HRSA Awards $1.2 Million to Train Nurse Practitioners

Grant will enable expansion of Nurse Practitioner Residency Program

Thursday, October 22, 2020

 A $1.2 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will help expand the Nurse Practitioner (NP) Residency program that is integrated into the University of Rochester/Highland Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program. Funding of $400,000 each year for three years will be used to expand the NP residency program from two residents per year to four residents per year, with a rural medicine component.

The Highland Family Medicine (HFM) Nurse Practitioner Residency program was developed in collaboration with the University of Rochester School of Nursing. It is the first program of its kind in New York state. “We are very excited about this opportunity to expand our program and help provide more health care in rural communities,” said Kristin E. Smith, DNP, FNP-C, AAHIVS, who serves as director.

Created in 2016, the program is accredited by the National Nurse Practitioner Residency and Fellowship Consortium (NNPRFTC). The HFM clinic is the third oldest physician residency program in the country, internationally recognized for leadership and innovation in the integration of behavioral health into primary care practice. These qualities were brought into the NP residency program at its inception in 2016, where residents from all disciplines train together to create an inter-professional collaborative learning environment.

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and does not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA/HHS, or the U.S. Government.