Applications are open for Inova Schar Heart and Vascular’s new APP fellowship

Inova Schar Heart and Vascular is launching a new advanced practice provider (APP) fellowship. The program is designed to give the APP fellow an opportunity to develop specialized clinical expertise in managing patients with advanced heart and lung disease including transplant and mechanical circulatory support. Applications for the 2026 – 2027 cycle are due May 1, 2026, and the 12-month fellowship begins in fall 2026.

“We recognized with the growth of Inova’s transplant and advanced heart and lung disease programs that we had an opportunity to give APPs an immersive clinical experience in treating and managing patients with advanced cardiopulmonary conditions, which is a very high acuity, very specialized area,” said Meg Fregoso, ANP-BC, CCTC, Co-Director of the Advanced Cardiopulmonary Diseases and Transplant APP Fellowship at Inova Schar Heart and Vascular.

What you will learn

What makes the fellowship unique is that the fellow will work in both the inpatient and outpatient realms with the heart and lung teams. No other APP fellowship encompasses advanced heart and lung disease and transplant across inpatient and outpatient care.

“It’s designed to be a rigorous program where you’re exposed to a range of diverse clinical experiences,” said Velee Patel, DNP, ACNP-BC, Co-Director of the Advanced Cardiopulmonary Diseases and Transplant APP Fellowship at Inova Schar Heart and Vascular. “Fellows rotate with the heart and lung teams for six months respectively and have the opportunity to learn how to manage and coordinate the care for some of our sickest patients.”

Six months of the 12-month program focuses on advanced heart disease and transplant, and six months of the program focuses on advanced lung disease and transplant. The fellow will gain experience in:

• Heart rotations:
  • Advanced heart failure clinic (outpatient)
  • Post-heart transplant clinic (outpatient)
  • VAD clinic (outpatient)
  • Heart failure/transplant service (inpatient)
  • Cardiac intensive care (inpatient)
• Lung rotations:
  • Advanced lung disease clinic (outpatient)
  • Pre/post-transplant lung clinic (outpatient)
  • Combined rheumatology/advanced lung disease clinic (outpatient)
  • Pulmonary rehab (outpatient)
  • Advanced lung disease/transplant service (inpatient)
  • Interventional pulmonology/bronchoscopy (inpatient)
• Specialty rotations:
  • Transplant pharmacology
  • Palliative care
  • Transplant infectious diseases
• Professional development activities including case studies and weekly lectures
• Ample mentorship opportunities across programs
• Opportunity to participate in research at Inova Schar Heart and Vascular

“The goal of the APP fellowship is to take the skills and knowledge APPs gain through their education and add an intense clinical learning opportunity that will enable the fellow to strengthen their practice, immerse themselves in the various programs here and determine where their interests lie,” Fregoso said. “Inova excels at team-based management of these complex patients, and this program supports APPs in working to the highest level of their licensure and practice.”

What are the benefits of pursuing an APP fellowship?

There are many benefits to pursuing this APP fellowship:

• This fellowship gives APPs an opportunity to develop their knowledge base in advanced heart and lung disease management
• Instead of the standard three-month onboarding process as a new APP employee, this program offers a full year of in-depth, mentored training and guidance across different areas within the advanced cardiopulmonary diseases and transplant specialty
• It offers a way for APPs to standardize their clinical training to thrive in this environment
• Fellowships give a competitive edge to APPs who want to grow their career within a specific specialty

In terms of Inova specifically, Patel said, “APPs at Inova have an integrative role with a lot of responsibility, autonomy and trust. The APPs at Inova work very closely with the patients, and they’re tasked with the responsibility for managing the complex logistics of care coordination for safe discharges, prioritizing clinical information based on urgency and responding to dynamic changes in patients’ clinical conditions.”

Eligibility guidelines for the advanced cardiopulmonary diseases and transplant APP fellowship

The advanced cardiopulmonary diseases and transplant APP fellowship is open to new graduate and experienced physician assistants and nurse practitioners.

 To be eligible as a physician assistant, applicants must:

• Have graduated from an accredited physician assistant program or be eligible for graduation at the time of interview
  • Be board certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) or be eligible for NCCPA board certification at the time of interview
  • Have VA license and DEA license by the fellowship matriculation date

To be eligible as a nurse practitioner, applicants must:

• Have graduated from an accredited acute care nurse practitioner or family nurse practitioner program (MSN or DNP) or be eligible for graduation at the time of interview
  • Be board certified by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) or the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or be eligible for AANP or ANCC board certification at the time of interview
  • Have VA license and DEA license by the fellowship matriculation date

How to apply

Applications will be reviewed by an expert panel, and the program will conduct interviews with finalists in June. The 12-month fellowship begins in October. The fellow will be a full-time Inova employee with all CME and PTO benefits.

To apply, please send the following three items by email to ThoracicAPPFellowship@Inova.org:

• A cover letter
• Your CV
• A one-page personal statement

The application deadline for the 2026 – 2027 fellowship cycle is May 1, 2026.

Questions?

Advanced cardiopulmonary diseases and transplant APP fellowship directors:

• Velee Patel, DNP, ACNP-BC
  Velee.Patel@Inova.org
• Meg Fregoso, ANP-BC, CCTC
  Margaret.Fregoso@Inova.org

To ask questions or to submit your application, email ThoracicAPPFellowship@Inova.org no later than May 1, 2026.