WellSpan Health partnership to open new nursing school

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WellSpan Health is opening a school that will offer an associated degree in nursing program in York County. 

WellSpan Health said it is partnering with Jersey College, an accredited post-secondary institution specializing in nursing education, to open the school August 26 to address the national nursing shortage locally and provide a more coordinated, well-rounded approach along with WellSpan’s other school of nursing partners. 

The school has received regulatory approval. 

“As WellSpan continues to reimagine the face of health care, we remain actively committed to our workforce and narrowing the nursing shortage in our communities to solidify a talented, sustainable nursing workforce,” said Kasey Paulus, senior vice president and chief nursing executive, WellSpan Health, in a release. 

“Through our collaboration with Jersey College, it furthers our commitment to support the development of nursing professionals by bringing a broader suite of opportunities to South Central Pennsylvania through a non-traditional, stackable credentialing approach and track toward a bachelor’s degree in nursing,” Paulus said. 

The campus at 1409 Williams Road will include classrooms, collaboration areas, a skills lab, and a student lounge for nursing students. WellSpan York Hospital campus will be home to the initial clinical site for the school, with the ability to utilize all WellSpan Health facilities throughout the learning experience. 

The collaborative program with Jersey College will include the benefits of hospital-based diploma programs while also presenting a unique, non-traditional model and professional track to support early career individuals pursuing a path in nursing as well as well-educated professionals seeking a career change through a program in as little as two years, WellSpan Health said.  

“We are excited to enter into this strategic alliance with WellSpan Health to bring our devotion to nursing education and excellence to communities across central Pennsylvania,” said Greg Karzhevsky, chancellor, Jersey College, in a release. “Our shared vision, complimented by Jersey College’s unique hospital-based professional nursing program and model, will produce an extraordinary development experience while embodying our lifelong learning philosophy for nursing professionals that Pennsylvanians deserve. We look forward to an amazing relationship with WellSpan Health for many years to come.” 

Jersey College has numerous similar strategic alliances with other health care systems and currently has 16 campuses throughout Pennsylvania, Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Indiana, New Jersey, and Tennessee. Thirteen of the campuses are hospital-based professional nursing programs. 

With 30 to 50 students per nursing cohort and three nursing cohorts per year, dozens of nursing professionals can earn degrees locally through the program.