FORT WAYNE, Ind. – University of Saint Francis nurse anesthesia students will begin clinical rotations in May within the Lutheran Health Network, VA Northern Indiana Health Care System, and other area facilities. The sites include:
- Lutheran Hospital of Indiana
- The Orthopedic Hospital/Fort Wayne Orthopedics
- VA Northern Indiana Health Care System, Fort Wayne campus
- Dupont Hospital
- DeKalb Memorial Hospital
- Bluffton Regional Medical Center
- Cameron Memorial Community Hospital
- Kosciusko Community Hospital
- Marion General Hospital
“The University of Saint Francis Nurse Anesthesia Program has a long list of exceptional, dedicated clinical partners. Establishing new partnerships within Fort Wayne and the surrounding areas allows USF CRNA students to provide safe, high quality anesthesia care to the residents of northeast Indiana,” said Lisa Osborne, DNP, CRNA, Program Director, USF Nurse Anesthesia Program. “Integrating additional clinical sites into the already rich USF clinical curriculum allows for diversification of the clinical experiences our students receive – from large, tertiary care facilities to the Veterans’ Administration, and from urban to rural settings. USF looks forward to producing extraordinary, independent CRNA graduates that intend to stay and serve the Fort Wayne community.”
USF’s healthcare partners expressed positive anticipation of the relationships, too.
“Midwest Anesthesia Associates is excited and proud to partner with the University of Saint Francis Nurse Anesthetist training program,” said Rachel Hollingsworth, MD, Vice President of Operations, Midwest Anesthesia Associates. “Fort Wayne is in need of excellent clinical providers, and this new partnership will create opportunities for students to remain close to home in Fort Wayne and the surrounding communities while working toward a doctoral degree. We hope to encourage students to remain local post-graduation in order to provide service within the community.”
“We are very excited about our new-built relationship with the University of Saint Francis Nurse Anesthetist program,” said Lionel Brounts, MD, FACS, Director of General Surgery, VA Northern Indiana Health Care System. “We want to combine the great service we provide for our veterans with giving CRNA students the best education while they are here. It is important to the VA to be part of teaching the next generation of medical providers, as well as being involved with our community here in Fort Wayne. This new clinical partnership with the University of Saint Francis will help keep us on the forefront of medical education. I believe that our CRNA students not only will get a great education while they rotate here at NIHCS VA, but will form a long-lasting bond with our respected veteran population.”
For more information, contact Dr. Lisa Osborne at 260-399-7700, ext. 8559 or losborne@sf.edu.
Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 70 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs through the School of Health Sciences, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Keith Busse School of Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership and School of Creative Arts. In addition to its traditional programs, USF designs focused curricula for working adults in Fort Wayne, Crown Point and online. USF Downtown houses the university’s business and music technology programs while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. The University of Saint Francis campus experience includes 16 athletic programs boasting two individual and four team NAIA national championships, and is recognized as an NAIA Five-Star Champion of Character institution. Approximately 2,200 students from a broad geographic region attend USF.