gain a better understanding of the healthcare industry before pursuing a Masters in Healthcare Administration. Upon completion of her fellowship, she will earn a Master’s in Healthcare Administration from Trinity University.
As an Administrative Fellow, Amu works on an assortment of projects, ranging from strategic planning to quality improvement. She is currently working with Kristen Turner, Vice President, Surgical Services, St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, to create a strategic plan for Cardiology service line.
Fellow Perspectives
"The Texas Medical Center is the largest medical center in the world and provided me the opportunity to be immersed in one of the most unique, competitive and innovative healthcare markets."
"U.S. News and World Report recently published their annual survey of America’s Best Hospitals. Not only did SLEH rank among the top 50 hospitals in 10 specialties of care, but all six of the ranked specialties took significant leaps up the list from previous years providing evidence supporting the impact the current leadership has had on improving the organization as a whole."
"Initially I was intimidated by the thought of becoming a Texan, but within the week I moved, here Houston drew me in with its diversity and beautiful landscape. Houston quickly became a city that I could see myself living in for many years. Its diversity ranges from a great outdoor life to wonderful urban draw with one- of-a-kind restaurants on every corner. When people say Houston has something for everyone, they are undoubtedly right."
"One of the things I respect most about SLEHS is that the national awards and recognition they’ve received have been a direct result of their outstanding commitment to setting the standard for patient care. In addition, the standard is one that extends throughout the entire system, where measurements and improvements are focused on patient, community, and hospital needs far beyond just the typical measurements that are publicly reported."
