Reading, PA – RACC President, Dr. Susan Looney accompanied RACC Health Professions Program Directors, Alayne Fessler and Mandy Harshberger; and faculty members, Wendy Dunlop, Kim Colvell and Joan Zupicick on a tour of Penn State Health St. Joseph. The tour was hosted by Penn State Health St. Joseph staff members; Senior Physician Liaison, Patty Duncan, Vice President of Clinical Services, Chief Nursing Officer, Sharon Strohecker, Laboratory Director of Operations, Linda Gallagher, and Director of Cardiovascular, EEG, and Respiratory Services Steven Hockman.
Students from the Medical Laboratory Technician, Respiratory Care, and Associates Degree in Nursing (ADN) programs provided tours of their clinical areas at Penn State Health St. Joseph’s state-of-the-art medical laboratories and patient care areas.
“Our Health Professions classes feature an academically challenging curriculum combined with hands-on medical experiences specifically designed for aspiring allied health care professionals seeking practical experiences in the medical field. We are very proud of our success in preparing students to enter a medical or allied health care profession,” says RACC President Dr. Susan Looney.
RACC’s Division of Health Professions offers students career preparation in a variety of programs including the Associate Degree in Nursing, the Respiratory Care, and the Medical Laboratory Technician programs. All of the health profession programs have a strong science base and clinical component in addition to theory to prepare students for certification or licensing examinations in their field.
“Our clinical partnerships provide us with the opportunity for our students to apply their knowledge and gain practical clinical experience. We deeply value the relationships we have with our clinical affiliates. Today was an exciting opportunity for our students to share their expertise with Dr. Looney,” says Alayne Fessler, M.Ed., RACC Medical Laboratory Technician Program Director.
Michael Jupina, Penn State Health St. Joseph Vice President, Marketing and Communications adds, “Reading Area Community College’s educational and training programs have a well-earned reputation for producing quality students, many of whom become valuable employees at St. Joseph. Our partnership is a win-win for both of our organizations. We are appreciative that Dr. Looney took the time to visit so she could see the students in real-life clinical action.”
To learn more about the Health Professions program at RACC, visit racc.edu/academics/health-professions or call 610.372.4721.
