SRCH Advanced Practice Fellowship

“The SRCH fellowship program has provided me invaluable learning, support, and opportunities that are incredibly formative as I step into the FNP role. The program structure perfectly balances autonomy and supervision, fostering a safe learning and clinical environment. I am so grateful to be here and am soaking up every minute.”

—Jordyn Smith, FNP

The first accredited Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Residency in California and the first outpatient FNP Residency in the nation to receive ANCC accreditation!

Santa Rosa Community Health’s Advanced Practice Fellowship is accredited as a Practice Transition Program by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation (ANCC). ANCC’s internationally renowned credentialing programs recognize healthcare organizations that promote nursing excellence and quality fellowship outcomes while providing safe, positive work environments. In 2025, SRCH received Accreditation with Distinction, as an Advanced Practice Provider Fellowship. With this new credentialing, our program is now recognized as a transition-to-practice program for physician associates (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs)!

In September 2023, our program expanded by adding a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) track. PMHNPs are critically needed in our rural and underserved communities which are especially affected by the nationwide shortage of psychiatrists. We are proud to fill this gap by offering this additional track in our program.

2026-27 Cohort Starts October 2nd, 2026

Who is eligible?

• FNPs, PAs, and PMHNPs who have completed an accredited NP or PA program in the last 18 months qualify to apply.
• Candidates must be eligible for NP or PA certification by the California Board of Registered Nursing or the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. They must be fully licensed and credentialed by the start of the program. It is required to sit for or be eligible to sit for the board exam no later than July 27, 2026. Advanced Practice graduates with experience and skills in cultural competency are particularly welcome. Basic Spanish comprehension is valued.

“I am grateful for the support that this Fellowship provided me during my transition to advanced practice, and it was helpful to have a cohort of people going through it with me.”

—Miriam Maloney-Mattheisen, PMHNP

“The residency really helped my clinical skills advance. The evaluation and treatment skills I learned in school came together during residency with didactics, internal medicine clinics, clinical shifts, and specialty clinics. SRCH is a great teaching clinic with a supportive environment for new clinicians and medical and nurse practitioner residents.”

—Nisha Patel, FNP

How to apply

Applications will open late January/early February of 2026

“The training I received from SRCH mentors helped me grow my clinical competence and confidence to meet the challenges of the PMHNP role. My training prepared me to handle complex psychiatric cases with mastery, and I have the honor of seeing my expertise improving patients’ lives. The learning environment at SRCH was extremely supportive and warm, and during my training, I always felt like a valued team member–even as a novice.”

—Reis Tucker-Meade, PMHNP

About the Advanced Practice Fellowship

Advanced Practice Fellows will work alongside other professional staff at our Lombardi, Dutton, and Vista campuses. This 12-month salaried program offers clinical experience and didactic instructions in family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, women’s health, medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder, procedure clinics, and many other specialties.

The PMHNP track offers clinical experience that integrates mental and physical health services. You will gain competence with psychiatric assessment, diagnosis, medication management, and collaborate with your FNP and PA fellows in psychiatric consultation. You will also participate in weekly didactic sessions and rotate through a variety of specialty clinics.

You will see patients with support from our knowledgeable and responsive faculty preceptors. During the program, FNPs and PAs will maintain a panel of patients from our underserved community of all ages and backgrounds, performing visits for well-care, urgent care, and chronic disease management. PMHNPs will carry a panel of patients as well, collaborating with primary care providers (PCPs), and returning psychiatric medication management back to the PCP once a patient is stable. You will participate in weekly case reviews to collaborate and get feedback on complex care.

Our SRCH work community dedicates itself to your learning and success. We provide support and training in EHR management and documentation, practice efficiency, as the fellow gradually progresses in the number of patients seen per shift. After 12 months, you will graduate with the foundation and skills to establish confidence in your practice of primary care or psychiatry for all ages. You will also become an integral part of our learning community.

Program Leadership

• Suzanne Dedmore FNP, Program Director
• Kathleen Walsh FNP, Associate Program Director
• Roxanne Schleben, FNP, Clinician Lead
• Patricia Padilla-Noah MD, Chief Medical Officer
• Steve Sheerin MD, Internal Medicine
• Lingjin Meng MD, Internal Medicine

Questions?

Contact Suzanne Dedmore, FNP, Program Director for SRCH’s Advanced Practice Fellowship, at suzanned@srhealth.org.