St. Joseph’s University finalized a merger agreement Friday with the Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences, making the college a Lancaster County-location of the Philadelphia-based university.
The university first announced plans to merge with the college in January 2023, following its acquisition of the former University of the Sciences in Philadelphia in June 2022. Both schools were added to expand St. Joseph’s health science programming and the mergers is expected to increase enrollment from 6,464 to 8,676 students, according to spokesperson Kevin Gfeller.
Gfeller said St. Joseph’s is not publicly disclosing costs of the merger.
St. Joseph’s is a private four-year Jesuit Catholic university. Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences was a nonprofit college founded as part of the Lancaster General Health system.
LNP | LancasterOnline talked with St. Joseph’s University President Cheryl McConnel about the Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences acquisition. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Why was St. Joseph’s University interested in acquiring the Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences?
It’s been a long-term strategic initiative for us to completely round out our educational offerings. Excellent, comprehensive universities really make sure that they’re offering everything that students in (the) region needs ….
Pennsylvania College was a natural for us. Quite frankly, we had our choice of educational partners in the nursing area, and we chose to negotiate exclusively with Pennsylvania College when the situation presented itself. Again, because of its quality.
Cheryl McConnell is the president of St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, which acquired the Lancaster-based Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences in 2024.
How has the demand for health professionals changed in recent years and how did that have bearing on your choice to acquire Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences?
We do see an increasing need and we see it across the board in all health-related areas, including nursing but also the nursing-related programs … are really, really in high need. In fact, when I talk with CEOs of health systems here in Philadelphia, that’s the programs that they’re really crying out for ….
What does this merger mean for Lancaster General Health and how will St. Joseph’s ensure that the region’s health care workforce needs and employee benefits continue to be met?
In addition to the merger agreement, there are long-term affiliation agreements. One of those is with Lancaster General Health, which assures both the Employee Reimbursement of Lancaster General Health and then also assures that St. Joseph’s University is serving the needs of the health system ….
Another thing that ensures a tight relationship and a tight communication is in the merger agreement, we have three representatives from the Lancaster region that come on to St. Joseph’s University’s Board of Trustees ….
John Herman, CEO of Lancaster General Health. Pedro Rivera, who’s president of Thaddeus Stevens (College of Technology) and Michael Wege. He’s a member of Penn Medicine board, as well as a former executive at the Hershey’s Corporation.
What further plans do you have for expansion?
We’ve been in contact with … the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce, the Lancaster tourism area and our business school is already working on different programs to be offered out there in either a hybrid fashion or on-location. So, we’ll be beginning conversations with the Lancaster community about what other programs are needed and we’re happy to serve those needs.
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