Primary care nurse practitioner residency

The overall mission of this residency is to:

• Bridge the education and practice gap while transitioning novice nurse practitioners into safe, competent providers while using clinical evidence to guide practice.
• Increase access to high-quality primary care for veterans receiving care in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) by training nurse practitioners in a VA-based supportive educational program that prepares new nurse practitioners for full and autonomous care of all veterans receiving care in various healthcare settings.
• Provide new nurse practitioners with the depth, breadth, volume, and intensity of clinical training necessary to serve as independent providers within the VHA healthcare system.

• Support professional role transition, integration, and socialization of new nurse practitioners.
• Provide interprofessional learning and practice experiences in Veterans with complex health care problems.
• Improve Veteran access to high quality care.
• Expand the Altoona VA Medical Center workforce by improving the confidence, productivity, and job satisfaction of new nurse practitioners who choose to work in a Veteran-centric setting.

Program Duration
The Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Residency is a 12-month program during which the residents have 100% protected time to master the complexities of caring for Veterans.

Curriculum Model
The curriculum defines, separates, and integrates both classroom and experiential learning opportunities and consists of 80% experiential learning activities and 20% didactic learning activities.

Experiential Learning
The 12-month curricular program was designed using a four-phase model. The model consists of multiple rotations to a wide variety of specialty units and primary care clinics. Clinical rotations will be within the James E. Van Zandt Medical Center, inclusive of its surrounding Community Based Out-Patient Clinics (CBOCs).

Didactic Sessions
Residents will attend regular didactic sessions. Didactic sessions consist of a variety of academic/learning activities, didactic classes, simulation, and pre/post-clinical conferences for experiential learning and evaluation.

Interprofessional Collaboration
Nurse practitioner residents will collaborate with pharmacy, medicine service and specialty service along with ancillary staff as members of an interdisciplinary team.

Professional Development
Networking, collaborating, meeting new colleagues, and building relationships is key to professional development and career advancement within the program.

Scholarly Project
Evidence-based practice is a central tenet of the program and residents are deeply engaged in quality enhancement and/or system redesign projects during their training at VA Altoona, leading to improved patient and organizational outcomes as well as providing opportunities for scholarly presentations and publications.

Ideal candidates have excelled academically and come highly recommended. Our applicants should be motivated to work in patient-centered team based clinical care, engage in practice-based learning and quality improvement, have strong interpersonal communication skills, exhibit professionalism, and participate in interprofessional collaboration and leadership development. We are especially seeking applicants who wish to train and work in primary care and have a strong interest in care of the Veteran population. 

Specific eligibility requirements are:

• One year commitment (August to August)
• Graduated with a master's or doctoral degree from an accredited nurse practitioner program within 12 months of the residency start date
• Board certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner or Adult-Gerontology Primary Care from AANP or ANCC accrediting bodies (must have prior to July 15th)
• Pennsylvania State APRN licensure (must have prior to July 15th)
• Current unencumbered RN license
• Current BLS certification
• US citizenship
• NPI number (DEA license not required)

Note: Although admission priority must be given to trainees who possess licensure and board certification at the time of program entry, the OAA Nursing Education Director may grant a “90-day grace period” to highly qualified NP residency candidate(s) whose licensure and board certification have been delayed.

• Candidates must provide written assurance that they will obtain licensure and board certification within 90 days from the start of the program. If a nurse practitioner resident fails to meet board certification or licensure requirement within the 90 days since the start of the program, the trainee will be terminated from the program
• Notice: If you are a current government employee, please contact the program director prior to completing your application. A conversion status change from employee to trainee, including changes in benefits, will be required to participate in the residency programs.

The stipend (salary) is reviewed annually and set by the VA Office of Academic Affiliations (OAA).  Salary will be discussed during the interview phase.

• Eligible for full-time VA paid trainee benefits, including Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) Healthcare (opm.gov), some medical plans offering limited dental coverage. 
• Annual leave and sick leave accrual based on Federal Service Computation Date
• 11 paid federal holidays
• No weekends, on call or night shift duties

Health Profession Trainees are not entitled to the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), Federal Employee Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP), Federal Employee Group Life Insurance (FEGLI), military leave or Paid Parental Leave.

• Applications will be accepted from Dec 01, 2024- Jan 11, 2025
• Reviewing applications and setting up interviews from Jan 06 -Feb 07, 2025
• Interviews will be Feb 18, Feb 19, & Feb 26, 2025
• Reviewing interviews and candidate selection Feb 27- March 6, 2025
• Candidate will be selected, and offer made March 7, 2024
• Acceptance letter will need signed by March 17, 2025
• On boarding March 17-July 07, 2025, with Human Resources

Julia Paronish-Ludwig, DNP, APRN, NP-C
PC-NPR residency program director
James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center
Phone: 814-943-8164
Email: julia.paronish-ludwig@va.gov

Dr. Dennis Glover, M.D.
Chief of Primary Care

Dr. Ronald Peterman II, PharmD, NCTTP
Assistant Chief of Primary Care & occupational medicine

Kelli M. Manippo, RN, MSN, ACNP-BC, ACNPC, CCRN, PCCN 
Nurse Practitioner Supervisor of Primary Care

PC-NPR Program Director:
Julia Paronish-Ludwig, DNP, ACNP-BC, BSN
Primary Care Float and PC-NPR Program Director

Education:
                Graduate: Gannon University (DNP), University of Pittsburgh (ACNP)
                Undergraduate: Indiana University of PA

Presentations: Rashes, Common urgent care complaints and recommended work ups, How to create a CV, Workstyles, how to lead a journal club, How to take a history, PGX testing, Setting up a patient care presentation, Vaccine Jeopardy, Wound repair, Korean war, OIF/OEF, Persian Gulf war, Vietnam war, War related illness and injury study center, presumptive exposure

Rebecca Durian, MSN, FNP-C
Nurse Practitioner in Primary Care, CBOC Dubois, PA

Education:

• Graduate: Carlow University Pittsburgh PA
  Undergraduate: California University of PA: BSN, Mercyhurst College: ASN

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Kimberly M Gorman, DNP,AG-ACNP-BC, CNL, CCRN, CNRN, TCRN
Nurse Practitioner in Primary Care, CBOC Johnstown, PA

Education:

• Graduate: University of Pittsburgh: DNP, Adult and Geriatric
• Undergraduate: University of Pittsburgh: Msn, CNL

Awards: Margorie Farabaugh NP scholarship, Aspiring young leader program, Excellence in caring award, The spirit of nursing award

Publications: Case report: Suspicious hematoma caused by rectal artery pseudoaneurysm, Knowledge retention of the traumatic brain injury guidelines at a level 1 trauma center, How much education is enough? One unit’s approach to bereavement, Care of patients with a ventriculostomy, Facial fractures, Falls

Poster Presentations: Cortrak advanced technology for enternal feeding, E-TOPICS (Electronic transmission of patient care and information for the surgical patient). ATSPA: improving complications with protocol-driven care in adult traumatic brain injury patients by implementing an electronic clinical compliance monitoring tool, NTI: National teaching institute improving the bereavement process in the ICU, TCAA: The implementation of a multidisciplinary transition of care process: Utilizing an electronic platform through the surgical services & beyond, TQIP: A multidisciplinary approach to the electronic transition of patient information of care, Geriatric trauma patients: What makes them different?

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Nicole L. Hoover FNP-C, BC-ADM
Primary Care Float

Education:

• Graduate: Walden University, MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner
• Undergraduate: Lock Haven University, ASN, Registered Nurse

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Elizabeth Houser, CRNP, MSN
Nurse Practitioner, Primary care, Indiana CBOC

Education:

• Graduate: Carlow University
• Undergraduate: Indiana University of PA

Publications: Clinical challenges: Bruising, bleeding gums, nosebleeds in young college athlete, High on Bath Salts

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Amanda L. Jodon, RN, MSN, Alumnus PCCN, FNP-C 
Nurse Practitioner, Primary Care, Women’s Health

Education:

• Graduate: Clarion & Edinboro University 2016
• Undergraduate: Conemaugh School of Nursing (RN) 2010, Liberty University (BSN) 2012

Presentations: PowerPoint on documentation for Nurse Practitioner Residency Program 

Awards: Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Resident Program Preceptor of the Year 08/2024

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Kara Lechene, CRNP 
Float Provider in Primary Care, Battlefield Acupuncture certified, Menopause certified practitioner

Education:

• Graduate: Penn State University 
• Undergraduate: Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Presentations: Menopause presentation

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Sara Meese CRNP, FNP
Primary Care Provider Indiana CBOC and Women’s Health Provider

Education:

• Graduate: BSN, MSN-FNP, Chamberlain College of Nursing
• Undergraduate: AD RN, Mount Aloysius College

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Kelli M. Manippo, RN, MSN, ACNP-BC, ACNPC, CCRN, PCCN
Primary care nurse practitioner Johnstown CBOC, Women’s health provider, Primary care CRNP supervisor

Education:

• Graduate: University of Pittsburgh
• Undergraduate: Conemaugh School of Nursing & University of Pittsburgh

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Weldon Miller, MD
Internal Medicine physician, Primary care physician 

Education:

• Graduate: Med school: University of Pittsburgh, Residency: University of Maryland Medical Center
• Undergraduate: Eastern Mennonite University

Awards: Dean’s List & Presidential Scholarship Eastern Mennonite University. Summer institute for training in biostatistics participant, Outstanding Incoming Graduate Student North Carolina State. Vertical InteGration of Research and Education (VIGRE) Fellow, Mu Sigma Rho Statistical honor society, Integrated biostatistical training program for CVD research pre-doctoral trainee, School of Medicine Merit Scholarship, Institute for Complementary and Alternative medicine NIH T35 grant scholarship.

Publications: An empirically based tool for analyzing mortality associated with congenital heart

surgery. Chronic mesenteric ischemia: endovascular versus open revascularization. Development and validation of a bariatric surgery morbidity risk calculator using the prospective, multicenter NSQIP dataset. A population-based study of risk factors for stroke after carotid endarterectomy using the

ACS NSQIP database. Development and validation of a risk calculator for prediction of cardiac risk after surgery. Determinants of resource utilization and outcomes in laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: a multicenter analysis of 14,251 patients. Determinants of outcomes in pancreatic surgery and use of hospital resources. Development and validation of a risk calculator predicting postoperative respiratory failure. Predictors of pulmonary complications after bariatric surgery. Development and validation of a risk calculator predicting postoperative pneumonia.

Oral Presentations: A new chapter in outcome analysis for congenital heart surgery: empirically based stratification of mortality risk. Oral presentation at the Western Thoracic Surgical Association annual meeting. Gastric Bypass versus Banding versus Duodenal switch versus Gastroplasty - A prospective, multicenter analysis of 11,023 patients from the NSQIP dataset. Oral presentation at the American College of Surgeons annual meeting. Risk factors predicting postoperative pneumonia in surgical patients. Oral presentation at the American College of Chest Physicians annual meeting. Predictors of cardiac events after major vascular surgery. Oral presentation at the Academic Surgical Congress annual meeting. A population-based study of risk factors for stroke after carotid endarterectomy using the ACS

NSQIP database. Oral presentation at the Academic Surgical Congress annual meeting. Determinants of resource utilization and outcomes in laparoscopic Roux-En-Y gastric bypass: a multicenter analysis of 14,251 patients. Development and validation of a bariatric surgery morbidity risk calculator using the prospective, multicenter NSQIP dataset. Oral presentation at the American College of Surgeons’ Nebraska Chapter annual meeting. Predictors of pulmonary complications following bariatric surgery. Oral presentation at the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery annual meeting. 

Poster Presentations: Risk factors predicting postoperative respiratory failure in surgical patients. Poster presentation at the American College of Chest Physicians annual meeting. Risk factors predicting intra- and postoperative cardiac arrest or myocardial infarction in surgical patients. Poster presentation at the American Heart Association annual meeting. Predictors of postoperative renal insufficiency. Poster presentation at the Society of Critical Care Medicine annual meeting. Predictors of pulmonary and cardiac complications following pancreatoduodenectomy. Poster presentation at the Society of Surgical Oncology annual meeting. Determinants of resource utilization in pancreatoduodenectomy: a multicenter analysis of 1,467 Patients. Poster presentation at the Society of Surgical Oncology annual meeting. Predictors of postoperative thoracic complications in patients undergoing orthopedic surgeries. Poster presentation at the American Thoracic Society annual meeting. Development and validation of a risk calculator predicting perioperative cardiac risk and its comparison to the revised cardiac risk index. Poster presentation at the American College of Physicians’ Nebraska Chapter annual meeting. Determinants of operative time and hospital length of stay after laparoscopic fundoplication: a multicenter analysis of 2,052 Patients. Poster presentation at the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons annual meeting. Resource utilization in patients with migraine headache with and without concomitant depression & anxiety. Poster presented at the annual American Headache Society annual meeting. HIT-6 score and resource utilization in patients with migraine headache. Poster presented at the annual American Headache Society annual meeting. Assessing the readability of online patient educational materials offered by the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association. Poster presented at the American College of Physicians’ Maryland Chapter annual meeting. 

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Alicia Shedlock, CRNP
Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Huntington CBOC

Education:

• Graduate: Penn State University
• Undergraduate: Penn State University

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Shereen Weinzierl, CRNP 
Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Women’s Health Provider 

Education:

• Graduate: Masters from University of Cincinnati 
• Undergraduate: Bachelors from Liberty University 

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Phil Yargosz
Primary care provider- M.D.

Education:

• Graduate: M.D- Drexel University College of Medicine -graduation 2016, Residency:  West Virginia University -Internal Medicine
• Undergraduate: Purdue University – B.S. in 2002, University of Vermont- Post Baccalaureate certificate

Publications: Personality traits as a source of bias in medical student evaluations, Small molecule inhibitors of biofilm formation in laboratory and clinical isolates of candida albicans.