The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) recently announced that Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pa., will receive a $150,000 grant to support advanced patient simulation training equipment for the University’s new Health Sciences Experiential Learning Commons.
“I’d like to congratulate Saint Francis University on this well-deserved grant,” Rep. Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (R-PA-15), co-chair of the bipartisan House Career and Technical Education Caucus, said. “The university has committed itself to career and technical education in the health sciences field, and this grant will help provide hundreds of students with the training necessary to prepare for rewarding careers and service to their community. Pennsylvania’s 15th District is in need of healthcare professionals, and Saint Francis students are rising to the occasion.”
Thompson noted that the grant will help close the skills gap by better preparing students for their future careers.
ARC highlighted the fact that “local employers will have access to a pipeline of highly skilled healthcare professionals to meet labor demands, help create jobs and expand the local economy, and provide quality healthcare to citizens in Appalachian Pennsylvania.”
Saint Francis University President Rev. Malachi Van Tassell, T.O.R., Ph.D. thanked the ARC for the investment and thanked Thompson and the Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission for their roles in helping Saint Francis University secure the grant.
“We are so thankful for this vital investment from the Appalachian Regional Commission,” Van Tassell said. “This equipment will allow our students to practice hands-on patient care procedures in a simulated environment and to learn how to work in an inter-professional, team-based setting. Beyond the benefit [of] our students, it will also enable us to provide advanced training opportunities to area EMS personnel and first responders. I want to personally thank Congressman Thompson and the staff of the Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission for their hard work in bringing our need to the attention of ARC. We would not have been successful without their assistance.”