{"id":44541,"date":"2026-05-18T12:37:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T12:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthwatchminute.com\/?p=44541"},"modified":"2026-05-18T12:37:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T12:37:00","slug":"st-lukes-opened-its-health-sciences-college-here-is-what-that-means-for-the-lehigh-valley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthwatchminute.com\/?p=44541","title":{"rendered":"St. Luke\u2019s opened its health sciences college. Here is what that means for the Lehigh Valley"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
<\/div>\n

To help fill the ever-growing need for health care workers, St. Luke\u2019s University Health Network has just opened its own college.<\/p>\n

The health network held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the St. Luke\u2019s College of Health Sciences on Monday, across the street from St. Luke\u2019s University Hospital in Fountain Hill.<\/p>\n

The college offers associate\u2019s degrees in radiography and respiratory care, as well as a registered nurse to a Bachelor of Science in nursing program and various general education courses. Students who finish their programs are guaranteed clinical placement within St. Luke\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Respiratory care and cardiography classes will be held at the Priscilla Payne Hurd Education Center. The registered nurse to Bachelor of Science in nursing program will be offered fully online with a curriculum designed to support adult learners seeking a nontraditional college education. Students will also have access to simulation and skills labs, study areas, and library resources.<\/p>\n

Classes at the college start this summer with the inaugural class of students attending in the fall, totaling roughly 150 students across all programs and courses.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the college, we are committed to helping these individuals start, grow and thrive both academically and professionally. While we are beginning with three programs and general education offerings, we look forward to expanding in the years ahead. This is only the beginning,\u201d said Mary Grace Simcox, college president.<\/p>\n

St. Luke\u2019s said that its longstanding partnerships with regional colleges and universities will continue.<\/p>\n

St. Luke\u2019s has long been a player in medical education. In 1872, it opened the St. Luke\u2019s School of Nursing, and it is the oldest of its kind in the U.S. The network also operates the Temple St. Luke\u2019s School of Medicine and offers more than 60 graduate medical education programs.<\/p>\n

The College of Health Sciences, which was approved by the state last year, is the network\u2019s newest step to develop its workforce and provide healthcare education and training.<\/p>\n

Joel Fagerstrom, St. Luke\u2019s chief operating officer, said he pitched the idea for the college in 2013, but in 2023, he approached St. Luke\u2019s CEO Rick Anderson about taking another look.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the time, we did not have a lot of staff coming out of COVID. There were a lot of areas where we needed more staff,\u201d Fagerstrom said. \u201cTo this day, we don\u2019t have enough rad techs. We don\u2019t have enough respiratory therapy techs. We don\u2019t have enough nurses in this community and across the country. And that\u2019s why we started it.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the healthcare and social assistance sector is projected to experience the largest job growth of any industry between 2024 and 2034, driven by an aging population and persistent workforce shortages.<\/p>\n

Jefferson Health, St. Luke\u2019s primary business rival in the Lehigh Valley, announced this month that it was expanding classes through Thomas Jefferson University into the Lehigh Valley. The network and university are still waiting on accreditation to offer onsite and online nursing education at the Lehigh Valley Health Network Center for Healthcare Education in Upper Saucon Township.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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