The School of Health Sciences and Education (SHSE) is currently developing a Patient Care Technician Program. This initiative is being led by Mike McGinnis, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Don Walkovich, Special Assistant to the VPAA.
The Patient Care Tech Program aims to help address the current national nursing shortage and provide a support system for nurses when they cannot be in the room with patients. The University plans to enroll the first students in this program in 2024.
“Our new governor in Pennsylvania (Josh Shapiro) has put a big emphasis on workforce development,” said Walkovich.
“We do not have enough nurses and a Patient Care Technician can provide a lot of support to nurses and nursing staffs.
“We are going to be looking at hospitals, nursing homes, the Veterans Administration and home health agencies that might benefit from employing Patient Care Technicians.”
The University’s Patient Care Tech Program is being developed in a way that McGinnis and Walkovich describe as “stacked.”
Everyone who completes the program will earn a certificate and they can either choose to stop their education at that point – as a Patient Care Technician – or they can continue their education in order to become an LPN, registered nurse, physical or occupational therapist, etc.
The program at SFU has received funding from the state and federal government.
“There are not too many institutions that can come up with an idea that both the state and federal government give them money for,” said McGinnis.
“There is a long proposal process – red tape and all kinds of other things – and we never expected to implement this in early 2024. It has moved at lightning speed.
“That not only shows the support of the industry, but also the trust (of government officials) in Saint Francis.”
SFU’s Vice President for Academic Affairs believes the new program will both provide an important service to the health care industry, as well as a valuable revenue stream to the University.
“I am excited about the future (for this program),” said McGinnis.
