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Family Nurse Practitioner Fellowship at Peak Vista

Learn about Peak Vista's postgraduate training for Family Nurse Practitioners and review an update about the former PMHNP Fellowship.

Peak Vista's active Family Nurse Practitioner Fellowship helps new and transitioning FNPs build clinical confidence through structured mentorship and real-world experience.

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PMHNP Fellowship Update

Peak Vista is no longer accepting applications for the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Fellowship. Current Fellows will complete their program as planned, and this change does not reduce Peak Vista’s psychiatric services.

The Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Fellowship remains Peak Vista’s active postgraduate Fellowship program. Learn more about the FNP Fellowship.

Why Choose Peak Vista for Your Fellowship

Build Confidence in Clinical Practice

Gain hands-on experience with increasing patient responsibility, supported by structured mentorship.

Train in a Real-World, High-Need Setting

Work in a federally-qualified health center serving diverse and underserved communities.

Prepare for Independent Practice

Develop the skills and clinical judgement needed for confident, full-scope practice.

Learn More About the Fellowship Below

Fellowship Programs Overview

Peak Vista Community Health Centers offers a structured postgraduate Family Nurse Practitioner Fellowship designed to support the transition from graduate education to confident, independent clinical practice.

Each year, five Fellows are selected for the 12-month, full-time program. Fellows train primarily at the Health Center at Printers Parkway in Colorado Springs and gain immersive clinical experience within a federally qualified health center serving people facing barriers to care.

Peak Vista’s FNP Fellowship is accredited through the ANCC Advanced Practice Provider Fellowship Accreditation™ program, reflecting national standards for postgraduate transition-to-practice education.

Peak Vista’s Nurse Practitioner (APRN) Fellowship are built around an integrated care model within a safety-net health system. Fellows train in a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment while caring for patients facing barriers to access.

The Fellowship experience includes:
  • A dedicated integrated Fellowship clinic at Health Center at Printers Parkway (340)(opens in a new tab).
  • Structured mentorship and supervised clinical immersion.
  • Exposure to medically and socially complex patient populations.
  • Interdisciplinary collaboration across primary care and behavioral health.
  • Specialty and procedural experience unique to community-based practice.
  • A required Quality Improvement (QI) project.
  • Continuing Medical Education (CME) participation.
Each program is a full-time, 12-month salaried position with a competitive benefits package(opens in a new tab).

What to Expect From the Fellowship

Transitioning from graduate education to independent practice presents clinical, professional, and systems-level challenges. A structured fellowship provides a supported, competency-based pathway into advanced practice.

Peak Vista’s programs are grounded in nationally recognized transition-to-practice models, including:
  • Benner’s Novice to Expert framework.
  • Competency milestones aligned with ACGME principles.
  • Adult learning theory and experiential education.
Fellows strengthen proficiency in:
  • Patient-centered care across diverse populations.
  • Interdisciplinary, team-based practice.
  • Evidence-based clinical decision-making.
  • Systems-based care and quality improvement.
  • Health information technology integration.
Our Fellows are licensed Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) authorized to practice at an advanced level under Colorado regulations while participating in structured postgraduate training.

The Fellowship is a 12-month immersive clinical experience beginning each September.

Fellows train primarily within the Integrated Fellowship clinic at the Health Center at Printers Parkway, 340(opens in a new tab), with structured out-rotations to broaden specialty exposure.

Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Fellowship includes:FNP Fellows complete:
  • A population-focused Quality Improvement (CI) project.
  • Continuing Medical Education (CME).
  • Structured clinical evaluations and milestone-based feedback.
  • Ongoing mentorship with attending providers and interdisciplinary case collaboration.

Program Leadership & Accreditation

The Fellowship leadership team brings extensive experience in safety-net medicine, interdisciplinary training, and postgraduate clinician development.

Kelli Greenleaf

Kelli Greenleaf, FNP-BC

APRN Primary Care Fellowship Director

Kelli Greenleaf is a Colorado Springs native. She completed her undergraduate and master’s degrees at the University of Colorado – Colorado Springs. She's been part of the APRN Fellowship program since 2016 and Program Director since 2021. Her approach to treating patients comes from the core values of caring and compassion. She strives to provide quality and compassionate care to all patients in this community that she loves.

Kelli believes in Peak Vista’s mission and supports the mission through the Primary Care Fellowship by contributing to training new APRNs to provide exceptional health care to community members facing access barriers through clinical education and mentorship.

Linda Estrada

Linda Estrada

Fellowship Program Coordinator

As a Colorado native, Linda always felt a strong calling to serve the underserved members of her community. She began her journey at Peak Vista in 2023 as a receptionist, where she experienced firsthand the realities of patient care and built meaningful relationships with those who rely on them most. That role deepened her compassion and strengthened her commitment to health care access for all.

"Today, as a Fellowship Coordinator, I’m honored to support our fellows as they learn and grow. I’m passionate about helping them see the impact they can make and guiding them to approach their work with empathy, purpose, and a heart for service."

Peak Vista’s Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Fellowship has earned accreditation through the ANCC Advanced Practice Provider Fellowship Accreditation™ (APPFA). This national credential recognizes excellence in postgraduate transition-to-practice programs for Advanced Practice Providers.

APPFA accreditation affirms that the FNP Fellowship meets nationally recognized standards for:
  • Curriculum design and competency-based development.
  • Structured clinical supervision and mentorship.
  • Milestone-based evaluation and progression.
  • Integration of quality improvement principles.
  • Professional development and leadership preparation.
This distinction reflects Peak Vista’s commitment to rigorous, high-quality postgraduate nurse practitioner education within a federally qualified health center serving diverse and underserved communities.

Peak Vista Community Health Centers operates within a nationally recognized framework of quality, safety, and regulatory oversight. Fellows train in an environment committed not only to clinical excellence, but also to ethical governance, accountability, and continuous organizational improvement.

Peak Vista maintains:
  • AAAHC Accreditation through the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, reflecting compliance with national standards for patient safety, clinical quality, governance, and performance improvement.
  • Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) designation, requiring federal quality reporting and adherence to Health Center Program standards.
  • Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) eligibility, providing medical malpractice liability protection under federal guidelines.
  • A Formal Corporate Compliance Plan and Standards of Conduct, ensuring adherence to federal and state regulations, ethical practice, and responsible stewardship of public resources.
Peak Vista embraces the Institute of Medicine’s definition of quality health care – care that is safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable. Fellows train within a system that integrates quality improvement, risk management, and regulatory compliance into everyday clinical practice.

Program Goals & Professional Development

Peak Vista’s Family Nurse Practitioner Fellowship is designed to strengthen clinical competence, professional confidence, and long-term commitment to safety-net practice. Our goals reflect both educational excellence and community impact, ensuring Fellows develop as skilled clinicians while expanding access to high-quality care.

The goals of Peak Vista’s Nurse Practitioner (APRN) Fellowship are to:
  • Increase access to high-quality care in underserved communities.
  • Support seamless transition into safety-net practice.
  • Strengthen interdisciplinary integration.
  • Improve APRN retention in community health settings.
  • Foster lifelong professional development.
  • Support prescriptive practice requirements consistent with Colorado DORA.

Beyond clinical immersion, the Fellowship emphasizes professional development and leadership formation. Fellows engage in structured learning experiences that promote lifelong learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and systems-level thinking within community health.

Fellows engage in professional development opportunities including:
  • Design and implementation of a QI project.
  • Conference and continuing education participation.
  • Journal subscriptions (FNP).
  • Participation in provider and interdisciplinary meetings.
Fellowship leadership regularly contributes to academic speaking engagements and professional conferences.

Application & Timeline

The Fellowship follows a consistent annual recruitment cycle to provide applicants with clarity and predictability. Prospective Fellows are encouraged to review important dates carefully and begin preparing materials early in the application window.

Typical annual timeline:
  • November: Application opens.
  • Mid-March: Application deadline.
  • March - April: Interviews conducted.
  • Spring: Admission decisions released.
  • September: Fellowship begins.
Applicants are encouraged to apply early. The Fellowship accepts five Fellows each year.

Peak Vista seeks motivated, service-oriented Nurse Practitioners who are prepared to engage in a structured, full-time postgraduate training experience. Eligibility criteria ensure applicants are clinically prepared, professionally aligned, and able to meet regulatory requirements for advanced practice in Colorado.

Applicants must:
  • Graduate from an accredited FNP or PMHNP program prior to orientation.
  • Be eligible for active and unrestricted Colorado RN and NP licensure.
  • Demonstrate RN clinical experience.
  • Commit to a 12-month, full-time program.
  • Submit required materials, including recommendations and essays.
Full requirements are available on the FNP Fellowship application page.

Informational sessions give prospective applicants and university faculty an opportunity to learn more about the FNP Fellowship’s structure, expectations and clinical experience.

These sessions typically take place during the application period and provide an opportunity to:
  • Meet Fellowship leadership.
  • Learn about the clinical training model.
  • Ask questions about eligibility and applying.
  • Better understand the transition-to-practice experience.
Session dates and access information will be posted when available.

Questions that Fellowship Applicants Ask Most

Program Structure & Experience

The Fellowship is a structured, competency-based training program with dedicated mentorship, protected learning time, and milestone evaluations. While Fellows provide patient care as licensed APRNs, the experience is intentionally designed for supervised skill development rather than independent, full productivity expectations.

Peak Vista offers a Nurse Practitioner Fellowship, which are similar in structure to what some institutions call a residency program. Both terms refer to structured postgraduate training designed to support transition into independent practice.

Application & Selection

The FNP Fellowship accepts five Fellows annually, and application volume varies year to year. Applicants are encouraged to apply early and ensure all materials are complete by the deadline.

Interviews typically occur in March and April following the application deadline. Selected applicants are contacted directly to schedule interviews after the review process begins.

Clinical Practice & Scope

Fellows provide direct patient care as licensed APRNs under structured supervision and mentorship. Clinical autonomy increases progressively throughout the year as competency milestones are achieved.

Yes. FNP Fellows participate in procedural clinics and specialty experiences that may include women’s health, pediatrics, dermatology and endocrinology.

Compensation & Benefits

Yes. The Fellowship is a full-time, salaried position with a competitive benefits package.

Fellows receive employee benefits consistent with Peak Vista policies. As part of a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), Peak Vista maintains eligibility for Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) malpractice liability protection.

Licensing & Eligibility

Applicants must be eligible for active and unrestricted Colorado RN and NP licensure prior to the start of the program. Licensure must be finalized before orientation.

Yes. While the program is designed for recent graduates, transitioning APRNs or those re-entering clinical practice may be considered based on experience and alignment with program goals.

For Universities & Faculty

Peak Vista welcomes partnerships with academic institutions and encourages faculty to share Fellowship opportunities with eligible graduating students. Information session links and promotional materials can be provided upon request.

Yes. Fellowship leadership regularly participates in virtual presentations, Q&A sessions, and professional development events. Universities may contact the Fellowship team to coordinate speaking engagements.