ICHS opens applications for Advanced Practice Provider Residency
The 2023 and 2024 ICHS Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner Residency classes stand in front of ICHS’ International District Medical & Dental Clinic. The program celebrates its tenth anniversary, with 47 community health clinicians graduating from the program.
International Community Health Services (ICHS) is now accepting applications for the 2024-2025 Advanced Practice Provider Residency program. Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant/Associate candidates interested in serving as primary care providers in community health settings should apply on ICHS’ website before February 17, 2024.
This trailblazing residency’s mission is to educate and retain well-rounded, highly autonomous, effective, and culturally-competent advanced practice providers. It is a full-time, salaried position with benefits under the direction of dedicated preceptors. The program provides graduates with the knowledge and skills to deliver exceptional, patient-centered primary care.
“[Advanced Practice Provider] post-graduate programs are a training bridge between education and practice,” said Kerry Bamrick, MBA, Executive Director of the Consortium for Advanced Practice Providers. “[Residents receive] hands-on continuity of care, building their own panel of patients and getting expert precepting.”
Many Physician Assistants launch into their community health career fresh out of school, says Scott Sato, PA-C, Deputy Director of ICHS’ APP Residency Program. But classes alone cannot equip everyone for delivering care in complex community health settings. The residency combines intensive hands-on learning and a strong support system to provide professional development opportunities. The support of dedicated preceptors, with decades of primary care experience, can provide residents the feedback, tools, and lessons for advanced practice practitioners to build a sustainable career, says Sato.
About the Residency
Residents commit to 13 months of employment at ICHS from September 2024 through October 2025.
A five-part curriculum, delivered from top-notch clinicians and educators includes: a ramp up schedule, continuing education with weekly didactics, and exposure to clinical specialties. Residents are taught how to manage the behind-the-scenes work of a provider such as developing better charting, diagnostics and lab management skills. Residents can also expect training on developing tools needed to encourage work-life balance and maximize career satisfaction and growth.
ICHS’ residency program was the first to be accredited in the U.S. It was launched as the Nurse Practitioner Residency Program by DoQuyen Huynh DNP, FNP, FAAN in 2014 to train future community health leaders in 2014. Now a decade later, the program has been expanded to also accept Physician Assistants and Physician Associates into the 2024-2025 cohort.
ICHS delivers affordable, high-quality health care services, reaching populations of disadvantaged and underserved immigrant and refugee communities.
Jenifer Reyes, 2021-2022 cohort residentOur [ICHS] patients were from Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Afghanistan, China, they have not been able to see any providers or even get preventative care in their native country. On some occasions we are their first contact with a provider who can educate about preventative care. So what we say really does matter to them and many of them take it to heart. And that is both humbling and also rewarding. And at the same, it gave me a deep motivation to learn more so I can be an even better provider and educator.
ICHS has been long aware of the importance of a pipeline of qualified health professionals that reflect the communities in which it serves. Many of ICHS’ ARNP residency program participants opt to stay on at ICHS after graduation, engaging their talents in a vibrant community health center.
Apply Now
Applications for ICHS’ 2024-2025 ARNP residency program are currently being accepted until February 17, 2024. Click here to apply and for more information.