Thiel, Sharon Regional Combine on Education, Health Care
GREENVILLE, Pa. — Thiel College and Sharon Regional Medical Center look to work together to “strengthen and augment the health, education and wellness services” they provide here and throughout the region.
Officials from Thiel and Sharon Regional, part of Steward Health Care, say the plan would advance the missions and strategies for each entity. While Thiel provides access to professional training opportunities and education to students pursuing degrees in health and science, as well as professional health and wellness services to students and the community, Sharon Regional looks to expand its ability to provide community-based health-care services to the campus community and area residents. Sharon Regional would also benefit from a direct source of qualified interns and graduating professionals from Thiel.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to enlarge the health and wellness for students and the Greenville community,” said Susan Traverso, president of Thiel College. “Innovative collaborations are essential for a region’s growth, and this arrangement will enhance the quality of life for the entire region.”
Sharon Regional started providing health-care services to the campus this month and used its track and field complex for the Healthy Steps program, which encourages exercise and brings health-care experts into the community to discuss health care and fitness. In August, a planned campus clinic will open to students, staff and the general public for walk-in health-care diagnostic and treatment services. The clinic would provide extended service hours to students and the general community as well.
“We are very excited about this partnership and the opportunity to offer expanded medical services to students, families and businesses in northern Mercer County,” said Joseph Hugar, Sharon Regional president and CEO. “Sharon Regional is a natural fit; as the only accredited chest pain and primary stroke centers in the region, we will bring specialty services and advanced care to the Greenville community.”
Providing full access to comprehensive programs and services will allow students and residents to remain in local area for health-care services, Hugar added, alleviating the concerns of residents who do not want to be transferred out of the area. “Investing in the students and the advantages of intergenerational programs and clinics will also help to ensure long-term planning to keep the medical resources and expertise in the community,” he said.
“Thiel College is known for its community-centered culture that places the students, their well-being and their professional aspirations at the forefront of their educational pursuits,” Traverso said.
The affiliation aligns with Thiel’s new health systems major, as well as its plans for master’s degree programs in physician assistant and speech language pathology, which will begin enrolling students in 2021.
Thiel and Sharon Regional will create ongoing joint community education events on a variety of health and wellness topics, building upon their mutual commitment to improving the health of the community with proactive disease prevention and awareness initiatives.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
