Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Strategic Leadership Fellowship

The Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Strategic Leadership Fellowship is an immersive leadership program designed for APPs in director roles or above. This program combines interactive sessions, leadership assessments and a strategic ROI-focused leadership change initiative to help participants develop the capabilities needed to lead complex health care organizations.

Why Join This Program?   
The APP Strategic Leadership Fellowship prepares advanced practice providers in senior roles to lead with influence, drive change, and deliver measurable impact. With guidance from nationally recognized faculty, you’ll engage in immersive learning, lead a strategic initiative, and strengthen your financial, operational, and strategic skills. You’ll also gain a powerful peer network from across the country, expanding your influence and support. By the end, you’ll have the confidence and perspective to advance your career and shape the future of healthcare leadership as an APP.

What You’ll Gain:   

• Explore multiple leadership models and apply them to real-world challenges.
• Lead a strategic leadership change initiative that demonstrates measurable organizational impact.
• Build influence through stakeholder engagement, advocacy, institutional politics and digital leadership.
• Enhance strategic decision-making in finance, operations and innovation.
• Reflect on career trajectory, leadership legacy and lifelong development to advance toward executive roles.

Who Should Apply?   
Advanced practice providers at the director level or above. Job title is not the determining factor, but rather the role and responsibilities of the applicant’s position as detailed in a current job description.      

Program Structure   

In addition to learning sessions, participants will:   

• Complete assigned pre-work prior to each session, including assessments.
• Apply concepts from the program to implement a leadership change initiative in a work setting and share results at the end of the program.
• Meet with an executive coach for 3, 60-minute virtual sessions to support their leadership development.

Program Expectations   
Participants are expected to:    

• Attend all live learning sessions as scheduled (27 hours) 
  • Must attend at least 80% of the scheduled learning session time to be eligible for continuing education credits and a certificate of completion. All missed sessions require make-up work to be eligible for credits and a certificate
• Complete assigned pre-work for each session (~1 hour per session, 7 hours total) 
  • Pre-work may include readings, videos, podcasts, and psychometric assessments to help contextualize the content and conversations of the live learning sessions. 
• Complete a leadership change initiative and share results (~13 hours) 
  • Collect baseline data to substantiate that a problem needs to be addressed. 
  • Meet with your executive sponsor about your initiative between each learning session for support and to troubleshoot challenges.  
  • Apply concepts from the learning sessions into the development of a plan for your initiative.
  • Conduct the necessary work in your area to make progress on your initiative.

Testimonials     

“It is a very good program.  It has been very thoughtfully structured and addresses very important topics necessary for anyone who aspires to take leadership role.”

“It was really inspiring and breathed some life into me. Hearing about other APPs across the organization, having similar challenges was comforting. And meeting the ones who are already in leadership roles, gave me confidence that I could move in that direction.”

“I have grown as a person and a leader in this program. I was surprised with the time and chance to share connections with fellow colleagues.  I feel elevated and humbled of all the information I learned in this program.”

Partnership  
This program is developed in collaboration with the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL).
 

Accreditation Statement and Continuing Education      

UCSF Leadership Institute is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. Participants will be awarded up to 27 Contact Hour(s) for participation in the course. 

By attending the Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Strategic Leadership Fellowship offered by the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL), participants may earn up to 27 ACHE Qualifying Education Hours toward initial certification or recertification of the Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) designation.

Cost: $7,500

Apply Here

Application Deadline: November 21, 2025

Notified of Acceptance: January 2026

Deadline to Confirm Participation: February 2026  

FAQs

1. What are the expectations of the leadership change initiative?
   1. As part of the fellowship, participants will design and carry out a leadership change initiative within their own organization. This initiative should allow fellows to apply concepts learned throughout the program to a real-world initiative that addresses an identified need or opportunity. Initiatives are intentionally flexible in scope and focus but should demonstrate measurable impact and provide a clear return on investment to the sponsoring organization for supporting the fellow’s participation. Fellows must identify an executive sponsor to support them throughout the development and implementation of the initiative and to submit a letter of support for their participation in the fellowship. To be eligible for a certificate and continuing education credits, a full proposal or plan for implementing the initiative must be presented by the end of the program.