The largest gift in the history of Gwynedd Mercy University will lead to the establishment of a unique approach to training local healthcare professionals. Ryan Mulligan reported on the largesse in the Philadelphia Business Journal.

A $10 million gift from the Maguire Foundation will fund the construction of the Frances M. Maguire Healthcare Innovation Campus, named for the donor, a past graduate. The site is to be a 65,000-sq.-ft., high-tech, innovative training center for nurses.

The new center’s approach is to enable students to gather hands-on knowledge by extensive use of patient-centric technology. The “classrooms” will comprise hospital beds, life-size robotic models on which to demonstrate care, and observation rooms for instructors.

The space will also bolster the university’s coursework in speech language pathology, respiratory care, public health, and counseling. These disciplines will augment its present roster of radiological technology, occupational therapy, and radiation therapy coursework.

The innovation campus also represents the university’s work in repositioning its academic pathway for nursing students by encouraging the attainment of master’s degrees. As such, it will be only the second program of its type in Pa.

More on the new Gwynedd Mercy healthcare training center is at the Philadelphia Business Journal.