Course Overview

An interprofessional collaborative transition to practice program brought to you by the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute, UPMC Office of Advanced Practice Providers and the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences that serves as an introductory course to cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery as an APP. This program is unique in its inclusivity and collaboration with the following disciplines: Cardiology, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Vascular Surgery, Cardiac Rehabilitation, Respiratory Therapy, Pharmacy and Administration.. You will learn key concepts in cardiology to provide cardiovascular care within the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute. The course includes both didactic and experiential learning for new APP graduates and APPs with little or no cardiology experience to provide a structured, comprehensive transition to practice. The 12 week course is divided into 10 modules designed to provide a foundation in cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery for advanced practice providers in order to successfully transition to practice, provide professional development, and provide quality care to this patient population.  

·        Target Audience: Advanced Practice Providers (APP) hired within UPMC HVI who are new graduates or those with less than 1 year experience n cardiology or CT Surgery

·        Start Date: Course available 7/30/2022 with rolling online registration

·        Cost: Waived

Program Goals

·        Provide a foundation in cardiology for UPMC HVI APPs

·        Provide a basis for ongoing professional education and clinical practice in the UPMC HVI

·        Orient the APP to the basic pillars in the HVI and role of the OAPP within UPMC

·        Facilitate onboarding and education within HVI concurrent to orientation within the business unit of hire.

Program Components

This program is designed with flexibility to accommodate the demanding schedule of an active clinicians and is designed in a virtual format with assigned reading and experiential learning. The program is organized into 10 modules which will be completed over a 12 week course. It is self-paced learning with realistic deadlines. Each module will have a pre-recorded videos and required reading broken down into manageable segments allowing the clinician to continue to work within the HVI. Some modules require experiential learning which will be arranged and scheduled by the APPs direct supervisor.. Meaningful interactions and network opportunities with colleagues and HVI leadership are built into the modules. Curriculum includes testing to assess comprehension of the course topics within each module.  

Participant Expectations

To complete the program successfully, participants are expected to fulfill the following:

·        Complete all program self-assessments (pre/post evaluations) and module tests with an 80% or greater pass rate

·        Participate in the online components of the course

·        Complete required reading

·        Participate in experiential learning

·        Meet outlined deadlines in the course schedule

At the Conclusion of the Course

Certificate of Completion is granted from the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and CME will be provided.

For More Information

Please contact Amy Haller, MPAS, PA-C, MBA, director for the UPMC Center for Advanced Practice Education and the APP Leadership Course, at halleral@upmc.edu. Lisa Henry DNP CRNP FACC, HVI APP Manager at henrlm@upmc.edu or Katie Scollon PA-C , Director, Pediatric Heart and Vascular Services, Adult Cardiac Surgery Advanced Practice Providers at kephkl@upmc.edu.

A Note on Intellectual Property

Our experts have put great effort into designing this course to support your professional development. As a reminder, all content is property of the individual creator or the University of Pittsburgh/UPMC. While we welcome the personal use of course materials by those enrolled in the course, material created for this course may not be copied or otherwise reproduced unless specified or with the permission of the author and University of Pittsburgh/UPMC personnel.