With an audience of elected officials, health care and senior leaders and Alverno College alumni, Alverno College and Synergis Education cut the ribbon for the college’s new nursing education center on March 24 in Mesa . The 13,000 square foot facility, located at 1202 S. Alma School Road, houses state-of-the-art classrooms, offices and a simulation lab.

Mesa Mayor John Giles attended the event and welcomed Alverno College to the community. “Alverno College is an award-winning institution with excellent programs, and I am pleased to welcome the new center for nursing education to Mesa,” Giles said. “It’s good for Mesa residents and good for the healthcare industry, leading to more qualified healthcare professionals to meet the workforce needs of our city and region.”

Council member Francisco Heredia, representing District 3, was also encouraged by Alverno’s decision to expand to Mesa. “The opening of the new Alverno College Nursing Education Center is a significant addition to West Mesa,” Heredia said. “This will help revitalize the Fiesta District and meet the growing demand for nurses throughout the Valley.”

The grand opening further reinforces the successful partnership between Alverno and Synergis, and a shared dedication to academic programs that produce career-ready nurses at a time when they are badly needed.

According to the American Nurses Association, “By 2022, there will be many more registered nursing jobs available than any other profession, at over 100,000 per year.” The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the employment of registered nurses will increase by 9% from 2020 to 2030, and the need for nurses in the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale metro area is particularly strong. According to data from Maricopa County, of which Mesa is a part, there was a 40% increase in the number of nursing vacancies from April 2020 to April 2021, adding to the urgency of the situation.

Through its partnership with Synergis Education, Alverno College plans to alleviate some of that pressure. “Alverno has always sought to respond to the needs of the times, to be nimble and to ensure that those seeking access to education find open and welcoming doors,” said Alverno College President, Andrea Lee, IHM, Ph.D. “We have tremendous regard for our partner in this endeavor, Synergis Education, and we are thrilled to launch this program in a region where there is such demand for healthcare providers. competent and compassionate.”

Alverno will offer its highly successful direct-entry Master of Nursing program at the Mesa site. Originally launching at its Milwaukee, Wisconsin campus in January 2020, DEMSN will be the only Mesa-area program to award graduates both a bachelor of science and master of science in nursing. The 18-20 month full-time program is designed for students who already hold a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field and will prepare them to take the NCLEX licensing exam.

This initiative builds on Alverno’s plans to expand its healthcare footprint and, in this case, to do so with Synergis Education. “Synergis Education has been so impressed with the leadership of Alverno College,” said Synergis CEO Norm Allgood. “At all levels, they are dedicated to innovation and understand the need to expand access to education in high demand areas.”

Well known for the caliber of its nursing school graduates, Alverno was an attractive partner for Synergis, which partnered with the college to launch its DEMSN program and expand its Mesa location. “Each collaboration is unique and personalized for this institution,” Allgood added. “But at Alverno, we have found a partner who has truly embraced the full breadth of what Synergis has to offer, and the result is a program that will foster positive outcomes for the college, its students, and the communities they serve. , which includes Mesa.”

A fully accredited Catholic Franciscan college dedicated to the education of women at the undergraduate level, Alverno offers graduate degrees for women and men, including the DEMSN. Alverno’s graduate programs are designed to provide a personalized environment emphasizing collaboration and academic excellence. “As we consider our mission, our traditional areas of curricular strength, and the growing need in Arizona, we find this opportunity to be mission-centric and consistent with the core strategies of our strategic plan,” said Joseph Foy, Ph. D., vice-president of Alverno. president of academic affairs.

At full capacity, Alverno’s Mesa location will accommodate more than 200 students per year, and the college is already forging impressive clinical relationships with Banner Health and the Mayo Clinic. As its presence at Mesa grows, the college hopes to bring attention to its other innovative degree programs.

Another recent addition to Alverno’s degree portfolio is the online Doctor of Education, also launched in partnership with Synergis. This program integrates thesis development into the curriculum, allowing students to complete their thesis in conjunction with, rather than taking, their coursework. The Ed.D. The program also offers an all-but-thesis track for students who have achieved all-but-thesis status in a doctoral program and are seeking the support needed to complete their terminal degree.

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