DeSales University and St. Luke’s Celebrate Ribbon Cutting for New CRNA Clinical Site at Easton Campus
DeSales University and St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN) celebrated the official opening of a new clinical learning space on Thursday, April 9, at St. Luke’s Easton Campus with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The facility will serve as a primary clinical education site for students in the DeSales University Nurse Anesthesia program, marking a significant milestone in a growing academic-clinical partnership dedicated to advancing healthcare education and patient care in the region.
The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) program launched in Fall 2025 through a collaboration between two local institutions with a shared commitment to clinical excellence, innovation, and workforce development. Under a formal affiliation agreement, DeSales University serves as the conducting academic institution, offering a BSN-DNP CRNA track, while St. Luke’s University Health Network is the program’s exclusive clinical affiliate.
Professor Fran Fasching, DNP, FNP-BC, ENP-C, leads the CRNA track, serving as Track Director at DeSales University. She works closely with Daniel Graves, DNP, CRNA, SLUHN Program Administrator, along with Assistant Program Administrators Herman Abuchowski, DNAP, CRNA, and Kathryn Foster, DNAP, CRNA. Together, the leadership team ensures academic rigor, clinical excellence, and strong mentorship for students throughout the program.
The 12-semester curriculum consists of 39 courses delivered in a blended format that combines online learning with in-person instruction. All anesthesia coursework is completed face-to-face, complemented by more than 2,000 hours of hands-on clinical experience. Students gain exposure across a wide range of surgical specialties, including obstetrics, pediatrics, trauma, neurosurgery, and cardiac and thoracic care. Upon completion, graduates earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree from DeSales University and a certificate in nurse anesthesia from St. Luke’s.
CRNA students complete their clinical education at 17 sites across the St. Luke’s health network, with the new Easton Campus location serving as a central clinical base. Built and completed in March, the Easton site offers classroom space for clinical coursework, designated study areas, and practice labs equipped with mannequins and anesthesia equipment for skills mastery. The facility also houses offices for the clinical education leadership team, supporting close collaboration between faculty and students.
“This space is more than a clinical base, it’s a symbol of what’s possible when two strong institutions commit to a shared mission,” said Fasching. “DeSales University brought the academic framework, St. Luke’s brought the clinical infrastructure, and together we’ve created a program that both organizations are proud of. The Easton site reflects the care and investment both organizations have made in preparing highly skilled, compassionate CRNAs to serve our communities.”
The new facility underscores DeSales University’s ongoing commitment to experiential learning and community partnerships while strengthening the regional pipeline of advanced practice nursing professionals.