Students benefiting from St. James equipment donation

Students in three medical programs at Alfred State College (ASC) are getting an even healthier dose of hands-on learning now thanks to a donation by St. James Hospital.

The Hornell-based healthcare facility recently donated several pieces of equipment to benefit ASC’s nursing, radiologic technology, and diagnostic medical sonography programs. The equipment included an obstetric (OB) hospital bed, lab equipment, a C-arm fluoroscopy unit, an infant scale, and blood pressure cuffs.

This donation enhances students’ hands-on learning experiences and allows ASC to remain committed to providing its students with a high-quality, technologically advanced education.

St. James President and CEO Bryan O’Donovan said, “As we prepared to move into our new hospital, we were provided with a great opportunity to donate clinical equipment. St. James has a strong partnership with Alfred State College, and we welcome their students in-training and new graduates. We’re happy to provide support that will help prepare them for careers in healthcare.”

Jess Lippa, co-chair of Alfred State’s Nursing Department, said that with the decrease in obstetric (OB) clinical sites, her faculty realized the importance of creating OB rotations within the department’s simulation and skills labs. The OB bed and newborn scale that St. James donated have helped with this.

“We are grateful to St. James for their donation,” Lippa said. “The OB bed and newborn scale will help us move toward providing diverse learning environments for our students. We appreciate that we can provide these learning environments to our students and look forward to growing the simulation experience in the future. Thank you to our donors, and we look forward to furthering collaboration with St. James and other healthcare facilities in our regional area.”

Kathy Young, chair of Alfred State’s Allied Health Department, which houses the radiologic technology and diagnostic medical sonography programs, said the equipment that St. James Hospital donated will help current and future students expand their educational experience.

“Equipment for our diagnostic medical sonography and radiologic technology programs will be instrumental in preparing our students for their clinical rotations,” she said. “We are extremely grateful for our relationship with St. James Hospital and their commitment to quality education in the allied health fields, both for current and future programs.”

Jenna Zetwick, an assistant professor in the Allied Health Department and director of the radiologic technology program, said, “We are very excited and grateful for the generosity St. James has shown us with the donation, specifically the C-arm unit. The C-arm has already been a wonderful tool for the students in lab and enables them to become better equipped for clinical experiences and ultimately employment. The hands-on education of our students is greatly enhanced thanks to partners such as St. James and we are grateful for their ongoing support of our programs.”