Premera RNHI

Our Rural Fellowship Partners

UW Premera RNHI partners with rural primary care organizations across Washington state to deliver post-graduate ARNP fellowship programs. Each fellowship site hires newly graduated (or soon to graduate) ARNPs for their respective *12-month paid fellowship programs. UW Premera RNHI has partnered with the following organizations for the 2024-2025 fellowship year:

Aberdeen, Washington
(2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024, and 2024-2025 cohorts)

Harbor Regional Health (HRH) is a not-for-profit Public Hospital District that serves over 72,000 residents. They provide 28 different services and specialties with 8 conveniently located clinics, with the primary location for the fellowship taking place in Aberdeen, WA.  If selected as a fellow with Harbor Regional Health, you will be integral in providing access to quality health care in a growing environment. Aberdeen is the largest city located on the southern edge of the Olympic Peninsula, in the mostly rural Grays Harbor County.  The city is situated at the mouth of two rivers, Chehalis and Wishkah, and has a population of 16, 896 as recorded in the 2010 census. This historic community is rich in natural resources, with top industries including fishing and logging. Recently an emphasis on tourism is bolstering Aberdeen’s economy and is developing into the top retail center on the Washington coast. Aberdeen offers beachcombing, birdwatching, kayaking, hiking in the surrounding pristine forests.

The ARNP Fellowship at HRH was featured in Grays Harbor Talk: https://www.graysharbortalk.com/2022/02/24/a-fellowship-of-nurses-at-harbor-regional-health/ 

Mattawa, Washington

(2022-2023, 2023-2024, and 2024-2025 cohorts)


Grant County Public Hospital District No. 5, formed in 1984, operates the Mattawa Community Medical Clinic (MCMC) to provide primary care to citizens in and around Mattawa, Desert Aire, Schawana, Beverly, and the Wahluke Slope communities. Mattawa Community Medical Clinic seeks to make its community a happier, healthier place to live by providing comprehensive primary care services for children and adults and has bilingual staff who are fluent in both English and Spanish. In addition to family medicine, the clinic offers prenatal care, minor surgery, dental care, behavioral health, onsite imaging, health education, lab services, massage services, and WIC services. Mattawa Community Medical Clinic seeks to provide these services regardless of ability to pay and encourages those who cannot afford services to seek out payment plans or apply for their sliding fee program.

Between Wanapum and Priest Rapids Dams on the Columbia River, on Wahluke Slope, Mattawa enjoys a desert-like climate and bountiful fruit orchards. Mattawa is a beautiful place to live and raise a family, offering many opportunities to experience nature and to be part of a tight knit, welcoming community. It has a population of 4,818 people and is 99% Latino.

Odessa, Washington

(2022-2023 cohort)


Odessa Memorial Healthcare Center (OMHC) is a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital with a 24-hour Level V Emergency Room and a 12-unit Assisted Living Facility on campus. The Odessa Rural Health Clinic provides routine family medical care, well-baby checks, pediatrics, foot care, physicals, telemedicine, vaccinations/immunizations, and offers the following specialty clinics: orthopedics, surgery, and dietary.

Incorporated in 1902, Odessa is a vibrant, friendly community of 1,000 residents located in Lincoln County, within the geographically unique area known as the Channeled Scablands of Eastern Washington. Residents and visitors enjoy plenty of sunshine and beautiful rolling wheat fields, with multiple recreational opportunities including golf, swimming, camping, hiking, and horseback riding. Odessa hosts one of the longest running German-style festivals in Washington state; Duetschesfest, held on the third weekend of September, attracts thousands of visitors annually.

Mount Vernon, Washington

(2023-2024 cohort)

Psychiatric Nurse Consulting & Therapy (PNCT) was established in December 2019 and provides mental health services for adults 18 years and older who are in greatest need of support. Populations served include those recently released from hospital settings, jail sentences, and those challenged by socio-economic circumstances, with the majority of patients insured by Medicare and Medicaid. PNCT has strong relationships with Skagit County Correctional Facility, First Steps Homeless Shelter, Upper Skagit Indian Tribal Clinic, and Mount Vernon Sheriff / police departments.Mount Vernon was established in 1870 and is the county seat of Skagit County, part of a regional behavioral support network covering 5 counties. Located 60 miles north of Seattle, it’s a strong agricultural community that hosts an annual tulip festival in April of each year. It has a population of 35,404 people (as of 2021).

Republic, Washington

(2022-2023 cohort)

Republic Medical Clinic (RMC) offers a broad range of primary care services including routine check-ups, annual well-visits, childhood immunizations, screening tests, physicals, and individual guidance to manage a healthy lifestyle. Adjacent to the Ferry County Hospital, Republic Medical Clinic enjoys convenient access to diagnostic services, such as Bone Density Testing, x-ray, ultrasound, CT and MRI scans, EGD services, colonoscopies, lab services and physical or occupational therapy. Specialty providers visit throughout the year including orthopedic, cardiology, and mammography services.

Republic, the county seat of Ferry County, has a population of 1,182 residents. It’s a wonderful place to live and work and offers a multitude of scenic attractions and abundant wildlife. Republic has many beautiful parks and hosts the annual Ferry County Fair. Residents and visitors enjoy fishing, camping, ATV adventures, birding, hiking, and hunting. With an average snowfall of 43 inches a year, winter sports enthusiasts have ample opportunities to go snowmobiling and snowshoeing.

Mount Vernon, Washington

(2023-2024 and 2024-2025 cohorts)

Established in 2003, Shifa Health (SH) has been the go-to center for the best integrative mind care. Its fellowship prepares Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners to be able to provide the highest quality holistic mental health services using evidence-based  personalized psychiatric care. Shifa Health’s mission is to optimize mental health and wellbeing so each individual can live their best life with health and happiness and prevent unnecessary suffering and suicide.

Mount Vernon was established in 1870 and is the county seat of Skagit County, part of a regional behavioral support network covering 5 counties. Located 60 miles north of Seattle, it has a population of 35,404 people.

Tenino, Washington
(2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024, and 2024-2025 cohorts)

 

Valley View Health Center (VVHC) is a non-profit, federally qualified health center that began in 2004 and is now providing quality health care throughout its 13 locations serving patients across three counties. Each location provides health care to distinct and varying populations within their surrounding rural communities they serve.  If you are a fellow of Valley View, there will be scheduled opportunities to work in each of its clinic locations throughout the year.  The Valley View Health Center Administration is located in Chehalis, Washington. Chehalis is about 5.55 square miles nestled in the valley of forested hills with the Chehalis River winding through the city. The city offers easy access to Interstate 5 and is almost exactly halfway between Seattle, WA and Portland, OR.  Chehalis’ historic downtown and businesses are situated on the east side of the freeway with the west side offering parks, subdivisions, farmland, and shopping district.  The mild summers make it a great location to explore the numerous hiking/biking trails in the hills that have vantage points to see Mount Rainer, Mount St. Helen, and Mount Adams. The population from the 2010 census (most recent data) was 7,259.

VVHC’s Fellowship Director, Dr. Heather Novak, was featured in a Rural Health Leadership Radio Podcast: https://rhlradio.com/2022/02/08/285-a-conversation-with-anne-hirsch-healther-nowak/