Inpatient Advanced Practitioner Fellowship

Overview

This is a unique one-year fellowship program that is dedicated to enhancing the development of early-career Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants who wish to pursue a career in pediatric hospital-based medicine. Fellows will be exposed to all facets of pediatric inpatient care including rotations in hospital medicine, critical care, pulmonology, hematology, cardiology, oncology and elective specialty rotations. Fellows will be practicing clinically but also have protected time reserved for educational and professional development activities throughout the fellowship.

As fully credentialed members of the Medical Staff, Fellows will care for pediatric patients at Children’s Hospital Colorado with mentorship and oversight from experienced Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) and specialty physicians. As members of the University of Colorado, Department of Pediatrics faculty, Fellows in this program will also have unique access to educational and research opportunities.

Fully dedicated to caring for kids at all stages of growth, Children's Hospital Colorado is the region's largest pediatric healthcare network and the only dedicated Level 1 trauma center in our seven state region. We are home to over 400 APPs across all disciplines and care settings.

Mission

Through personalized education and mentorship, equip Advanced Practice Providers with the specialized knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to succeed in a pediatric inpatient medicine career.

Ideal Candidates

This Fellowship is designed for APPs who have a strong desire to practice in an academic inpatient pediatric setting. This program is designed for APPs who:

• Wish to have additional inpatient pediatrics training, enabling a smooth and immediate transition into their inpatient pediatric career.
• Understands that he or she wishes to work in inpatient pediatrics, but has not identified a specific specialty.
• Wishes to work in a specific specialty, but has insufficient experience or training within that specialty to be competitive for a position.
• Candidates with diverse backgrounds and experiences are encouraged to apply.

Application Process

Click here for the 2024-2025 cohort application. See key dates below.

Application Documents

• Current Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Two letters of recommendation (at least one must be from a professional reference)
• One-page personal statement discussing why the applicant is interested in pediatric medicine and how this fellowship can advance their career

Key Dates

• Start dates: January 1, October 1
• Application Deadline: February 28
• Interviews: Late March/April
• Offers: May

Physician Assistant Eligibility/Requirements

• Graduation from an APAP (ARC-PA) approved Physician Assistant Training Program.
• Certification from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.
• Colorado license will be required prior to start date.
• BLS and PALS certification will be required prior to start date.

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Eligibility/Requirements

• Graduate of an accredited BSN program.
• APN licensure and a Masters from an accredited Nurse Practitioner program.
• Pediatric Nursing Certification Board certificate or other comparable certification.
• Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner certification.
• Ability to obtain Prescriptive Authority in the State of Colorado.
• BLS and PALS certification will be required prior to start date.

Curriculum

Clinical Rotations

• Core: Hospital Medicine (3 months), Pediatric Critical Care (3 months), Cardiology (1 month), Pulmonology (1 month), Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplant (1 month).
• Electives (1 month each) can include Infectious Disease, Gastroenterology, Neurology, but can be adapted to meet the fellow’s needs, which could involve more time in the section they will be hired into.

Didactic

• Dedicated APP Fellowship Lecture Series
• Patient Simulations
• Grand rounds
• Clinical Conferences
• M&M
• Radiology conferences

Competencies

• Competency-based monthly and semi-annual performance evaluations
• Pre- and post-fellowship clinical knowledge exam

Professional Development

• Opportunities to present at national conferences
• Engagement in a tailored communication development series
• Longitudinal mentorship from APPs and physician colleagues
• Ability to participate in in hospital wide Advanced Practice Grand Rounds and Advanced Practice Council initiatives

Capstone Project

Each fellow will be required to complete a capstone project with the help of a physician or APP mentor. The goal of the project is to introduce and involve the APP in a quality or process improvement initiative, development of a clinical care guideline, or educational initiative. At the end of the year, the fellow will be asked to present his or her work in a conference or poster session.

Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS)

Including didactic and clinical application for vascular access, lung, and cardiac with clinical skills exam and interpretation competency evaluation.

Hours/Work Schedule

This is an intensive program in which Fellows can expect to commit an average of 50 hours per week including required night and weekend shifts. Vacations, holiday schedule and time off will be discussed with final candidates.

Salary and Benefits

Fellows will be hired as University of Colorado, Department of Pediatric faculty at the Instructor Fellow rank. As Faculty, Fellows will be offered a stipend along with full medical, dental and vision insurance. Detailed information can be found at CU Faculty Benefits.

Meet the APP Leadership

Cameron Gunville, DO, MEd
Co-Medical Director, Children’s Hospital Colorado Advanced Practice Inpatient Fellowship
Pediatric Critical Care

Dr. Gunville has served as the Medical Director for the PICU Advanced Practice Team since 2012 and has helped to oversee the program’s expansion to 20 providers during this time. He has a broad education interest and earned his Master’s Degree in Education in 2002 from the University of Notre Dame, and has completed the University of Colorado Teaching Scholar’s Program. With his background in education, in 2012 he helped develop a comprehensive eight-month PICU orientation program for new PICU APPs. With the resources at CHCO, one of the premier children’s hospitals in the country, Dr. Gunville is excited to help develop motivated APPs into excellent pediatric providers of the future.

Jason Zamkoff, MD, FAAP

Co-Medical Director, Children’s Hospital Colorado Advanced Practice Inpatient Fellowship
Pediatric Hospital Medicine

Dr. Jason Zamkoff is currently a Pediatric Hospitalist at Children’s Hospital Colorado (CHCO), and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine (CUSOM).   Dr. Zamkoff received his medical degree at The State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University in 2001.  Prior to such he was the recipient of an Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) Fellowship at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) from 1995-1997.  Dr. Zamkoff completed his Pediatric Residency and Chief Residency at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in 2005, where he remained adjunct faculty in addition to the Assistant Program Director and Transport Director of Pediatric Hospital Medicine at California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC).  In 2010 he took his position as a Pediatric Hospitalist at CHCO in Denver, Colorado.  He is currently a Target Zero Safety Coach at this institution, with the premise being to eliminate preventable harm, as well as the Medical Director of the newly formed Surgical Co-Management Team that rolled out in September of 2022. Dr. Zamkoff has a formal teaching position with first year medical students in the CUSOM, and he has chaired a nationally recognized annual Pediatric Hospital Medicine Conference since 2006.

Erika Jekich, PA-C
Co-Director, Children’s Hospital Colorado Advanced Practice Inpatient Fellowship
Pediatric Critical Care

Mrs. Jekich is a Senior Instructor and the Orientation Coordinator for the Pediatric Critical Care Section at Children’s Hospital Colorado. She currently coordinates a comprehensive orientation program for new APPs in the PICU which includes a robust clinical and didactic phase. Her work focuses on APP enrichment and effective integration of APPs with varying experience levels into the critical care team.

Jolie Eirich, CPNP-AC/PC
Co-Director, Children’s Hospital Colorado Advanced Practice Inpatient Fellowship
Pediatric Hospital Medicine

Mrs. Eirich is Director of Hospital Medicine Advanced Practice Program for CHCO. Her work has focused on building orientation, education, and training programs to support transition to practice for and increase utilization of advanced practice providers in hospital medicine.

Christopher Newman, PA-C, FCCM
Director of APP Practice Development at University of Colorado, Department of Pediatrics
Pediatric Critical Care

Mr. Newman is Director of Advanced Practice Strategy for the Pediatric Critical Care section and a Fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine. His work centers around workforce planning, productivity and exploring novel approaches to educating, training and deploying advanced practice providers.

Current Fellows

Megan Landess, CPNP-AC

My name is Megan Landess. I am a new graduate Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. I graduated with my Doctorate in Nursing Practice through the University of Missouri - Kansas City. I have been a pediatric nurse for the past 11 years, most recently within the PICU here at CHCO. I am so grateful for the opportunity to transition into an advanced practice role within this hospital via the APP Fellowship. 

I am originally from the Kansas City area, but have been living in Denver for the past 8 years. I enjoy all things Colorado including hiking, camping, rafting in the summer and boarding or skiing in the winter. When not chasing an adventure in the mountains, I enjoy spending time with my husband (Derek) and our four-legged child (Nelly, also goes by Cheese).

Summer Pellechio, PA-C

I’m a new graduate PA from the University of Colorado’s CHA/PA program. I completed my undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences at Rochester Institute of Technology. As a research assistant in NY and FL, I worked on projects related to the immune response including identifying gene polymorphisms among sickle cell disease populations via PCR assay and assessing the pro-inflammatory potential of water damaged infrastructure post Hurricane Maria via human whole-blood pyrogen assay. My interests outside of the hospital include interior design, personal styling, nutrition, and fitness.

Jenna Turner, PA-C

My name is Jenna Turner and I'm originally from Colorado, where I earned my bachelor's at CU Boulder in 2016. Since 2016 I worked as an EMT in Aurora, as well as, a pediatric ED Tech at Denver Health. In 2021, I moved away from Colorado to North Carolina to complete my physician assistant training at Duke University (go Blue Devils!). While there I had an elective in the PICU, which confirmed my desire to apply for the APP fellowship. I'm so grateful to have been chosen as an APP fellow and am so happy to be back in Colorado. Outside of medicine, you will find me outside where I love to trail run, hike, ski, and mountain bike. After playing outdoors, I also enjoy curling up on the couch with a good book.

Previous Fellows

2023-2024

• Bo Kim, CPNP-AC accepted a position in Pediatric Hospital Medicine, University of Colorado & Children’s Hospital Colorado
• Nicole Newman, PA-C accepted a position in Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
• Claire Smith, PA-C accepted a position in Pediatric Hospital Medicine, University of Colorado & Children’s Hospital Colorado
• Elizabeth Vigil, CPNP-AC accepted a position in Pediatric Hospital Medicine, University of Colorado & Children’s Hospital Colorado

2021-2022

• Katie Ganser, PA-C accepted a position in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado & Children’s Hospital Colorado
• Chelsea Hartman, CPNP-AC accepted a position in Pulmonary Medicine, University of Colorado & Children’s Hospital Colorado
• Davis Lehman, PA-C accepted a position in Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado & Children’s Hospital Colorado
• Morgan McMahon, PA-C accepted a position in Pediatric Hospital Medicine, University of Colorado & Children’s Hospital Colorado

2020-2021

• Brenna McGinn, CPNP-AC accepted a position in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Colorado & Children’s Hospital Colorado
• Karlie Nau, PA-C accepted a position in Pediatric Hospital Medicine, University of Colorado & Children’s Hospital Colorado

2019-2020

• Lauren Rodgers, PA-C accepted a position in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado & Children’s Hospital Colorado
• Kara Stefaniak, PA-C accepted a position in Pediatric Cardiology, University of Colorado & Children’s Hospital Colorado

2018-2019

• Cathryn Senour, PA-C accepted a position in Pediatric Hospital Medicine, University of Colorado & Children’s Hospital Colorado
• Kristen Stendel, PA-C accepted a position in Pediatric Hospital Medicine, University of Colorado & Children’s Hospital Colorado ​

Questions?

Contact us at appfellowship@childrenscolorado.org. Please allow 48-72 hours for a response.