Codman launches a residency for nurse practitioners

Dr. Stephen Tringale, Kyla Beguin, Rebecca Hooper, Nnemdi Azubuko, Marta Escriu-Suñé

The Codman Square Health Center last week announced the opening of the inaugural year of its Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Residency program, welcoming two newly graduated FNPs: Nnemdi Azubuko, a Dorchester native, and Spanish-born Marta Escriu-Suñé.

After a 12-month residency, Nnemdi and Marta will be at Codman as family medicine providers for at least a one-year post-residency. Codman has long been an organization that embraces training and education, hosting medical interns, nursing students, and a robust Family Medicine Residency through the Boston University School of Medicine.

CSHC also hosts residencies in internal medicine, pediatrics, optometry, and dental, and has hired and trained many newly graduated nurse practitioners. 

This FNP residency will formalize and expand on that training, preparing a cohort of high functioning, diverse nurse practitioners who will become leaders in community health. 

“Codman does an excellent job pairing high quality training with excellent patient care,” said Kyla Biegun, FNP at Codman for eight years and the center’s Interim Residency director.

codman nurse Nnemdi and patient REP 46-20.jpg
Codman FNP Nnemdi Azubuko and a patient

Nurse practitioners have been part of providing community care at Codman since the mid-1970s, when Massachusetts passed legislation allowing advanced practice nurses to evaluate, diagnose, and treat patients.

“Nurse practitioners play an important role at Codman,” Biegun continued, “and this residency will elevate the NP here and in the fields of Family Medicine and Community Health.”

Residencies are a relatively new part of an NP education; Codman’s pioneering program is among the first in the country. The residents in the inaugural program were selected out of many candidates who were considered for their language skills and connection to the community.

Nnemdi Azubuko is a native of Dorchester and completed her undergraduate degree at Bridgewater State University. She earned her masters in science at Yale School of Nursing, where she developed an interest in providing care for marginalized communities. She completed additional course work in gender and health justice to learn about providing care to individuals living with HIV/AIDS, substance use disorder, and members of the LGBTQIA communities. Nnemdi enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and cooking.

Marta Escriu-Suñé was born and raised in Catalonia, Spain. She completed her undergraduate degree in Biology at UMass Boston and earned her PhD from UMass Worchester Graduate School of Nursing.  While in school, she volunteered with a global health group, training community health workers in the Dominican Republic to manage hypertension among Haitian migrant workers. She also has experience working with homeless families in Boston.

She has worked as a case manager and nurse at two community health centers in Boston and is especially interested in women’s health, immigrant health, and addiction medicine. Outside of the clinic she enjoys hiking, reading, art, and dancing.


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