MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN
Dear Friends of LCHS,
The quote on the cover of this issue of Challenges, “One person caring about another represents life’s greatest value,” is a message and lesson that faculty and staff weave though the fabric of the Catholic and Jesuit education provided to our LCHS students.
As Dean, I am blessed and inspired by the students, staff and faculty who embrace the University mission and who are always seeking and discovering new and better ways to show care for others. Highlighted in this issue is a sampling of the care-centered learning activities that are taking place across the LCHS.
One inspired event was the Cultural CareFest Conference that fosteredcross disciplinary dialog and scholarship to offer new insights into how we can provide compassionate and equitable care to diverse populations. Another innovative event was an Interprofessional Education (IPE) activity that featured case studies specifically designed to help students learn how to work collaboratively with other health and mental health professionals to provide culturally responsive, client-centered, holistic mental health care to the patients we will serve.
Our LCHS students also seek to learn from other communities and organizations about different ways that we can provide care for others. For example, a group of OT students learned from community members in Kaua’i, Hawaii, about a special kind of caring called “Kokua,” which means “help that expects nothing in return.” Nursing students and faculty traveled to Phoenix, Arizona, to learn about how a non-profit organization there provides life-transforming care to homeless pregnant women and their babies. Right here in Scranton, our students are learning about how to care for and support caregivers themselves so that they may continue to do their compassionate work. Our Health Promotion students are working to identify the wellness needs of the employees at the St. Joseph’s Center (SJC) and develop resources to support their health and wellbeing. With the necessary support, the SJC employees can continue to provide indispensable care to the underserved in our community.
I hope you enjoy reading about the ways that our LCHS students, faculty and staff embrace and seek to expand our capacity to care for others, most especially the vulnerable and marginalized members of our community.
Warm regards,
Victoria H. Castellanos, Ph.D. Dean, The Leahy College of Health Sciences
The Edward R. Leahy, Jr. Endowment
40TH PT ANNIVERSARY
During the Fall 2024 semester, the Department of Physical Therapy celebrated the 40th anniversary of its first graduating class, the Class of 1984. The weekend festivities opened with a welcome mixer at the Backyard Alehouse on Friday night. Many former and current students attended for a night of reminiscing and networking. On Saturday, John Salva, PT, OCS (’98, MPT ‘99) presented a continuing education course titled, “Managing Shoulder Impingement with Regional Interdependence: Going Beyond Scapular Punches and Sidelying External Rotation.” Attendees included students and clinicians from PT classes from 1985 through 2025! In the evening, the celebration concluded with an alumni dinner in the DeNaples Ballroom. The keynote speaker, Angela Stolfi, PT, DPT (‘97, ‘07), shared a message on the value of mentorship and its impact on the physical therapy profession. Overall, the event was very well received, with requests for a reunion every five years to celebrate the success of the program and alumni. We will keep you posted!
PT alumni celebrate the program’s 40th anniversary during dinner in the University’s DeNaples Ballroom.
Demonstration of shoulder mechanics by course instructor, John Salva.
Student volunteers greeted PT alumni with warm smiles and purple swag.
PT alums with a bony friend.
Group photo at dinner with PT alumni from the Class of 1990 (top) and current PT Faculty (bottom).
PT alum couple Kristen and Brian Perkowski from the Class of 2002.
Enjoying time together at the Backyard mixer.
Group of PT alumni and faculty in attendance at the continuing education course in Leahy Hall, Kane Forum.
Alum attendees mingle during continuing ed course in PT lab space.
LCHS OFFERING ADVANCED PRACTICE NURSING PROGRAMS ONLINE
As the Nursing Department celebrates 40 years of excellence in nursing education in May, the department is both looking back with pride and looking forward to an exciting future by offering online graduate programs to complement our on-campus BSN and nurse anesthesia DNP programs.
Family Nurse Practitioner
The Family Nurse Practitioner program, which has been preparing successful graduates since 1995, transitioned to distance education during the 2024-25 academic year. Family nurse practitioners (FNP) are prepared to provide advanced nursing practice for individuals and families across the life span. Specifically, the FNP is educationally prepared to assess, diagnose and treat common acute and chronic disorders, and to provide health promotion and disease prevention interventions and counseling. As advanced practice nurses, graduates hold clinical and leadership positions in various health care settings such as primary care, urgent care, specialty areas including hospice and palliative care, pediatrics, women’s health, endocrinology, and cardiology.
In alignment with the Jesuit Ideals of The University of Scranton, all courses meet synchronously so that the students feel connected to faculty, other students and the University. This model enhances student engagement in a supported learning environment. Courses emphasize the use of clinical decision-making and diagnostic reasoning in the delivery of care to clients across the lifespan. There are two faculty-facilitated on-campus intensives
that provide hands-on practice, simulations and skillbased training that the FNP will use in clinical practice. Additionally, objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) are utilized to assess student competencies. Throughout the program, students complete 750 direct patient care hours with experienced preceptors caring for clients across the lifespan.
Graduates are eligible for licensure in Pennsylvania and many other states. In addition, graduates will be eligible to take the national certification examination for the FNP role offered by both the American Nurses Credentialing Center and American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Recognizing an urgent need for psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs), the Department of Nursing has developed and implemented a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program, set to welcome its first group of students in the fall of 2025.
PMHNPs play a vital role in meeting the growing demand for mental health services across the United States. With increasing rates of mental health disorders and a severe shortage of qualified providers, the need for highly trained professionals in this field has never been more urgent. This specialized track within the graduate nursing program offers three distinct pathways:
FNP students meet for on-campus intensive. Left to right: Shannon Springer, Haley Marcinkevich, Isabella Vinskofski, Cassidy Bartkowski, Gracie Dombroski, Dr Wendy Manetti, Cameron Read, Richard Morgan and Dr Joshua Braddell.
LCHS FACULTY AND STUDENTS SPEND INTERSESSION AT MAGGIE’S PLACE
Intersession in Northeast Pennsylvania often brings cold temperatures and dreary, gray days. However, this year, nursing student Erin Heartly served as peer facilitator and Professor Natalie Gilboy from the Nursing Department chaperoned a domestic outreach service trip to the nonprofit Maggie’s Place in Phoenix, Arizona.
Maggie’s Place provides safe, stable housing and resources to homeless pregnant women and their babies, supporting them up until their child is a year old. Prof. Gilboy teaches NURS 350, which covers health promotion, risk reduction, clinical decision making, and interventions of women, newborns and their families. Erin Heartly is a senior Royal RN from Milford, Pennsylvania.
Maggie’s Place has seven homes in and around the Phoenix area and has helped house more than 1,200 mothers and infants. Its Family Success Center continues to support women who have exited the program, offering weekly support meetings that cover topics ranging from parenting classes to drug and alcohol counseling, as well as hosting various fun family events throughout the year. Maggie’s Place provides lifetime support for any woman and her children who has been a guest at its homes. Each of the Maggie’s Place homes has a painted tree on an entry wall, with gold leaves engraved with the names of mothers and babies who have lived there, symbolizing the women who have walked in their shoes before them while leaving room for those who will come after.
The group was moved to hear the personal journey of one woman, LaShay. She spoke candidly about
experiencing homelessness on and off for over 14 years due to substance abuse. She had three children, and after the birth of her daughter seven years ago she moved into one of the houses, committed to sobriety. She is now employed by Maggie’s Place. Her story was raw and deeply emotional, but she held no place for blame or regret. Instead, she expressed deep gratitude for the support she received and acknowledged the role it played in her transformation.
While the statistics associated with the women of Maggie’s Place are somewhat expected, they do not tell the whole story. The average age of the women is 28, and more than 60% are first-time mothers. Over a third of the women were in foster care as children, more than 70% had experienced some form of intimate partner violence, and 50% had a history of substance abuse. These statistics underscore the vulnerability of the population Maggie’s Place serves, yet the women there defy the stereotypes that these numbers might suggest. Despite these challenges, more than 20% of the mothers entered Maggie’s Place with an associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or post-secondary education. Upon leaving, 60% of the women were employed.
Each resident of Maggie’s Place was personable, engaging and deeply appreciative. Though the women did not interact with the Scranton group for long, they welcomed us with open arms. The Scranton group entered as strangers but left feeling part of a sisterhood — a bond our faculty, staff and students were so grateful to be a part of.
Pictured at Maggie’s Place headquarters, the Family Success Center, are, left to right: Professor Natalie Gilboy, Emma Burak, Grace Castellano, Jenna Gore, Madeline Williams, Erin Hartley and Adlin Barrish.
OT STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT ‘KOKUA’ IN HAWAII DURING INTERSESSION
Abigail Gillen ‘25, an occupational therapy (OT) student at The University of Scranton, discusses the group’s clinical experience at Island Hand Therapy in Lihue, Kaua’i, and volunteer efforts at Missionary Church Food Pantry and an equine therapy facility
Abigail, an OT student from Staten Island, New York, was one of eight seniors who recently participated in an OT Level I Fieldwork Faculty-Led Study Abroad to Hawaii, with faculty members Dr. Lisa Kozden and Dr. Courtney Lancia.
Connecting with the patients at Island Hand Therapy and being able to explain OT to them was a highlight of the clinical experience. Abigail was surprised by the amount of hand therapy that was being provided on the island. The number of OTs on the island could be counted on one hand, but there was no shortage of clients in need —especially for hand therapy. People’s hands are their livelihood, and the students saw this demonstrated in real life. The group also volunteered at Healing Horses Kaua’i, an equine therapy facility for adults and children with various needs. They helped groom some of the horses and observed a treatment session. At Missionary Church Food Pantry, the group helped package foods that were going to be donated to families experiencing food insecurity.
When asked what surprised her the most, Abigail spoke about the physical and spiritual environment. She added there is no way to prepare for the out-of-this-world feeling that the mountains and trees of Kaua’i exude. It is impossible to describe...that feeling is Aloha! It is love, positive energy, the importance of being around the ones you love. Abigail learned over the course of the trip that what is meant for you will come. If it is not, it will pass. There were many moments when the students had to think on their feet, plan quickly or change plans at the last minute. However, they truly believed that they had the exact trip they were meant to, with amazing weather, amazing people and the opportunity to do so many things that could be considered once in a lifetime.
Abigail said she learned about a concept in Kaua’i that mirrors the values she learns at The University of Scranton: “Kokua,” a help that expects nothing in return. When Abigail learned what Kokua meant, she instantly thought of the Jesuit/Ignatian values: being men and women for
Credit: Abigail Gillen ‘25
Shown from left are: Tara Renda, Justin Matzner, Dr Courtney Lancia, Loren Glover, Jillian Orr, Ashley Blitzer, Julia Nocentino, Julia Diorio, Abigail Gillen, Dr. Lisa Kozden
others; finding God in all things; the service of faith; and the promotion of justice. It stimulated a conversation among the group about what “helping” looks like and the difference between helping people in order to get something and helping for the sake of helping. If you are only doing good for something in return, are you really doing any good? Abigail shared that the group did a lot of reflection and had many meaningful conversations during the trip.
During one discussion the group spoke about the Lifestyle Performance Model and the Kawa Model, which are both theoretical models that help lead OT services. They learned about the components of the models and considered some of the clients they worked with through the lens of the models. The Kawa Model, in particular, felt relevant in Hawaii because of its comparison of one’s life to a river. Kawa means “river.” The students considered their clients’ life flow, riverbanks (supportive factors), rocks (challenges), driftwood (resources), and space to grow, which is where OTs come in to provide intervention and assist clients to increase their occupational performance and balance.
Abigail expressed her gratitude for Dr. Kozden and Dr. Lancia, whose work made the course possible. She shared that these faculty have been there for her on some really difficult days, and now some of her best days. Abigail also gave thanks to her clinical supervisor Catherine, and all the people of Kaua’i, who welcomed the students and taught them so much.
Senior Abigail Gillen plans to complete her fieldwork at Richmond University Medical Center on Staten Island and earn a master’s degree in OT at The University of Scranton. She aims to launch a career in mental health or outpatient rehabilitation.
NURSING STUDENTS GAIN CLINICAL
AND CULTURAL EXPERIENCE IN DUBLIN
Twelve Royal Nurses attended the Trinity College Dublin School of Nursing and Midwifery in Ireland as part of NURS 496: Healthcare Systems and Nursing Practice Abroad, led by Nursing Department faculty Dr. Julie L. Murphy and Dr. Cristen Walker. As part of the course, students also had the opportunity to spend a clinical day at one of the hospitals in the Dublin area. In addition to lessons about health care in Ireland, students took in the sights and sounds of Ireland, from the Long Room at The Library of Trinity College Dublin to Galway Bay and a Croke Park tour.
Grace Ascher ‘25, a nursing major from Garden City, New York, shared reflections about her study abroad experience. Ascher’s goal was to gain the most out of her experience, both culturally and academically. She was able to learn about the Irish health care system and cultural differences in the nursing world. She noted that observing in a hospital in another country is such a rare experience. Grace enjoyed comparing what she has seen at U.S. clinical settings to those of Ireland. Some of Grace’s favorite activities in Ireland were group visits to the Aran Islands at Inishmore and the Celtic Nights Irish dancing and music in the hotel! Grace was most surprised by how welcoming everyone was throughout the entire trip. Even though our students were tourists, she never felt like an outsider because of the welcoming culture of the region.
Kaua’i Island in Hawaii
Dublin, Ireland
