Renovations at South College Pittsburgh now complete in Cranberry Township
CRANBERRY TWP — South College, a multi-campus institution founded in Knoxville, Tenn., is aiming to fill the nursing shortage need.
The school announced the completion of renovations at its Pittsburgh campus during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday, April 20, in Cranberry Township.
Anne Petrella, South College Pittsburgh campus president, invited local legislators, health care partners and members of the public to view the new technology and labs set up at the nearly 26,000-square-foot facility at 3000 Westinghouse Drive.
“Our goal is to give students opportunities and to stiffen the workforce in the surrounding area,” Petrella said. “We are super excited to be in Butler County and to get our campus up and running. We have now expanded to eight locations across six states. I feel we have a lot to offer to the local community.”
South College offers 100-plus programs and concentrations such as a bachelor of science in nursing program, surgical technology, medical assisting, health science and radiography, along with certificate programs in Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN).
“We were able to start enrolling in the fall,” Petrella said. “The students take prerequisite courses before they get into the cohort part of the program. January was the first time we were able to offer in-person classes.”
The Pittsburgh campus has 104 students.
The school is a regionally accredited, private co-educational, non-sectarian academic institution. In addition to Pittsburgh, it has non-residential campuses in locations such as in Knoxville and Nashville, Tenn.; Asheville, N.C.; Atlanta, Georgia; Indianapolis, Ind.; and Orlando, Fla.
South College offers state-of-the-art labs where its students can get real-world experience while learning the best practices for their field.
“We want them to be hands-on,” Petrella said. “We have a fully operational X-ray machine, ultrasound machines and the nursing simulation lab.”
Karen Mikita, Ph.D., demonstrated some of the new technology available to students, which included a birth simulator.
“The baby actually gets pushed out,” Mikita said. “We can make the birth last as long as we want it to be. Even once the baby comes out it will start to cry.”
State Rep. Stephenie Scialabba, R-12th, said, “We are just seeing constant growth and it’s quality growth,” with regards to the need for local health care workers.
She then explained why this issue hits home for her and why she is eager to see quality health care workers come into the workforce.
“My mother passed away about a year and a half ago,” Scialabba said. “She was always on the receiving side of medical care. I know how important it is to have people who have that passion and care.”
Petrella was not able to disclose the amount of money South College spent on the renovations and new technology, but she did say renovations started in October 2022 and were ready by January 2023.
“We are proud of South College’s eighth campus and look forward to meeting both the needs of the area students and employers who are seeking well-qualified candidates for health care positions,” said Steve South, South College chancellor.
