Emergency Medicine Acute Pain Management Fellowship
Welcome to the St. Joseph’s Health Emergency Medicine Acute Pain Management Fellowship
The Department of Emergency Medicine at St. Joseph’s Health is proud to offer a comprehensive, multidisciplinary one-year Acute Pain Management Fellowship. This non-ACGME accredited program is uniquely tailored for emergency physicians seeking advanced training in multimodal, compassionate pain care.
Our fellowship trains future leaders in emergency pain management, preparing them to treat both acute and chronic pain across diverse emergency department populations. Fellows gain procedural expertise, participate in high-impact research, and contribute to educational efforts across multiple departments and specialties.
Founded in 2015, our fellowship program helped launch the nationally recognized Alternatives to Opioids (ALTO) bipartisan bill, which has since shaped hospital protocols and national policy. Fellows are encouraged to develop an academic or clinical niche—whether in regional anesthesia, addiction medicine, research, or policy innovation—and actively participate in advancing the specialty through education, scholarship, and multidisciplinary system improvement.
Fellowship Highlights
- Duration: 1 year
- Compensation: $115,000/year salary + $5,000 CME allowance
- Benefits: thorough ApolloMD
- Clinical Hours: 72 hours/month, with opportunities to moonlight at the attending rate
- Academic Engagement: National and regional speaking opportunities encouraged and supported
- Custom-Tailored Curriculum:
Fellows rotate through key areas of pain management, including:- Emergency Medicine Acute Pain Service
- Sports Medicine
- Palliative Care
- Addiction Medicine
- Inpatient Acute Pain Service
- Operating Room Regional Anesthesia
- Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
- Outpatient Pain Management Clinic
Research & Scholarly Activity
Fellows engage in meaningful research and quality improvement projects that contribute to the evolving landscape of emergency pain management. From protocol development to publishing in peer-reviewed journals and presenting at national meetings, you’ll have support to grow your academic portfolio.
Application Process
Application Period: July 1 – October 1
Start Date: Following July
Application Requirements:
- Curriculum Vitae
- Letter of Interest
- Two Letters of Recommendation
Submit all materials to:
Dr. Katherine Vlasica
✉️ vlasicak@sjhmc.org
Fellowship Director Bio
Katherine Vlasica, DO, FACEP
Fellowship Director, Acute Pain Management
Medical Director of Emergency Medicine Pain Management
Clinical Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, RowanSOM
Board of Directors, Pain and Addiction Care in the Emergency Department, ACEP
Dr. Katherine Vlasica is the director of the Acute Pain Management Fellowship and serves as Medical Director of EM Pain Management at St. Joseph’s Health. She works closely with residents, fellows, and faculty to expand procedural pain management skills and promote safe, effective alternatives to opioids in the emergency department.
Her work focuses on integrating ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia into emergency care, advancing education across departments, and supporting innovative approaches to treating pain and substance use. Dr. Vlasica has contributed to national and international education efforts through lectures, publications, and guideline development, and remains committed to helping the next generation of trainees grow into confident, compassionate leaders in pain care. Dr. Vlasica has published widely, contributed to platforms like Corependium and 5min Sono, and served as Chair of ACEP’s national PACED accreditation program.
Meet the Fellow: 2025–2026
Jess Carlo, DO
Dr. Carlo is originally from Morristown, NJ. After graduating from NJIT and Rowan School of Osteopathic Medicine, she completed her emergency medicine residency at St. Joseph’s. She chose to stay for the Acute Pain Fellowship, where she is pursuing her passion for addiction medicine and exploring creative, patient-centered approaches to pain in the emergency setting.
