Developing Emerging Administrative Leaders (DEAL) is a program that takes a multidisciplinary approach in exposing promising UAB staff members to the essential components of administrative and management positions across UAB including human resources, finance, research, education, and clinical.

Units across UAB and UAB Medicine have consistently struggled to have a sufficient pool of qualified candidates for administrative lead positions. We have also seen an exodus of exceptional UAB employees to external opportunities due in part to not seeing opportunities for upward promotion at UAB. In an effort to address these issues, the UAB Developing Emerging Administrative Leaders (DEAL) program intends to develop current employees to create a pipeline of candidates for future administrative positions and to retain them by investing in their development. The 10-month program will blend didactic presentations with real-world case studies, discussions, and practical, interactive learning. Opportunities for deeper learning, review, discussion, and networking with existing administrators will be available between sessions and beyond the program.

Through the program, participants will have the opportunity for personal development through networking and firsthand experiences with existing administrative leaders from multiple UAB schools.

The goals of the program are:

• Attract, identify, position, develop, and advance internal talent for management and leadership roles across UAB.

• Create a pipeline of future administrative leaders to lead UAB Medicine and UAB clinical and academic units (e.g. service lines, departments, divisions) across various UAB Schools.

• Introduce participants to administration at all levels where they will learn the “tricks of the trade” from established administrators and leaders.

• Connect participants to needed resources, collaborators, and mentors.

The following methods are employed:

• 10-month curriculum with monthly 4-hour sessions (in person) and online resources and tools

• Creation of individual development plans

• Small and large-group interactions

The curriculum consists of administrative topics common in an academic medical center:

• Finance

• Human Resources

• Research

• Clinical Operations

• Education

• Hot Topics

• Leadership Development

• Space & Facilities Planning

Jason Daniel, MBA
Senior Executive Officer,
Finance & Administration
UAB Heersink School of Medicine

Bernard Mays, Jr., CPA
Controller & Asst. Vice President,
UAB Financial Affairs

Kristi Gidley, PA-C, MSHA
Executive Administrator
UAB Department of Otolaryngology

For questions, please email dealprogram@uabmc.edu.