Hospital Medicine Advanced Practice Provider Post Graduate Training Program

Sarah Rose Sabo is the director of advanced practice providers (APPs) for the Department of Medicine at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, and the regional APP director for Hospital Medicine, D.C. Southern Region. After graduating in 2005 from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Nursing with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Sarah began her career at Virginia Commonwealth University Health Systems, first in the Surgical Trauma Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and later in the Emergency department (ED). During her five years at this level-one trauma center, Sarah provided skilled comprehensive care to diverse populations of critically-ill surgical patients and traumatically injured patients. In the ED, she was responsible for physical assessments to identify and manage life-sustaining functions in unstable patients and treated acute and chronically ill adults. After a short stint in the ICU at Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center in Virginia, she joined MedStar Washington in 2010. That same year, she graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Nursing with a Master of Science in Nursing, Acute Care Nurse Practitioner.

As a director, Sarah manages more than 80 advanced practice providers in 13 specialty areas. She serves as an advocate to ensure her team is practicing at the top of their licenses and is an expert on compliance, competency, regulatory and policy issues, and scope of practice. In her role as regional APP director for Hospital Medicine, D.C. Southern Region, Sarah oversees the Hospital Medicine advanced practice providers at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital, and MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center. Sarah sits on the MedStar Health APP Council; MedStar Washington APP Leadership Council; MedStar Health Hospital Medicine Clinical Practice Committee; Clinical Quality Improvement & Safety Committee; Handoff Steering Committee; VTE Committee; Antibiotic subcommittee; co-lead for the MRSA Reduction Committee. Hospital Medicine Peer review; She is also the safety officer for the Department of Medicine. She holds memberships in the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the Society of Hospital Medicine.

Amanda Kurtz is the Regional Director of Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) for Hospital Medicine, MedStar Northern region.

Amanda started her career as a Physician Assistant after graduating top of her class from the AACC/St. Francis University PA program in 2004. During her clinical year, Amanda had several rotations at MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital (MGSH) including internal medicine. While there, she solidified her desire to work in an acute care setting managing complex medical patients on a highly functioning multidisciplinary team. The nurturing educational environment that she experienced at MedStar made for an obvious choice when selecting her first PA job.

Amanda's initial role at MGSH was on a  cardiac telemetry unit providing cross-coverage and doing admissions. In 2008 she became Chief APP at MGSH and started the journey to lead the team to full integration with the hospital medicine department. In 2014, as the MedStar hospitals moved towards the vision of systemness, Amanda transitioned to a dual Chief role for both MGSH and MedStar Union Memorial Hospital HM APP teams.

In 2021, Amanda became the first Regional Director for Hospital Medicine APPs in the system. In that role, she oversees more than 55 APPs who provide 24/7 coverage for the hospital medicine service at MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, MedStar Harbor Hospital, and Medstar Montgomery Medical Center.

At the system level, Amanda is the co-chair of the executively sponsored MedStar Advanced Practice Advisory Council and an APP representative on the MedStar Medical Group Governing Council. She also participates on the HM Clinical Practice Council, Mortality Review Committee, Peer Review Committee, Wellbeing Committee, HM Informatics Committee, and MGSH/MUMH Credentials Committee and Medical Executive Committees.

She holds memberships with the Society of Hospital Medicine and the American Academy of Physician Assistants.

Essence Wilson is the Project Manager for Hospital Medicine for Medstar North and South regions.

Essence started her career in healthcare as a Medical Assistant in Occupational health in 2008. In conjunction to her clinical responsibilities, she discovered a passion for orienting and leading innovative projects to advance internal processes at a walk-in clinic. During her clinical years she worked in emergency medicine, ambulatory, pediatrics, and breast surgery before transitioning to an administrative role in service excellence devoting time to improving the patient experience. In 2019, She served as a project administrator in the pediatric Intensive care unit working alongside over 200 nurses to improve bedside care to patients and organize educational programs for new graduate nurses. In 2021 she obtained a system position focused on educating healthcare professionals on LEAN methodologies while focusing on a system sepsis project to improve sepsis detection and administration of antibiotics.

Essence’s initial passion for healthcare began with a clinical focus which matured into a disciplinary concentration on administrative support in advancing and managing healthcare processes. Possessing a clinical background yielded advanced intel into the intricacies of the healthcare system and preexisting bottle necks. In efforts to match talent with passion Essence began working at the system level with Medstar hospital medicine. Providing support to all nine Medstar hospital medicine teams and aiding in implementing projects while supporting the hospital medicine Clinical Practice Council.

Essence holds a membership with the National Society of Success and leadership, the National Association of Health Services Executives Baltimore Chapter, and the American College of Healthcare Executives. She also manages projects for Hospital Medicine Clinical Operations, Informatics committee as well as supports the Research Education Committee in Hospital Medicine, Hospital Medicine Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity committee, and the Hospital medicine PEER Review Committee.