Franklin Pierce University Secures $825,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending for Healthcare Simulation Training Equipment
Jan 5, 2023
Effort spearheaded by Sen. Shaheen and Rep. Kuster will support Master in Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) students, with a focus on rural health.
With the signing of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, Franklin Pierce University secured $825,000 for healthcare simulation training equipment. The funds will support specialized equipment for the University’s Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) program in its Lebanon, NH Academic Center, with a focus on rural and medically underserved communities.
“This funding speaks directly to our commitment to innovation in teaching and learning, as outlined in our current strategic plan, Pierce@60,” said Kim Mooney, president. “As we teach and train the next generation of healthcare workers, this simulation training equipment is one more example of how Franklin Pierce has become a destination institution in the allied health field.”
The request for funding was spearheaded by the Offices of Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Representative Annie Kuster (NH-02). The funding of the simulation equipment was just one of numerous NH-focused priorities that were included in the final legislation passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on December 22 and 23, respectively, before being signed by President Biden on December 29, 2022. The project also received letters of support from Kristina Fjeld-Sparks, Director of the New Hampshire Area Health Education Center (NH AHEC), and Scott Colby, President and CEO, and Ed Laverty, Chief Medical Officer, of Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital.
“The University is grateful for the efforts of Sen. Shaheen and Rep. Kuster,” added President Mooney. “Their commitment to New Hampshire’s higher education institutions cannot be overstated.”
Clinical simulation is an instructional design that substitutes real patient encounters with artificial models, live actors, or virtual-reality patients. For clinical simulation structured to improve rural healthcare delivery, special attention is focused on conditions such as heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory disease and stroke.
“Intensive, high-quality simulated training is key to preparing our students for success upon graduation.” said Priscilla Marsicovetere, JD, PA-C, dean of the College of Health and Natural Sciences. “By focusing on rural healthcare scenarios, we are addressing the vital need for skilled providers in New Hampshire’s rural and medically underserved communities.”
Franklin Pierce’s MPAS program is unique in its emphasis on collaborative medicine and support of life-long learning. It is designed to train outstanding PAs who are compassionate, patient-centered providers, as evidenced by the Class of 2022 100% pass rate on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE). In 2016, the Lebanon, N.H.-based program was ranked #2 in the country by the Rural Health Research Center for percentage of graduates who go on to practice in a rural setting and in November 2022, Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) Program Director Kristi Collins, MS, DScPAS, PA-C, CAQ-OS, was named New Hampshire’s 2022 Community Star by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH).
For more information about Franklin Pierce’s New Hampshire MPAS program, click here.
