Our Rural Fellowship Partners: 2021-2025
UW Premera RNHI partnered with rural primary care organizations across Washington state to deliver post-graduate ARNP fellowship programs. Each fellowship site hired newly graduated ARNPs (Family Nurse Practitioners, Adult-Gero Nurse Practitioners, or Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners) for their respective 12-13 month paid fellowship programs.
NOTE: VVHC is the only site recruiting for the 2025-2026 fellowship year; more information is available on their website: https://vvhc.org/nurse-practitioner-fellowship-program/#
Port Townsend, Washington
(2024-2025 cohort)
Discovery Behavioral Healthcare (DBH) delivers behavioral health and wellness programs to communities throughout East Jefferson County, WA. DBH has been serving the community for over 30 years and is a 501(c)3 community behavioral health agency licensed by the state of Washington. They provide services to children, families, adults, and older adults who meet criteria for services under Medicaid Managed Care. DBH provides substance use disorder treatment and 24 hour per day crisis services. Located on the Olympic Peninsula, Port Townsend is a sailing, boating, and arts community that offers vast opportunities for recreation, culture and entertainment. Jefferson County is considered a community with a significant health professional shortage. DBH is an active HRSA/National Health Service Corps (NHSC) site and participates in the NHSC loan repayment program for licensed clinicians in eligible disciplines. DBH is also an eligible employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program for qualifying indivdiuals.
Omak, Washington
(2024-2025 cohort)
Family Health Centers is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that was incorporated in 1985 and is now the primary healthcare system devoted to Okanogan County. It’s medical sites are located in Omak, Brewster, Bridgeport, Tonasket, and Twisp. FHC is a comprehensive health care system offering primary medical and dental care, orthodontic care, pharmacy, WIC, and integrated behavioral health and other services to 40% of the county’s population. Family Health Centers is located in North Central Washingtonn’s Okanogan County, located halfway between the metropolitan areas of Seattle and Spokane. It encompasses nearly 5,300 square miles of pristine, natural beauty. Larger than several states, Okanogan County is bordered on the north by Canada, on the south and east by the Columbia River Basin and the west by the North Cascade Mountains.
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. 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 17,013 as recorded in the 2020 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.
Mattawa, Washington
(2022-2023 and 2023-2024 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.
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. Fellows of Valley View Health Center will be primarily stationed in Tenino with 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.