Program overview
The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) offers a one-year, full-time fellowship in Perioperative Quality, Safety, and Leadership, a unique program that focuses on the principles and practice of patient quality, safety, and leadership in the complex perioperative environment. The program, which started in 2016, is distinct in its hands-on approach to investigating, analyzing, and improving significant patient quality and safety issues in the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative (PACU) areas. Up to three positions are available annually, making this a highly competitive opportunity.
HUP perioperative services encompass 55 operating rooms (inpatient and outpatient), 11 procedural rooms (Cardiology), and ten endoscopy rooms, performing over 55,000 procedures annually. Progressive supervision and mentorship are provided by on-site Perioperative leadership, which consists of faculty and staff from surgery, anesthesia, and nursing with unique experience and knowledge in safety, quality, and leadership in perioperative patient care. The structured curriculum, developed and taught by Penn faculty and staff, includes readings, seminars, training, and projects designed to educate fellows regarding (among other things) clinical errors and human factors engineering, root cause analysis, process improvement, measurement of clinical quality, Six Sigma, team training, in-situ simulation, and change management.
This comprehensive program not only aims to develop future leaders in perioperative services but also provides a unique opportunity for personal and professional growth. It equips fellows with the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in quality and safety leadership roles, offering a rewarding and challenging experience.
Applicant qualifications
Applicants should envision a clinical career trajectory that would include administration and/or management in perioperative services. Most competitive candidates will likely come from anesthesia (includes CRNA), surgery, nursing, and/or advanced practice providers (APP). Operating room experience is mandatory. Physician candidates must have completed two years of training in an ACGME approved program. They also must send, prior to interview, a letter of support from the program director or department chairperson and if applicable, documentation of visa status. Nursing, APP, or other clinically experienced candidates must have at least a bachelor’s degree and a minimum of five years work experience, including two years in a perioperative area (OR, preop, PACU). Prior to interview non-physician applicants must send a letter of support from the director of OR nursing or the OR director of their hospital. Salary and benefits are commensurate with level of training and experience. Interested qualified candidates should apply through the Penn Medicine Career Site.
Leadership team
John Keogh, MD
Program Director
Associate Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology and Critical Care
Anesthesiology Clinical Director
Daniel Wilson, RN BSN CNOR
Program Coordinator
Director Perioperative Services, Patient Flow and Quality Analytics
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Elizabeth Valentine, MD FASA
Anesthesia Clinical Co-Director HUP Pavilion OR
Associate Professor of Clinical Anesthesia and Critical Care
Hospital of the of the University of Pennsylvania
Apply to the fellowship program
To apply to the Periop Safety and Management Fellowship please contact the Program Director, John Keogh, MD at John.Keogh@pennmedicine.upenn.edu Program Coordinator, Daniel Wilson BSN RN CNOR at Daniel.Wilson@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.
Current safety fellows
Mary Paulson BS
Mary joins us from our very own Perioperative Patient Care Unit (PCU) and has been a valuable member of this team since 2021. Mary also has experience as a certified nursing assistant in critical care as well as being a staff supervisor in her time as a perianesthesia technician at Christina Hospital. Mary received her Bachelor of Health Sciences from Wilmington University and is BLS certified. Mary is pursuing her MHA at Wilmington University and plans for a career in patient safety administration.
Chelsea Tuohy MBA MSN RN CAPA
Chelsea is a registered nurse joining us from Jefferson University Hospital. Chelsea has extensive perioperative experience including preoperative and postoperative nursing at Jefferson University Hospital. Chelsea has also worked as a registered nurse for Jefferson surgical trauma unit an adjunct clinical instructor for surgical and perioperative units. She received her Bachelor of Science from Drexel University and completed her MSN and MBA degrees from Wilmington University in 2021. Chelsea is also certified in ACLS and holds her CAPA and MEDSURG-BC certifications and pursuing a career in healthcare administration.
Allan Kniffin BSN RN
Allan is a registered nurse joining us from Phoenixville Hospital. Allan’s perioperative experience includes intraoperative nursing at Jefferson University Hospital as well as the role of OR Clinical Coordinator at Phoenixville Hospital. Allan has also worked as a registered nurse on the Clinical Decision Unit at Chester County Hospital, MSKR Service line at Penn Medicine Radnor, and brain injury unit at Magee Rehab. He received his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Holy Family University and a previous degree in Exercise Science Kinesiology from the University of Scranton. Allan will be pursuing a career in healthcare administration.