Norfolk, Va.-based Sentara Health has created a formal onboarding program that provides advanced practice providers with on-the-job training and mentorship.

The one-year program is akin to a physician residency program, where APPs participate in weekly clinical education sessions, meet with mentors and complete competency evaluations. The program was designed to ease the transition to practice and improve retention among APPs. The health system launched the onboarding program for primary care APPs in July 2024 and has since expanded the training to critical care, hospital medicine and walk-in care.

“We recognize that unlike physicians, APPs don’t undergo a post-graduate medical residency, which offers enhanced on-the-job learning between medical school and independent practice,” St

See Full Page