Welcome from the Program Director
Welcome to our new Transitional Year residency program. We are thrilled to have you join us at the start of this exciting journey.
I have been involved in medical education since my time as a young resident and have had aspirations of teaching doctors since I was in undergrad. I am also core faculty with the Family Medicine program here at Mercy Fairfield. With the growing number of programs, specialties, and medical schools in the Cincinnati area, we have seen the need for a Transitional Year program. I am excited to help make this a reality for a resident to come home or to explore what Cincinnati has to offer.
Our program emphasizes high-quality, well-rounded, and personalized foundations in clinical medicine that can equip a resident with the tools, training, and confidence to not only be ready for the next step in their career path, but to be the best physician they can be in every step thereafter. We also want to emphasize strong community medicine and service to better our community and to simultaneously meet the needs of the underserved populations around us.
As a new residency program, we offer a wealth of opportunities for you to help shape your future and the learning environment. We not only offer excellent clinical training, but opportunities to grow as leaders in the profession. Through self-directed learning and increasing autonomy, you will become proficient and fully prepared to excel in whatever your future holds.
Our residency program features a new continuity clinic, specifically designed for new trainees. Here, you will spend time providing high-quality care to your patient panel and collaborating closely with your care teams. The continuity clinic will offer comprehensive opportunities to manage acute, chronic, and preventive care, as well as hands-on experience with various procedures, including skin biopsies, joint injections, nail removals, cryotherapy, and osteopathic manipulative medicine.
The program is designed to offer a broad clinical base of rotations and experiences, while allowing for a tailored and flexible program to meet individual career goals. The program is also designed to meet the needs of various applicants. This can include:
- Those who need a foundational clinical year before entering a specific specialty program such as dermatology, neurology, ophthalmology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, anesthesiology, radiology, radiation oncology, or others.
- Applicants who seek a broad foundational year in clinical medicine before applying to another specialty.
- Medical school graduates who need a year of foundational clinical medicine prior to serving in Public Health Service, in the military as a General Medical Officer (GMO), or as a primary Flight or Undersea Medicine physician.
- Those who need at least 1 year of broad clinical foundational medicine before entering the field of research or administration.
- Medical school graduates who would like a year of broad clinical medicine foundation before choosing a primary care specialty such as internal medicine or family medicine, but are unsure of which path to pursue.
Mercy Health Fairfield is an ideal setting for learning, with its 211-bed, community-based hospital offering a wide range of specialties and ample educational opportunities. As a cornerstone of the Butler County community, the hospital excels in areas such as heart failure management, orthopedics, and stroke care, among other quality measures. Our staff is excited to welcome new medical residents and is eager to support you throughout your training.
I am excited to go on this journey and adventure with you. I am excited to see the physicians and leaders you will become.
Sean M. Johnson, DO, MPH
Program Director - Transitional Year Residency Program
Mercy Health Fairfield Hospital
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Sean Johnson, DO, MPH | Program Director
Medical School: Edward Via College Of Osteopathic Medicine - Carolinas Campus Dr. Johnson is a Family Medicine physician dual-board certified in Family Medicine and OMT. Prior to joining Mercy Health in 2025, he served as faculty and as a preceptor within several medical schools and residency programs. He has held numerous leadership and committee positions within the AOA, ACOFP, OOA, and the Dayton District Academy, and also served as an editor for the Yale Journal of Health Policy, Law, and Ethics. He is the recipient of the Outstanding Family Medicine award from Ohio University, Ohio ACOFP Young Family Physician of the Year, and was recently featured in US News and World Report from the American Osteopathic Foundation with the State Emerging Leader Award. He received his Master of Public Health from Yale University, focusing on informatics, health policy, advocacy, and health equity, particularly within the disability community. Among these professional interests, Dr. Johnson also focuses on preventive and lifestyle medicine, physician and medical trainee wellbeing and self-advocacy, as well as interests in medical mission trips. In his free time, Dr. Johnson enjoys Ohio sports, golf, obstacle course races, and time with his wife and two boys. |
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Melissa A. Jensen, PhD | Associate Program Director
Clinical Psychology PhD: University of Toledo Dr. Melissa Jensen is a clinical psychologist with more than a decade of experience as an integrated Behavioral Health Consultant (BHC) in primary care. She joined Mercy Health in 2016 as a BHC and later additionally served as Clinical Director of Behavioral Health Integration for the Cincinnati market before joining the faculty of the Mercy Health Fairfield Family Medicine Residency Program in 2025. In 2025 she received the award for Outstanding Specialist for Mercy Health. Dr. Jensen earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Toledo. She completed her predoctoral internship in integrated primary care at Cherokee Health Systems in Knoxville, Tennessee, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the Dayton VA Medical Center, where she specialized in primary care behavioral health integration. Dr. Jensen is passionate about collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to improve access to behavioral health services, reduce barriers to care, and promote whole-person health. Her clinical and educational work focuses on integrating behavioral health into primary care while training the next generation of physicians and psychologists. Outside of work, Dr. Jensen enjoys running, practicing yoga, gardening, and spending time with her husband and their two children. |
Contact Us
Program Coordinator: Grace Hardtke
Email: gdanis@mercy.com
Phone: 513-870-7859