Wheeler Health Begins Residency Program in Primary Care, Psychiatry

Wheeler Health has begun its first residency program for nurse practitioners and physician assistants, designed to cultivate clinical leaders in community health.

The inaugural class of four primary care and psychiatry residents started in September, the result of more than two years of planning and development.

Residents Jenna Lundquist and Christian Todzia (primary care), and Danielle Luft and Jenna Rossi (psychiatry) come to Wheeler with a wide range of clinical, educational, and professional experiences and were selected from dozens of applications based on, in part, their demonstrated commitment to community health. 

Two residency tracks, primary care and psychiatry, provide a high-quality, patient-centered training and mentoring environment within an innovative Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) setting and in Wheeler’s programs across the state. The residents are all already licensed to provide care, but the residency supports and empowers them through additional training to become competent, patient-centered clinical practitioners who will make a meaningful impact in Connecticut’s communities most at risk and in need of accessible, high-quality health care. The program was developed internally by a team of Wheeler leaders from health center administration, human resources, marketing, nursing, primary care, psychiatry, and quality.

“When we conceived of the idea of developing a residency, we knew we wanted to nurture independent clinicians who could support patients with all of the social determinants of health we work with every day,” said Rebecca Eleck-Bruce, MD, Wheeler’s primary care medical director. “In just a few weeks, we can already see that our residents are naturally drawn to the unique challenges we face in community-based care, and their experience here today will make them much better providers throughout their careers.”

“Our psychiatry residents are carrying on a very long tradition at Wheeler of innovation in the treatment of mental health and looking at the whole person,” adds Michael Twist, DO, Wheeler’s psychiatric medical director. “We are a unique organization, and our residents will get a clinical experience unlike anywhere else in the state.”

Wheeler's residents engage in a wide variety of activities throughout the program, including specialty clinics, mentor clinics, didactic sessions, and administration. Specialty clinics include pediatrics, addiction medicine, psychiatry/behavioral health, gender-affirming care, SPRAVATO® (esketamine) therapy for treatment-resistant depression, TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) for highly effective treatment of depression and anxiety without use of medication, mobile health care in the community, and more.  Wheeler offers more than 120 programs, serving 90 percent of the state’s cities and towns, and more than 60,000 people each year.

Applications for next year's class of residents will open soon. 

MEET OUR RESIDENTS

Danielle Luft, APRN, psychiatric nurse practitioner, comes to Wheeler from another federally qualified health center in the state, and also has a wide range of clinical experiences in hospital systems in Connecticut and Arizona.  She cites her experience working at Smilow Cancer Hospital as foundational in inspiring a passion for being a provider who can support patients by providing consistent emotional and spiritual support, listening to their thoughts, concerns, and fears.

Jenna Lundquist, DNP, has focused her specialties on pediatric care, with additional experience in urgent care, inpatient psychiatry, long-term care, primary care, orthopedics, and more.   She is drawn to Wheeler by the organization’s approach to whole-person integrated care, and was moved by the connections between primary care and behavioral health while observing the effects of COVID-19 on the mental health of her patients.

Jenna Rossi, PMHNP-BC, MSN, CNL, comes to Wheeler from health systems and organizations in Maine that range from emergency departments to community health centers and university health services. She also cites Wheeler’s holistic approach to whole-person care and how she appreciates being able to pull a wide range of resources offered internally to improve her patients’ overall health.

Christian Todzia, APRN-FNP, most recently specialized in supporting hundreds of patients seeking methadone and addiction treatment every day at a nearby local provider, and has a passion for encouraging patients through their recovery process. He has extensive experience in inpatient mental health care, as well as home health care. He has been a registered nurse for more than a decade, and served in the US Army as an airborne infantryman.