WHS Washington Hospital currently offers a Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program and a Geriatrics Fellowship Program.
For specific application procedures and information on each fellowship, please click below or contact Susan R. Raineri (724) 223-3548
The Learning Experience
The Washington Health System Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship program is a 12 month Fellowship designed per GME guidelines that is intended to follow the completion of an American Board of Medical Specialties sponsoring primary residency program. This Fellowship is affiliated and sponsored by an established 7–7–7 family medicine residency program. Although this is a new Fellowship, it is built on the foundation of a three decade old hospice program and a decade old palliative service at the sponsoring institution. The Fellowship is led by physicians who are board certified in palliative medicine.
The hospice program is a Medicare certified service with the focal point a Washington Health System owned, eight bed inpatient facility.
The palliative program developed in 2007 now includes an active inpatient consultation service, an outpatient clinic and nursing facility/home services.
The entire Fellowship can be completed at the sponsoring institution with the exception of a 2 week, ACGME-required rotation at Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh to assure pediatric experience. Additional elective rotations are available in oncology, pain management and cardiovascular medicine. There is a mandatory scholarly activity project which can be chosen from a number of ACGME approved options including Grant proposals, manuscripts for publication, CQI/clinical research projects or regional didactic lectures. The Fellow is also considered a junior faculty member assisting in the training of family medicine residents and students in the concepts of hospice and palliative medicine. This responsibility will include clinical supervision and didactic educational experiences. Specific didactics and an evidence-based journal club will be held weekly.
Although this Fellowship has one offered position, the Washington Health System will also be sponsoring a one position geriatric Fellowship beginning in 2018. Shared didactics, educational experiences and coverage responsibilities will be possible with these “sister” fellowships.
To view the Hospice and Palliative Fellowship Rotation schedule click here
The Washington Health System has been approved to offer a one position fellowship in geriatric medicine. This program will be administered by three dynamic board certified geriatricians. Extensive clinical experience is centered at a large geriatrics center which provides a full scope of care from independent living to skilled nursing care. Participation with the family medicine residency will mirror that described in the palliative medicine fellowship. The palliative and geriatric fellows will share certain educational experiences and provide some cross coverage for each other.
To view the Geriatric Fellowship Rotation schedule click here
The Hospital
We’re an independent, community-focused, full-service hospital located less than 30 miles southwest of Pittsburgh in a Pennsylvania college town of 25,000. We are one of the larger hospitals in the area, and have been serving the needs of the community since 1897. Today, that means meeting the medical needs of approximately 250,000 patients annually.
Over 90% of our medical staff are board certified and represent the complete spectrum of medical and surgical specialties. Our state-of-the-art diagnostic services allow practitioners to accurately evaluate patients and administer comprehensive treatment. Many diagnostic and treatment services are available at our numerous satellite facilities, which, added to our ambulatory surgery center, complement and extend our hospital-based services.
We’re recognized nationally and internationally for the clinical documentation provided by our computer systems which improves the quality and accuracy of our patients’ medical records.
Here you can also enjoy collegiate and professional sports, live theatre, and the arts. We’re located within 300 miles of Washington, D.C.; Columbus, OH; Philadelphia, PA;, Niagara Falls, and Cleveland, OH. An hour’s drive puts you at your choice of state parks, ski resorts, bike trails, horseback riding, kayaking, white-water rafting and fishing, all in the pristine settings of mountains and rivers.
The Benefits
Requirements for Fellowship Programs
To apply to Washington Health System Fellowship Programs you must:
- See the AAFP web site list of primary specialties
- Complete your application with the Association of American Medical Colleges
- Forward your application to Washington Health System electronically thru ERAS The Association of American Medical Colleges’ Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS)
- The day’s activities include: interview with the fellowship’s Program Director and Residency Director. A Resident, Fellow or Palliative Mid-level provider tour of the Outpatient Clinic, Hospice House, hospital, and housing (if available). Overnight accommodations are provided at the hospital’s expense. The day ends with a wrap-up session with the Fellowship Director.
If you have any questions regarding the application process, please email here.