Inpatient Advanced Practitioner Fellowship

Announcement:
If you missed our recent open forum/Q&A session on Monday, February 2, you can watch the recording here. 

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

2026/2027 cohort applications now open. Apply online here. See below for key dates.

Application Documents

• Cover Letter
• Current Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Two letters of recommendation (at least one must be from a professional reference)
• 3-5 professional references

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.

Lauren Griffin, PA-C
Co-Associate Director, Children’s Hospital Colorado Advanced Practice Inpatient Fellowship
Pediatric Critical Care Medicine

Mrs. Griffin is an Instructor and the APP Education and Orientation Director for the Pediatric Critical Care Section at Children’s Hospital Colorado. She manages the orientation program for new APPs in the PICU, coordinates ongoing APP education and professional development. Her work also includes POCUS integration and education in the PICU. She is a graduate APP Fellow 2019-2020.

Morgan McMahon, PA-C
Co-Associate Director, Children’s Hospital Colorado Advanced Practice Inpatient Fellowship
Pediatric Hospital Medicine

Ms. McMahon is an Instructor at the University of Colorado and a Pediatric Hospitalist PA at the Children’s Hospital of Colorado. She completed her medical training at Stanford University with a concentration in Healthcare Administration and Leadership. Thereafter, she completed the CHCO Inpatient Advance Practitioner Fellowship at CHCO and is dedicated to ensuring future fellows also have the rewarding and impactful experience that she had. Outside of her clinical time, she is also involved in the Teaching Excellence Amongst Medical Providers (TEAMS) program, APP student education, and other leadership development opportunities. As a first generation college student, Morgan also takes an interest in mentoring and advocating for students from diverse backgrounds. Outside of work, you can find Morgan routinely exploring the Rocky Mountains with her husband, toddler, and her perfect dog.

Current Fellows

Jenna Ehnle, CPNP-AC

Jenna is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner who is originally from Illinois, where she earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice in Pediatric Acute Care from the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). She chose to pursue a pediatric inpatient APP fellowship to gain additional experience and support during her transition into the APP role. Her nursing background began in adult surgical acute care before she transitioned to pediatrics, where she discovered her true passion. Over the past five years, she has worked in the PICU, CICU, and pediatric critical care ground transport. She is incredibly grateful for a career where she gets to witness her patients' resilience, imagination, hope, and bravery every day. While not every day is easy, she values the strong, supportive team environment at CHCO. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, exploring the mountains, hiking, skiing, trying new foods, and traveling. For anyone considering an APP fellowship, she encourages you to say yes- it has challenged her, fostered growth, and strengthened her clinical skills and reasoning.

Lauren Jesse, PA-C

Lauren is a new graduate Physician Assistant from Dominican University of California with a passion for pediatric acute care. She completed elective rotations in Pediatric General Surgery and the PICU and is especially drawn to equitable, family-centered pediatric medicine. Before PA school, Lauren worked as a physical therapy technician and medical scribe. She earned her B.S. in Exercise Biology from UC Davis, where she was an NCAA Division I diver. When she's not in the hospital, you'll find her hiking, doing CrossFit, cooking, or spending time with friends and family.

Mikayla Herron, PA-C

Mikayla Herron is a new graduate PA. Originally from Massachusetts, she completed her undergraduate studies at Boston College before gaining clinical experience in pediatrics and on an inpatient thoracic stepdown unit. Both of these experiences sparked her love for caring for medically complex patients and working closely within multidisciplinary teams. She earned her Master of Physician Assistant Studies at Duke University in North Carolina, where she completed elective rotations in the PICU and pediatric general surgery. Her clinical interests include inpatient pediatric care, public health, and medical education, and she hopes to incorporate teaching into her career down the line.

Outside of medicine, she is thrilled to be moving to Colorado and to explore all of the outdoor opportunities the area has to offer, including hiking, biking, and learning to ski. She also enjoys reading, attending spin classes, trying new restaurants, and working on creative projects at home. She is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be part of this fellowship and looks forward to continuing to grow as a clinician while caring for children and their families.

Rachel Ohrenschall, CPNP-AC

Rachel is a new graduate primary care and acute care certified pediatric nurse practitioner who graduated with her DNP from Oregon Health & Science University in 2025. She is excited and grateful to continue to deepen her skills and grow her practice as a pediatric nurse practitioner through the APP fellowship. Her prior roles in healthcare have included 6 years of pediatric nursing experience in pediatric intermediate care, work as a research assistant and as an EMT. Rachel chose to pursue a path as a nurse practitioner after serving in the US Peace Corps as a health education volunteer in Burkina Faso (2016-2017), and receiving her bachelor's in biochemistry from the University of Washington. Rachel enjoys running, biking, cross country skiing, making delicious plant-based food, reading, and snuggling with her cat Luna.

Previous Fellows

2025-2026

• Tucker Buffington, PA-C accepted a position in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado & Children's Hospital Colorado
• Claire Brennan, CPNP-AC accepted a position in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Colorado & Children's Hospital Colorado
• Hillary Oneslager, PA-C accepted a position in Pediatric Hospital Medicine, University of Colorado & Children's Hospital Colorado
• Christina Santosa, PA-C accepted a position in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado & Children's Hospital Colorado

2024-2025

• Megan Landess, CPNP-AC accepted a position in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado & Children’s Hospital Colorado
• Summer Pellechio, PA-C accepted a position in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado & Children’s Hospital Colorado
• Jenna Turner, PA-C accepted a position in Pediatric Hospital Medicine, University of Colorado & Children’s Hospital Colorado

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, University of Colorado & Children’s Hospital Colorado
• 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 [email protected]. Please allow 48-72 hours for a response.