PCNPR Program Eligibility

The James E. Van Zandt Veterans’ Affairs Medical Center (JEVZ VAMC) Nurse Practitioner Primary Care Residency (PC-NPR) Program aims to prepare residents to meet the needs of an evolving healthcare landscape by equipping them with the knowledge and skills required to care for our rural veteran population.

• Bridge the education-to-practice gap by supporting novice Nurse Practitioners as they transition into safe, competent, and practice‑ready clinicians, using clinical evidence to guide provider role integration.
• 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 along with enhancing recruitment and retention of Nurse Practitioners within the workforce.
• Provide new nurse practitioners with the support to transition to practice and provider role integration by having depth, breadth, volume, and intensity of clinical training necessary to serve as independent providers within the VHA healthcare system.
• Interprofessional collaboration and practice experiences with practice experience that address complex health care problems while ensuring high quality educational experience and fostering learner satisfaction.
• Promote the integration of scientific evidence into advanced nursing practice through evidence‑based teaching, lifelong learning, and completion of a scholarly project.

Goals: 

• The Program will provide new graduate NPs with a 12 month long training during their first year of practice. Residents will serve in primary care.
• By the end of the Program, NP residents will demonstrate achievement of advanced nursing practice competencies, as assessed by Faculty using the OAA Nurse Practitioner Residency Competency Assessment Tool.
• NP residents will show increased confidence in providing safe and effective care throughout the year.
• NP residents will demonstrate increased utilization of scientific evidence to support advanced nursing practice.
• The Program will facilitate the recruitment and retention of newly hired graduate NPs.
• The Program will encourage the recruitment and retention of newly hired graduate NPs in the VA workforce.

• At least two-thirds, or 66%, of enrolled residents will complete the Program, barring unforeseen circumstances. This completion rate excludes residents who leave for health, family, financial, or job offer/relocation reasons.
• By the end of the Program, 100% of residents who complete it will show an overall improvement in at least 75% of the competency domains on the OAA Nurse Practitioner Residency Competency survey.
• Average Confidence in Practice Scale scores will increase by at least one point from month 1 to month 12.
• 100% of residents who graduate from the Program will complete a QA/QI project and disseminate findings through presentations either within the JEVZ VAMC (e.g., PC staff meeting, PACT education, grand rounds)
• At least 33% of residents who graduate from the Program will find employment an NP in any sector (private, VA, other government, academia)
• At least 33% of residents who graduate from the Program will be hired into open NP positions within the JEVZ VAMC

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.

Licensure:

• Current unrestricted RN license, & CRNP license (any state or territory)
• Current DEA
• Current prescriptive authority
• Current national board certification
  • Family nurse practitioner
  • Adult-gerontology primary care
  • AANP or ANCC credentialing bodies
  • Recent graduate from a master’s or
• doctoral degree from an accredited nurse practitioner program within 12 months of residency start date. This must be your first Nurse Practitioner position.
   
• 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
• 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.

Benefits and Pay

 The per annum stipend for NP residents is established by OAA and is non-negotiable. OAA provides approved facilities with stipends, Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA) contributions, and health and life insurance premiums. The NP resident locality-based per annum stipend for 2026-2027 is $80,747.00 * 

Leave Accrual

 NP residents accrue leave based on their Federal Service Computation Date (SCD), comparable to Title 5 employees. 

Sick Leave: 1 hour for every 20 hours worked per pay period 

Annual Leave: 

• If the resident has less than three years of eligible Federal Service, they accrue 1 hour of annual leave for every 20 hours worked per pay period.
• If the resident has between 3 and 15 years of eligible Federal Service, they accrue 1 hour of annual leave for every 13 hours worked per pay period.
• If the resident has over 15 years of eligible Federal Service, they accrue 1 hour of annual leave for every 10 hours worked per pay period. 

Other Benefits 

• 11 paid federal holidays per academic year (12 in years with an additional federal holiday for Inauguration Day), aligning with the federal calendar.
• Paid administrative leave to attend approved educational conferences and meetings.
• Health insurance coverage, starting the first day of employment.
• Per current federal regulations, temporary employees are not eligible for vision and dental insurance, Federal Medical Leave Act, or paid parental leave.

*Pay information accurate as of 10/1/2025

• Applications will be accepted from: Dec 01, 2025- Jan 05, 2026
• Reviewing applications and interview date by Jan 09, 2026
• Interviews will be Jan 26-29, 2026
• Candidate will be selected, and offer made March 13, 2026
• Acceptance letter will need signed by March 20, 2026
• On boarding April 1-July 31, 2026, 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. Weldon Miller.
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.

Sean Montler FNP-C

Education:

• Graduate: Saint Francis University MSN, FNP
• Undergraduate: Penn State Altoona BSN

EBP project: Battlefield Acupuncture’s Impact on Veterans’ Quality of Life  

Current Position: CRNP Medicine Service 

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Rebecca Watt, CRNP, FNP-C

Education:

• Graduate: Chamberlain University MSN, FNP
• Undergraduate: Carlow University, Pittsburgh PA

EBP project: Battlefield Acupuncture’s Impact on Veterans’ Quality of Life  

Current Position: CRNP Primary Care

Madeline Boyce, DNP, FNP-BC

Education:

• Graduate: Messiah University
• Undergraduate: Grand Canyon University, Conemaugh School of Nursing
• Publications, Awards, Presentations: DNP QI project entitled “Outpatient Follow-Up After Rural Emergency Department Discharge: A Quality Improvement Initiative”

Current QI Project: Among outpatient nurse practitioners, registered nurses, and licensed practical nurses working within the Department of Veterans Affairs primary care patient aligned care team, what is the effect of an interdisciplinary difficult conversation simulation on staff’s self-perceived confidence scores regarding patient discussion of military sexual trauma?

Fun Fact: I have a dog named Penny, and her vet’s name is Dr. Penny! 

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Angela M. Daniels MSN, CRNP, FNP-C

Education:

• Graduate: Saint Francis University
• Undergraduate: The Pennsylvania State University
• Publications, awards, presentations: Delta Epsilon Sigma National Honor Society

Current QI project (PICOT): In veterans diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) what is the effect of implementing a preventative tracking process on health outcomes?  

Fun fact: Enjoy riding my Peloton, outdoor hikes, Thai food, and spending time with my son, Luke

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Kayla Kissell, MSN, APRN, FNP-C

Education:

• Graduate: Walsh University, North Canton, Ohio
• Undergraduate: The Pennsylvania State University 

Current QI project (PICOT): In veterans diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) what is the effect of implementing a preventative tracking process on health outcomes? 

Fun fact: I enjoy trying new foods and exploring new places. 

The VA OAA PC-NPR will be required to seek accreditation through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). 

• JEVZ VAMC PC-NPR accreditation was waived until OAA selected an accrediting body. With the selection of CCNE, current NPRP sites must host CCNE site visits following an approved rollout schedule.
• JEVZ VAMC PC-NPR is in the process of applying to CCNE to proceed with accreditation.
• The residency curriculum aligns with the eight domains of competence for the health professions required by CCNE accreditation.