University of Delaware graduate student Mengyu (Molly) Li has been accepted into the prestigious Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) Management Fellows Program.

Li is a second-year UD graduate student majoring in information systems and technology management (ISTM). In June 2014, Li received an honors bachelor's degree from UD’s hospitality department, where she was inspired to research ways that hospitality can be used to improve the patient experience.

“I am excited about this path with CTCA that I choose to be on, and to chase my dream of becoming a leader in tomorrow’s health care industry,” Li said. “Hospitality talent is needed to bridge gaps between hospitality and health care.”

As someone who is passionate about serving her communities, Li is the founder and president of Lerner International Students at UD as well as a volunteer for Christiana Care Health as a guest service concierge. It was these experiences with Christiana Care, Li said, that made her want to observe and exercise the best experience practices to integrate hospitality principles into hospitals, or “H2H.”

This perspective is expressed in Li’s recent publication with UD hospitality professor and ARAMARK Chair in the UD hospitality department, Fred DeMicco, “Best ‘Experience’ Practices in Medical Tourism.” This publication is part of a forthcoming book by DeMicco, Medical Tourism and Wellness:  Hospitality Bridging Healthcare (H2H ), with Apple Academic Press.

“We are very proud of Molly’s accomplishments at UD, and now to have obtained a coveted management fellowship with CTCA is a remarkable achievement,” said DeMicco, who nominated Li for the fellowship. 

“The hospitality department in the Lerner College at UD is setting a high standard for their work in hospitality bridging health care, where hospitality theory and practice are being employed in the health care setting and raising the bar of the patient/guest experience and quality.”DeMicco said.

In addition to inspiring her research topic of interest, Li said, UD’s hospitality program “prepared me to pursue many exciting career opportunities.”

“The courses and hands-on training have equipped me with a strong desire to learn and explore the business world and adapt to changes,” she continued. “I get to break out of my shell and better develop my interpersonal skills and cross-culture communication. My courses in project management and data analytics also prepared me to be a better leader in [those fields].”

Peter Yesawich, CTCA’s chief growth officer and a co-author and longtime professional associate of DeMicco, commented on Li’s selection.

“We are delighted to welcome Molly to CTCA,” Yesawich said. “Her education, experience, professionalism and enthusiasm all reflect the type of talent we are seeking to guide the next generation of our corporate growth and leadership.”

Cancer Treatment Centers of America Global Inc., headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, is a national network of five hospitals that serves adult patients who are fighting cancer. CTCA offers an integrative approach to care that combines advancements in genomic testing and precision cancer treatment, surgery, radiation, immunotherapy and chemotherapy, with evidence-supported therapies designed to help patients physically and emotionally by enhancing their quality of life while managing side effects both during and after treatment.

CTCA serves patients from around the world at its hospitals in Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Tulsa. Consistently rated among U.S. hospitals that deliver the highest quality of care and patient experience, CTCA provides patients and their families with comprehensive information about their treatment options and encourages their active participation in treatment decisions. .

CTCA Management Fellows focus on building analytic capabilities and begin their CTCA experience by working on enterprise-level initiatives with tasks to resolve real business problems. The fellowship program is a two-year rotational program that begins in Boca Raton and expands to include rotations in the five CTCA hospitals.

This experience allows the fellows to develop a two-year portfolio of experiences that they can call their own. They collaborate with senior leaders across the enterprise to design and implement data-driven solutions for the most critical and strategic opportunities facing CTCA.

Management fellows observe different leadership styles and are expected to make an impact within a fast-paced, team environment. Fellows also receive one-on-one mentorship and coaching from senior leadership.

In her work as a graduate student, Li supports University staff and faculty to better use learning management systems and academic technology tools. She was a manager and team leader for 3D Blue Print Studio – the first and only University-wide 3-D design/printing facility at UD.

Prior to graduate school, Li worked at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort and Spa, managing over 800 active associates. She has worked and been trained at multiple notable hospitality properties, including the St. Regis Aspen, Borgata Water Club and Marriott’s Courtyard Newark-University of Delaware campus hotel.