The school of nursing at Sharon Regional Medical Center, among Mercer County’s oldest institutions, is closing, the hospital’s financially beleaguered owner said Wednesday.
Shuttering the 125-year-old school is directly tied to Steward Health Care’s ongoing Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
“Due to complications from the Steward Health Care Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, the Sharon Regional Medical Center School of Nursing will not be starting January 2025 classes,’’ Steward said Wednesday afternoon in a statement.
Currently enrolled students will complete their education at the school through graduation in May 2025.
“The nursing school has has taken great pride in preparing nursing students for becoming registered nurses in partnership with both Penn State Shenango and Thiel College,’’ the news release said.
Penn State Shenango in Sharon and Thiel in Greenville had arrangements with Sharon Regional help registered nurses earn bachelor’s degrees, popularly known as “RN to BSN” programs.
Steward also recognized Meadville Medical Center is working to develop a new nursing program.
“We are encouraging nursing students looking to start training to explore other options and to work directly with Penn State Shenango, Thiel College, and Meadville Medical Center to do so,” the release said.
Steward is working to sell Sharon Regional and its 30 other hospitals through bankruptcy court.
Meadville Medical Center said last week it plans to establish a school of nursing to educate registered nurses.
The announcement follows the Pennsylvania Board of Nursing approval in July of MMC’s application to establish a practical nursing program. In April, the hospital announced it was starting a licensed practical nurse (LPN) program to help alleviate staffing shortages.
The goal of establishing the new RN educational path in addition to the LPN educational one is to preserve nursing education in the region, according to Valerie Waid, chief nurse executive at Meadville Medical Center.
In April, the hospital announced it would start an LPN educational program in the wake of Crawford Tech, Crawford County’s vocational high school, ending its LPN program as of Aug. 16.
MMC’s LPN program now is accepting applications as part of its new Institute for Healthcare Professionals. Applications for the one-year program are available online at institute.mmchs.org. Classes begin Sept. 30.
The registered nursing school is coming about as the Sharon Regional Medical Center School of Nursing in Mercer County plans to shut down after 125 years.
That school has been preparing students to practice as registered nurses since 1899. Its 20-month program graduates 25 students on average and operated as one of the region’s premier schools for registered nurses.
Nearly all faculty and staff from the Sharon Regional Medical School of Nursing are expected to join the faculty and staff for MMC’s new school, according to Waid.
“Our interest in establishing a school of nursing is to help current and future students as well preserve a pipeline for local health care agencies to have options for new registered nurses,” she said.
“We certainly hope to get it established as soon as possible,” Waid added. “There is still much work to be done but we are looking forward to whenever we can enroll our first students. We want to make this as seamless as possible” for current students.
Meadville will make application to the Pennsylvania Board of Nursing for a registered nurse education program by late summer, according to Waid. State action on the application then is anticipated within three to six months, she added.
The hospital will go through a lengthy and comprehensive process to attain state licensure prior to promoting the new school or accepting students, she said.
The new school’s physical location is yet to be determined, according to Waid.
“We’re looking at opportunities,” Waid said.
Crystal Brest, a registered nurse and director of the Sharon Regional Medical Center School of Nursing, will lead the new school, Waid said.
In a statement Monday, Brest said she was pleased the registered nurse education program will continue through Meadville Medical Center.
“Our school of nursing program has been incredibly successful graduating thousands of students over the years to become registered nurses. Not only has our community benefited from the school’s graduates, but so has the entire region,” Brest said. “While it saddens me that after 125 years we must close the school, I am excited to lead the charge to establish a new program along with Meadville Medical Center.”
Once licensed, the school of nursing at Meadville Medical Center will join the recently licensed practical nursing program at Meadville Medical Center under the newly created Institute for Healthcare Professionals.
NOTE: This article was edited Aug. 8 to correctly reflect that Steward Health Care issued a statement Wednesday.
