St. Peter’s Hospital today announced its intent to create the St. Peter’s Hospital College of Nursing, and that the Memorial College of Nursing would merge into the new school.
The St. Peter’s Hospital College of Nursing will continue and expand upon the Memorial College of Nursing’s century-long tradition of educating and preparing students for fulfilling careers in nursing.
Current Memorial College of Nursing staff, faculty, and students will seamlessly transition to the St. Peter’s Hospital College of Nursing. The new college’s programs and academic offerings will remain the same, and it will continue to offer two-year associate of science degrees.
The proposed creation of St. Peter’s Hospital College of Nursing, and the merger with Memorial College of Nursing, is expected to make St. Peter’s Hospital eligible for significant annual reimbursement for education costs, which will provide additional support for the college’s mission of providing high-quality nursing education.
Last month, St. Peter’s Health Partners (SPHP) announced the Memorial College of Nursing would be relocated from the Albany Memorial Hospital campus to Marian Hall on the Maria College campus. Classes are set to begin in Marian Hall in August 2019.
The close proximity of Marian Hall to St. Peter’s Hospital – only about a block away – will enable more nursing students to benefit from clinical education opportunities and provide care at one of the Capital Region’s largest and highest-volume hospitals.
“For current and future students, having their college affiliated with St. Peter’s Hospital will open the doors to many additional educational and professional opportunities,” said Mike Finegan, president of acute care at SPHP. “As an organization, it allows us to enhance the experience of our students, build upon the tremendous tradition and legacy of the Memorial College of Nursing, and leverage federal reimbursements to ensure the ongoing success of our new nursing college.”
Board members of St. Peter’s Hospital filed a petition in early June with the New York State Board of Regents to create the new St. Peter’s Hospital College of Nursing. Creation of the new college is contingent upon approval from the Board of Regents.
The Memorial College of Nursing has been affiliated with Albany Memorial Hospital since 1904, and the college has an alumni base of 1,688.
“St. Peter’s Health Partners is extremely proud of the Memorial College of Nursing and its graduates, and we are very grateful to the college’s alumni association for its support and dedication through the years,” said Patricia Cannistraci, acting director of the Memorial College of Nursing. “We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with alumni, and identifying new ways of celebrating and honoring the college and its many graduates.”
SPHP’s other nursing school, the Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing, is not impacted by the merger.
The proposed St. Peter’s Hospital College of Nursing would not be affiliated with the St. Peter’s Hospital School of Nursing that existed from 1903 to 1970.
