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Saint Vincent College, Independence Health System collaborate to encourage healthcare careers

Saint Vincent College, Independence Health System collaborate to encourage healthcare careers

by Public Relations | October 09, 2024

One-hundred high school juniors and seniors have already enrolled in the inaugural Future Masters of Medicine program.

LATROBE, PA – The World Health Organization is projecting a shortage of 10 million healthcare workers around the globe by 2030. The United States is already anticipating the shortage of nurses and doctors to number in the hundreds of thousands. Saint Vincent College and Independence Health System have joined forces to provide a local solution to this pervasive problem, hoping to educate, inspire and motivate high school juniors and seniors who are considering a healthcare career but are unsure of which path to take.

The program, dubbed Future Masters of Medicine, is a tuition-free educational opportunity for Westmoreland County students to learn from physician specialists in orthopedics, thoracic and vascular disease and emergency medicine as well as a variety of health professionals including nurses, nurse anesthetists, physician assistants, and physical and occupational therapists, among others.

A total of six sessions with medical professionals instructing students on a variety of health-related topics will take place on Saint Vincent College’s campus in the 2024-25 academic year, with the first class scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on October 16. Instructors from Independence Health System include orthopedic surgeon Gregory Bisignani, MD; Emergency medicine specialist Heather Walker, MD; vascular surgeon Elizabeth Detschelt, MD; and thoracic surgeon Michael Szwerc, MD.

The Liberatore Human Anatomy Lab at Saint Vincent College, an expansive, state-of-the-art facility with six surgical stations for anatomical research, will host several medical demonstrations with physicians.

Dr. Bisignani has been the driving force behind the program. A member of Saint Vincent’s board of directors, he is an instructor of the Human Anatomy and Dissection class. The orthopedic surgeon describes his motivation as both personal and professional. “Every day we make decisions about how to meet patient needs based on the availability of qualified staff,” he said. “When we are facing the challenge now, I wonder who will care for me as I age. The concern is real. We have an opportunity to do something concrete and affect the future of healthcare in our community.”
The course format is a combination of lecture and hands-on activities. Students will practice suturing, interact with a surgical robot, examine prosthetic grafts and implants and perform a total joint replacement using a surgical simulator.

While students are engaged in their educational sessions, parents of attendees will have the opportunity to explore the majors and resources at Saint Vincent related to healthcare professions. Presenters include Dr. Michael Rhodes and members of the Pre-Professional Health Committee and Dr. Stephen Jodis, Dean of the Herbert W. Boyer School of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Computing. Later in the year, parents will share in panel discussions with College faculty, current students and alumni working in the healthcare field to learn first-hand about the curriculum and its relevance in addressing the pressing need for medical professionals of all disciplines.

Promoted online and through high school counselors, the program quickly reached its capacity of 100 students with enrollment coming from 15 different school districts spanning Westmoreland County and parts of Allegheny County. Beyond career exploration, the students are eligible for scholarships ranging from $500 to $1,500 based on the number of sessions they attend and their future enrollment at Saint Vincent.

Cole Zubaty, a Greensburg Central Catholic High School junior, plans on becoming a doctor and is already working toward his goal with several college level science courses in his advanced placement curriculum but is especially excited about the Future Masters of Medicine program. “[It will] offer me good insight into what’s involved and how medical professionals interact with one another,” he explained. Greater Latrobe junior Alyvia Peagler is also looking forward to the opportunities the program will present. With the goal of becoming a physician assistant in mind, she said, “The time spent in this program will help clarify that decision as I learn more about the medical field and the career possibilities.”

“We are thrilled to partner with Independence to offer this opportunity to the students in our community,” explained Dr. Jeff Mallory, C’06, G’13, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Saint Vincent College. “While we continue to expand our offerings at the college level with the launch of both our new Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Direct Entry – Master of Science in Nursing programs, there was a noticeable gap in what we could do to engage high school-aged students to garner interest in careers in healthcare. This program allows us to begin helping students prepare for successful careers and meaningful lives before at that pre-college level. We are grateful to Dr. Bisignani for his vision and making this program possible. His leadership and this partnership places Saint Vincent at the forefront of addressing the sever staffing shortages in our region and beyond.”

The program also is supported by a $10,000 grant from Johnson & Johnson, which is helping to underwrite student materials, including a scrub shirt which will feature the program’s logo.
To learn more or join the waitlist, visit https://www.stvincent.edu/community-events/future-masters-of-medicine.html.

About Independence Health System
Nationally recognized for quality care, Independence Health System comprise Butler Memorial, Clarion, Frick, Latrobe and Westmoreland Hospitals with a combined bed count of 925. With more than 1,000 physicians and advanced practice providers and 7,300 employees, the System is the third largest in western Pennsylvania serving a population base of 750,000 in a footprint spanning more than 10 counties. The System includes tertiary programs rated among America’s best for cardiac care and surgery, earning accolades from a number of prestigious outlets and organizations. Locally owned and locally controlled, Independence Health System offers its patients low-cost, high-quality care across the care spectrum in such specialties as cardiology, cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, orthopedics and sports medicine, minimally invasive and robotic surgery, women’s health and obstetrics, emergency medicine, behavioral health and primary care. Its network of outpatient centers sees more than 1.2 million visits annually. The homecare division further supports patients at all stages of life with home health and hospice services. Learn more at www.independence.health

About Saint Vincent College
Saint Vincent College is an educational community rooted in the tradition of the Catholic faith, the heritage of Benedictine monasticism, and the love of values inherent in the liberal approach to life and learning. Its mission is to provide quality undergraduate and graduate education for men and women, enabling them to integrate their professional aims with the broader purposes of human life. The programs, activities, and encounters that make up student life at Saint Vincent College encourage the intellectual gifts, professional aptitudes and personal aspirations of students to mature harmoniously.

For more information, contact:

Simon Stuchlik
Vice President of Marketing, Saint Vincent College
simon.stuchlik@stvincent.edu
724-805-2660 (office)

Tom Chakurda
Chief Marketing/Communications Officer, Independence Health
thomas.chakurda@independence.health
412-508-6816 (cell)

Robin Jennings
Media Relations, Independence Health
robin.jennings@independence.health
724-516-4483 (cell)

 

three students at Saint Vincent College test their skills in a simulated hospital setting.

Saint Vincent College students test their skills in one of the College’s nursing simulation labs.

 

 

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