Greetings from Dr. William R. Johnson
Welcome from the Program Director
Cardiothoracic surgery is an increasingly complex surgical subspecialty that requires highly skilled clinical teams to achieve optimal results and outcomes. While advanced practice providers (APPs), such as physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs), have become essential members of these teams, standardized APP training programs beyond traditional NP and PA primary care-focused education are not widely available. To meet this need, the Emory Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery has established a formal training program in cardiothoracic surgery for APPs that provides a more comprehensive, diverse, and efficient educational experience than traditional on-the-job training.
The interest in post-graduate residencies and fellowships for APP’s in all specialties in medicine, especially in CT surgery, have increased over the past decade and our program was on the forefront of this movement when we began in 2011, at that time, named Emory CT Surgery PA Residency. I had the honor and privilege to be the inaugural resident after completing my graduate education with the Physician Assistant Program at Emory School of Medicine. In total, the program graduated 5 PA residents before the program lost funding and support, and was ultimately disbanded. At this point, it became my mission to revive the program. After retooling the curriculum standards and reigniting the educational spark, the program was resumed in 2020.
The official mission of the Emory Cardiothoracic Advanced Practice Provider Fellowship is to educate and train certified APPs so that they will have the knowledge and skill required to provide the highest quality clinical and surgical care for cardiothoracic surgery patients. This purpose is driven by the desire to produce clinicians who are completely dedicated to improving the quality and longevity of patients' lives. We also plan to advance and solidify the important role APPs have in cardiothoracic surgery teams, and to develop their ability to contribute to the advancement of cardiothoracic surgery.
One of the strengths of our program is the close association with the Emory University School of medicine cardiothoracic surgery residency for physicians, which is one of the longest and most successful programs in the country. We provide surgical services in several hospitals within the metropolitan Atlanta areas as well as at several community hospitals throughout the state of Georgia. Because of this, we see a wide range of diseases processes, from the most common to the most complex and rare. Also, our division is on the cutting edge of innovation with ongoing research initiatives and funding. Emory remains on the forefront of advancing medicine and medical education for, not just patients and physicians, but for advanced practice providers, as well.
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about our program and how we might be able to assist you in reaching your future career aspirations.
Sincerely,
William R. Johnson III, PA-C, MMSc, MEPH
Program Director, Emory Cardiothoracic Surgery Advanced Practice Provider Fellowship
Associate Chief Advanced Practice Provider, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery