Mission Statement
The CoE IA HPACT will train the next generation of health professionals to care for vulnerable patients in a way that builds patients’ self-efficacy while meeting their social, psychological, and physical needs, with empathy and teamwork.
History
The VA OAA Interprofessional Academic Patient Aligned Care Team NP Residencies began in 2011 to train healthcare professionals to work together in a Patient Centered Medical Home primary care model supporting of Veteran health. Greater Los Angeles is one of 2 sites to join the second phase in 2016.  The sites worked together to advance interprofessional training of the primary care provided to Veterans. The VA Office of Academic Affiliations offers many other APRN residencies. All the VA OAA NP residency leaders collaborate regularly to advance the VA NP residencies in line with the VA mission.
Training Experiences, Supervision and Didactics
The clinical experiences will include managing the primary care of homeless and vulnerable veterans in a supportive team as well as a rotation in street medicine, medicine specialties, and electives to augment advanced clinical knowledge. Residents will be mentored by interprofessional faculty to achieve professional competencies in homeless care, primary care-mental health integration, humanism, leadership, and teamwork. Didactic sessions will be held biweekly. Trainees will participate in developing the CoE IA HPACT including teaching other professional and trainee team members, case presentations, program development/ evaluation, and applying new quality improvement skills to projects.
Eligibility
NP Resident applicants must be US citizens or meet federal employment eligibility. Applicants need to have graduated from an accredited Nursing school within a year of starting the program. They must hold national board certification in Adult-Gerontology Primary Care or Family, and hold a CA NP license prior to starting the residency. Applicants cannot have worked as an NP. They must be able to start in late August, the exact start date to be announced to selected applicants.
Accreditation Status
Accreditation guidelines for NP residencies are under development. Our NP residency program is not currently accredited but we have developed the program with the rigor and intention to be eligible for accreditation.
Stipend
$84K/2080 hours
Leave, Time, and Attendance
Tour of duty is generally 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday. Elective rotation times may vary.
 

• 10 paid federal holidays per year
• Accrual of 4 hours annual leave (vacation) and 4 hours of sick leave for each 2 week pay period worked (up to 104 hours each of sick leave and 104 hours annual leave per year).

 
How to Apply
The application period is from January 15^th-February 1st. Please email your curriculum vitae, personal statement, and application (VA Form 10-2850D) to the Program Director at VHAWLANPResidency@va.gov. Include pertinent background, particular qualifications you bring to the program, professional goals both short-term and in 5 years, and how you plan to utilize this training. These 3 documents must be received by February 1^st of the year you are applying.
 
Selection Process
We have four NP resident trainee positions annually. We will review and rate applicants and offer an interview to the strongest applicants. Offers will be extended by email as soon as committee consensus is reached, approximately in mid-April. Those candidates that are not ranked in the top four may be waitlisted. Once an offer is made, applicants will be asked to accept or decline. Positions may be held for 72 hours but we ask you notify us of a decision as soon as feasible. These applicants then must complete federal application documents and undergo eligibility verification.
Commonly Asked Questions
Am I guaranteed employment with VA at completion of the program? No, but one of our top priorities is to prepare our NP residents for VA employment. Program participation does not guarantee employment. We will help graduates find and navigate how to apply for any open VA positions.
As a current VA RN, can I stay employed and do the residency? No. As a current VA employee, you may apply but to become a resident trainee, you will have to resign your VA position during the residency. Further, the VA training year does not count towards your VA employee work years, seniority, or retirement.
As a VA RN soon to be NP, does the residency help me get hired at VA as an NP? As a former employee who completes the residency, you are not guaranteed a VA position upon completion. You will have one year of pertinent VA NP primary care experience and a chance to experience various VA NP roles. We are happy to report that several former VA employee resident graduates have secured VA NP positions.  Others are doing very well in the community.
Can I count the residency as VA NNEI payback time? No. The residency is a trainee stipend position, not VA employment. If you are an NNEI scholar with an obligation, you may apply for and if selected, participate in the residency, but your payback time would start after residency completion.
Do you have other start dates? We only offer one late summer start date.
Can I work during the residency?  The residency offers a competitive stipend, including benefits, to enable residents to focus on the training. Moonlighting is discouraged as it tends to diminish the learning experience.
For More Information
See what is happening at the Centers of Education in Primary Care at http://www.va.gov/OAA/coepce/index.asp. Questions? Contact Kristin Kopelson at 310-478-3711 ext. 43116
Leadership
Kristin Kopelson, MSN, FNP-BC, ACNP-BC
CoE Associate Program Director/NP Residency Program Director
 
Jamie Van Note, MSN, FNP-BC
CoE NP Residency Program Coordinator
 
Colleen Keenan, PhD, FNP-BC      
UCLA School of Nursing CoE Affiliate Faculty Consultant