The East Stroudsburg University Foundation hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of the Dale and Frances Hughes Foundation Community Health Education and Simulation Center on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. The state-of-the-art center, located in the DeNike Center for Human Services, offers simulation and inter-professional practice opportunities for East Stroudsburg University students in the College of Health Sciences and local community healthcare organizations.
The fundraising campaign raised $859,807 through the generosity of the following organizations :
The R. Dale and Frances Hughes Foundation, Lehigh Valley Health Network–Pocono, and the
Lester G. Abeloff Foundation. This project was also financed in part by two Local Share Account for Monroe County grants from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Commonwealth Financing Authority.
“We are so grateful for the generous support we received to make this project a reality,” said Rich Santoro, ESU Foundation executive director. “Their investment in our students and the surrounding medical community will leave a lasting impact for years to come.” The center features four manikins that can mimic human body functions. There is also an operating room space, a nursing station, and a high-tech control room where faculty can monitor several simulation scenarios. In addition to students, community agencies and health professionals will also be able to use the simulation center to practice their skills.
“Case scenarios that students might not be exposed to on their clinical units can be created here in this space, in a safe environment, that will prepare them better for situations they may see in their practices,” said Dr. Denise Seigart, MS, RN, Dean of ESU’s College of Health Sciences. “Local healthcare professionals will also have the opportunity to maintain and upgrade practice skills, thus contributing to a more knowledgeable and skilled healthcare workforce in this region. We are so grateful to the organizations that believed in us and our project.”
About the ESU Foundation: Since 1986, the ESU Foundation has secured and stewarded private gifts and grants that benefit ESU and its students. Every year, thousands of generous donors Every year, thousands of generous donors support the Foundation and the university in its mission of educating students, resesupport the Foundation and the university in its mission of educating students, research, and arch, and public service.public service. For more information on the ESU Foundation, call 570-422-3333 or visit www.esufoundation.org.
The unveiling of the Dale and Frances Hughes Foundation Community Health Education and Simulation Center was celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Featured guests who attended the celebration are pictured from left to right: Rich Santoro, ESU Foundation executive director; Ariana Rivera, constituent advisor for State Representative Maureen Madden; Cornelio Catena, president of LVHN-Pocono; Senator Rosemary Brown; Kenneth Long, ESU president; Nancy Parks, district manager from State Representative Jack Rader’s Office; and Dr. Denise Seigart, dean of ESU’s College of Health Sciences.