EVERETT, WA – Washington State University’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine has launched its first fellowship program in partnership with Providence Regional Medical Center Everett. The Critical Care Medicine Fellowship–Everett expands the college’s medical education offerings to train more doctors in-state and will help address a growing national and statewide shortage of intensive care specialists.
“This new fellowship is a vital step toward strengthening the critical care workforce in Washington and beyond,” said Program Director Dr. Tomasz Ziedalski. “We are proud to offer a rigorous, community-based training experience that prepares physicians to work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams and deliver high-quality care to the sickest patients.”
The new openings are a step forward in the college’s work to alleviate severe physician shortages facing Washington in primary care as well as specialty care. The two-year program will train physicians to care for critically ill patients in an intensive care unit (ICU) setting, providing subspecialty training to doctors after they earn a medical degree and complete residency training.
Fellows will deepen their clinical expertise and gain the confidence to manage complex cases by completing rotations in Providence Regional Medical Center’s dedicated cardiovascular, medical, neurological, surgical, and trauma ICUs, which provide intensive care to the Puget Sound region.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Washington State University’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine on this innovative fellowship program,” said Cambree McCoy, medical education manager at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett. “This partnership underscores our commitment to advancing medical education and addressing the critical need for skilled intensivists. By nurturing the next generation of ICU specialists right here in Everett, we are investing in the future of patient care and reinforcing our commitment to serving our community.”
The program will help address an ongoing shortage of ICU specialists impacting hospitals nationwide, a challenge exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and an aging population. It will also help attract more physicians to the Pacific Northwest, which until now has had only two accredited critical care fellowships.
“This program is a direct investment in the health of our communities,” said David Aufdencamp, designated institutional official at the WSU College of Medicine. “Our demonstrated success of the WSU Internal Medicine Residency Program and partnership with Providence Regional Medical Center makes it to possible to further academic medicine in the region.”
The fellowship program will have a collaborative relationship with WSU’s Internal Medicine Residency Program–Everett at Providence, allowing fellows to teach residents and providing an opportunity for internal medicine residents to continue their training in critical care, which is a subspecialty of internal medicine.
“Having a critical care fellowship at the same institution as our internal medicine residency enhances the academic and clinical environment by offering residents hands-on guidance and real-time feedback from near-peer educators,” said Dr. Matthew Hansen, director of the residency program. “The addition of a fellowship program is a testament to Providence Regional Medical Center’s commitment to academic excellence, something that I believe will attract high-caliber applicants and encourage residents to stay for a fellowship, bringing additional doctors to the community.”
Graduate medical education programs play a key role in alleviating physician shortages by training skilled physicians in the communities where they are needed most. In addition to the internal medicine residency, the WSU College of Medicine trains primary care providers through a Family Medicine Residency Program in Pullman and a Pediatric Residency Program in Spokane, the first of its kind in eastern Washington.
The ACGME-accredited critical care medicine fellowship will accept two fellows per year. Applications open on July 2 for the inaugural class, which will begin training in the summer of 2026. More information about the application process is available online.
