Transition to Practice Fellowship Nurse Practitioner/Physician's Assistant Fellowship

At St. Thomas Community Health Center our mission is to provide culturally competent healthcare of the highest quality, regardless of the patient’s ability to pay. Central to our mission is to acknowledging the role of institutional racism as causative of these disparities. As such, our work is directed toward becoming an antiracist institution.

1. Transition to Practice Fellowship at St. Thomas Community Health Center Program Overview.

This program is a 12-month postgraduate Transition-to-Practice fellowship designed specifically for Physician Assistants (PAs) and/or Nurse Practitioners (NPs) who have, or will have, graduated from a PA or NP program respectively. The program is based within the St. Thomas Community Health Centers located in New Orleans and on the West bank. St. Thomas CHC is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) which addresses the health care needs of an underserved population.

This Transition to Practice Fellowship program is designed for a new PA or NP transitioning into clinical practice. The program offers a structured curriculum which includes on-site didactic teaching along with active clinical experiences and training. The focus is strictly on an outpatient clinical experience providing primary care to patients of all ages.

Some examples of the clinical rotations will include the following areas (listed alphabetically):

· Cardiology

· Family Medicine

· Infectious Disease (including HIV, hepatitis, etc.)

· Optometry

· Rheumatology

· Social Services

· Pulmonology

· Psychiatry

· Women’s Health

2. Program Requirements

PAs – full licensure is not required for new graduates but there must be a clear pathway toward full licensure including taking and passing the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) as soon as possible following graduation from a PA program

NPs - A full and unrestricted Louisiana nursing license and 3-5 years clinical nursing experience

Satisfactory completion of a PA or NP program

3. Required Documents

a. Statement of Interest - One typewritten page describing career goals and motivation for pursuing the Transition to Practice Fellowship Program and how it will enhance your career.

b. Graduate School Transcripts (official)

c. Three Letters of Recommendation – Letters must reflect clinical performance and must be from a person qualified to comment on your qualifications in your patient care setting. For PAs, one of these letters must come from the director of the PA program. For NPs, one letter MUST be from an attending physician (MD/DO). If you have not worked with an attending physician, one MUST come from your NP program director.

d. Curriculum Vitae

e. Professional Photo

f. Application Form – Completed form with original signature.

g. For NPs, LSBN Approval Letter - Provide a letter of approval issued by the Louisiana State Board of Nursing indicating approval for prescriptive authority (PA) privileges in the state of Louisiana. Although this letter may not be available upon starting the fellowship, it is required such a letter is provided within the first three months.

4. Policies Regarding Fellowship Appointment

St. Thomas Community Health Center (STCHC) will conduct a background check.

St. Thomas Community Health Center is committed to equal employment opportunity as a sound business practice. Employment practices will not be influenced or affected by an applicant's or employee's race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any characteristic protected by law.

Candidates accepted into the St. Thomas Community Health Center will require a two-year employment contractual commitment upon completion of the 12-month Fellowship program