Current Administrative Fellows

Here are the current fellows for the Henry Ford Health Administrative Fellowship program.

Laila Batar, MHA

Henry Ford Health, Office of the Executive Vice President and COO

Laila Batar is a first-generation Somali American from West Valley City, Utah. Her parents resettled in Utah after fleeing war-torn Somalia. Growing up, Laila witnessed members of her community struggle to navigate the complexities of the healthcare system, which inspired her passion for healthcare administration and making healthcare easier to navigate for patients and communities.

Laila earned her Bachelor of Science in Health, Society, and Policy with a minor in Sociology from the University of Utah. During her undergraduate studies, she conducted public health research while also working as a Health Unit Coordinator in the Emergency Department at University of Utah Health. Through this role, she developed a passion for operational improvement, supporting frontline staff, and improving processes within the health system.

She went on to earn her Master of Healthcare Administration from the University of Utah David Eccles School of Business. During graduate school, Laila served as an Experience Community Coordinator within the Department of Patient Experience at University of Utah Health. In this role, she supported workforce and leadership development initiatives across the organization through strategic communications, stakeholder engagement, and program coordination. She managed editorial strategy and content operations for an internal learning community serving more than 29,000 employees and coordinated systemwide leadership initiatives, including Director Gatherings, leadership livestreams, and the annual Leadership Summit.

Laila is passionate about patient experience, leadership development, and creating healthcare systems that are easier for patients and families to navigate. Outside of work, she enjoys boxing, hiking, baking, and spending time with her nieces and nephews.

Steven Morales, BSN, RN, MBA

Henry Ford Health, Office of the President, Clinical Enterprise & Chief Physician Executive

Steven Morales is a Metro Detroit native and healthcare leader with a clinical background in critical care nursing and a passion for improving healthcare delivery through strategy, operations, and patient-centered innovation. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Detroit Mercy’s McAuley School of Nursing and his Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business, with emphases in healthcare and strategy.

At Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Steven served as a registered nurse in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit, caring for high-acuity post-operative cardiovascular patients and supporting multidisciplinary care coordination in a fast-paced critical care environment. He later transitioned into a charge nurse role, where he helped lead patient flow, staffing optimization, infection prevention, nurse onboarding, and mentorship initiatives. His work contributed to improved patient satisfaction, reduced staffing overtime costs, stronger team development, and measurable gains in quality and safety outcomes.

Steven’s professional interests include clinical operations, healthcare strategy, workforce development, and data-driven growth. Through his MBA training, he explored commercialization opportunities that help health systems unlock new value from clinical and operational data, while continuing to focus on practical solutions that improve care delivery for patients, providers, and teams.

Outside of work, Steven enjoys spending time with friends and family, experimenting with new recipes, long-term investing, refining his personal style, and exploring wine.