West Hartford's USJ Expands Healthcare Training Partnership

WEST HARTFORD, CT — The University of Saint Joseph is expanding clinical training opportunities for its nursing and physician assistant students through a partnership with Southern New England Healthcare Organization (SoNE HEALTH).

The collaboration, established through an academic affiliation agreement in fall 2025, allows qualified USJ students to complete supervised clinical rotations at participating SoNE HEALTH practices in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

The partnership currently serves students enrolled in the university's nurse practitioner and physician assistant programs, providing opportunities to work alongside experienced healthcare professionals in clinical settings.

Students have already completed rotations at Personal Primary Care and Weight Management LLC, REVIVE Center for Health & Wellness, PLLC, and Healing Pulse Medical, according to a Sept. 17 announcement from the organizations.

The agreement is designed to help students apply classroom instruction to patient care while gaining experience in coordinated healthcare services.

“We believe that part of a medical professional’s career should be educating students who will become future colleagues. All who have learned from mentors become mentors; students become teachers,” said Dr. Uberti, chief medical officer at SoNE HEALTH.

“This collaboration is increasingly important given the shortage of providers, in particular primary care providers, in Connecticut and Massachusetts,” Uberti said.

Clinical Rotations For Nursing And PA Students

USJ's nurse practitioner program includes family nurse practitioner and psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner tracks.

Students in those programs may complete semester-based clinical rotations under the supervision of physicians, osteopathic physicians or independently practicing advanced practice registered nurses.

The university's physician assistant program includes nine clinical rotations lasting approximately five weeks each. Core rotations include family medicine, pediatrics, and internal medicine.

The organizations said the partnership could eventually expand to students pursuing other healthcare-related degrees, including social work, pharmacy, nursing, dietetics and public health.

Michelle Kalis, USJ's provost, said clinical placements are an important part of preparing students for healthcare careers.

“At the University of Saint Joseph, we prepare students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed as healthcare professionals, and high-quality clinical experiences are an important part of that education,” Kalis said.

“Our partnership with SoNE HEALTH provides valuable opportunities for our students to apply that preparation in clinical settings, and we look forward to continuing to grow the collaboration.”

Talah Khan, a physician at participating practice Personal Primary Care, also emphasized the importance of mentoring students.

“SoNE HEALTH participating practice Personal Primary Care is proud to partner with USJ to help precept and mentor the next generation of providers, to provide patient-centered care,” Khan said.

Partnership Could Expand

The organizations said they are considering additional clinical learning opportunities for students enrolled in other USJ programs, including those pursuing master's degrees in social work and public health, doctorates in pharmacy, bachelor's degrees in nursing and qualifications in dietetics.

SoNE HEALTH is a physician-owned and physician-governed healthcare network focused on population health and coordinated patient care. The University of Saint Joseph, based in West Hartford, offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs, including several in healthcare. More information about the organizations is available at usj.edu and sonehealthcare.com.