Program Overview - Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital
The practice of pulmonary disease and critical care medicine rests on a demanding foundation that asks for clinical precision, intellectual discipline, and a steady regard for the patient at the center of every decision. Our 36-month, ACGME-accredited fellowship program is designed to prepare the next generation of physicians for clinical excellence, integrity, and service. We foster habits of lifelong learning, reflective practice, and teaching, enabling our graduates to grow as clinicians, educators, and leaders in both academic and community-based medicine.
A Premier Clinical Training Ground
St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital (SEYH) serves as the primary clinical site for the fellowship. As the flagship institution within a regional healthcare system, SEYH functions as a tertiary referral center for a five-county catchment area, serving more than 730,000 residents across Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania.
Our facility is designated as a Level I Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons, as well as a Thrombectomy-Capable and Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission. We maintain approximately 70 intensive care unit beds distributed among medical, surgical, thoracic, trauma, coronary care, and neurocritical care units.
Unrivaled Clinical Breadth and Complexity
Fellows encounter a robust mix of inpatient pathology, reflecting the heavy burden of chronic disease in our diverse community. Clinical complexity is consistently high due to frequent transfers of high-acuity patients from smaller regional hospitals. This referral pattern provides exceptional exposure to advanced disease states, delayed presentations, and resource-intensive care.
You will develop mastery in managing respiratory failure, severe sepsis, shock, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), multi-organ failure, advanced COPD, pulmonary hypertension, and neuromuscular respiratory failure. Because we serve a population with wide socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic diversity, our training strongly reinforces health equity, triage decision-making, and responsible resource utilization.
Dynamic Ambulatory and Specialized Off-Site Experiences
Our program recognizes that outpatient medicine requires continuity and an understanding of patient context. Ambulatory training is highly integrated; fellows participate in a longitudinal half-day weekly continuity clinic, alongside intensive subspecialty clinics focusing on interstitial lung disease, lung nodule evaluation, sleep medicine, and a post-ICU recovery clinic.
To ensure a comprehensive education, core training is supplemented by advanced off-site rotations. Fellows complete a dedicated one-month rotation at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center for concentrated experience in advanced heart failure and lung transplantation. Additionally, fellows complete a specialized rotation in the Akron Children's Hospital Burn Unit, an American Burn Association-certified center, focusing on thermal injury and complex multisystem trauma. To ensure these rotations do not burden our trainees, the institution provides housing accommodations at no cost and mileage reimbursement, and excuses fellows from overnight call immediately prior to travel.
A Commitment to Scholarship and Procedural Excellence
Before performing invasive interventions on patients, incoming fellows receive formal instruction in our Simulation Lab and Education Center. Here, you will use simulations and task trainers to master skills such as central and arterial line placement, advanced airway management, and bronchoscopy.
The academic curriculum is anchored by a robust didactic schedule that features a monthly Pulmonary/Critical Care Case Conference, Journal Club, Morbidity and Mortality Conference, and Research Seminar. Furthermore, because clinical excellence alone is not sufficient in modern healthcare, we provide a structured practice management curriculum, offering workshops on healthcare economics, billing, quality improvement, and patient safety.
A Culture of Well-Being and Professionalism
We believe that self-care and mutual support are essential components of medical professionalism. Our program strictly adheres to the ACGME 80-hour work week limit and provides comprehensive training in fatigue mitigation and alertness management. Fellows are supported by a positive clinical learning environment that prioritizes psychological safety, respect, and immediate access to mental health resources.
By choosing St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital, you are joining a community of physicians committed to compassionate care. We invite you to explore our program and discover how we can help you build a durable professional identity and a rewarding career in Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine.
Accreditation Status
Program Name: St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital/NEOMED Pulmonary disease and critical care medicine fellowship
ACGME ID number: 1563814002
Accreditation Status: Initial Accreditation
Next Site Visit (Approximate): April 01, 2028
Length of Training: Three years
Total Approved Fellow Positions: 9 - 3 per year