Jersey College York Campus Marks First Graduation and a New Generation of Nurses in Pennsylvania
Jersey College, the higher education institution dedicated to excellence in nursing education, will celebrate the inaugural graduating class of its York, Pennsylvania, campus with a commencement ceremony on September 9, 2026, at 5 p.m. EST at WellSpan York Hospital’s Glatfelter Lecture Hall. Pennsylvania State Senator Kristin Phillips-Hill will deliver the keynote address.
The ceremony comes just over two years after the York campus welcomed its first cohort in August 2024 and arrives at a critical time for Pennsylvania’s healthcare workforce. Pennsylvania hospitals report an average registered nurse vacancy rate of 19%, while the state is projected to need nearly 9,000 additional registered nurses each year through 2032 to replace those leaving the workforce and meet growing demand for care. As Pennsylvania works to strengthen its nursing workforce, Jersey College’s York campus graduating class represents a new cohort of nurses prepared to enter the workforce and serve patients across the region.
“This first graduating class of 14 students represents what we envisioned when Jersey College came to York, creating an accessible pathway into nursing while helping meet the workforce needs of the communities our students call home,” said Greg Karzhevsky, CEO and Chancellor of Jersey College. “Many of these graduates pursued their education while balancing careers, families and other responsibilities. We are incredibly proud of what they have accomplished and look forward to the impact they will make as nurses.”
Through Jersey College’s partnership with WellSpan Health, students receive nursing education and clinical experience in a hospital-affiliated environment that connects their training with regional workforce needs. Patricia Donley, Senior Vice President & Chief Nursing Executive at WellSpan Health, will deliver a keynote speech at graduation, underscoring the partnership's role in preparing nurses to meet the region's patient care needs. That connection extends beyond graduation, with most of the inaugural class remaining within the WellSpan Health system to begin their nursing careers, demonstrating how partnerships between nursing education and healthcare organizations can help develop and retain skilled nurses in the communities where they are needed.
“Partnerships like this create an important connection between nursing education and the communities that need these professionals most,” said Donley. “By giving students meaningful clinical experience within our health system, we are helping them grow with confidence, build relationships, and envision a rewarding career here.”
Jersey College offers both a traditional Professional Nursing program and an LPN-to-RN Bridge program, including at its York location. With most of the inaugural graduating class remaining within the WellSpan Health system, the model also shows how these partnerships can help retain newly trained nurses in the communities where they learned and trained.
"I am very grateful and excited to be a part of this important day for so many of our future health care professionals,” said Kristin Phillips-Hill, Pennsylvania State Senator. “I wish the graduates all the very best and would like to thank Jersey College's Chancellor Karzhevsky, faculty, and administration for all their hard work in maintaining this vital nursing pipeline in York County."
The York campus builds on Jersey College’s more than two decades of nursing education experience. Since its founding in 2003, Jersey College has grown to 19 campuses across seven states, graduated more than 14,000 nursing students, and reports a 95% first-time NCLEX pass rate, compared with an approximately 86.1% national first-time pass rate in 2025. As the first York cohort prepares to graduate, the milestone marks an important new chapter for nursing education in the region, creating new opportunities for aspiring nurses while helping ensure local communities have skilled professionals ready to care for them for years to come.
To explore nursing education pathways at Jersey College and opportunities to prepare for a nursing career in York and beyond, visit jerseycollege.edu.