Lasell, Newton-Wellesley Hospital Partner To Create New Program

NEWTON, MA — Lasell University and Newton-Wellesley Hospital (NWH), a member of Mass General Brigham, announced Wednesday a collaboration designed to diversify the health care profession, create a pathway to professional-level jobs in the medical field, and help address the national shortage of skilled surgical technologists.

This new initiative—an extension of Lasell’s Health Sciences degree program—will combine classroom and lab-based learning with hands-on clinical experience at NWH. It is also designed to support career advancement for a diverse student population by providing flexible scheduling, philanthropic support for tuition and fees, and a clear path to a Bachelor of Science degree.

NWH is currently recruiting a diverse cohort of students for the new Surgical Technology Program, a one-year, 36-credit certificate program slated to launch on May 17. Lasell will assign a full-time program director who will join the faculty of Lasell’s School of Health Sciences.

“This partnership was forged during a conversation I had with hospital president, Dr. Errol Norwitz, one year ago,” Michael B. Alexander, President of Lasell University, said in a statement. “And from the outset, our ideas for this new academic model were perfectly aligned. Members of our senior teams shared our vision and worked closely together to develop a rigorous curriculum that will give students the tools they need to succeed.”

While the inaugural year will focus on NWH, both organizations hope to expand the program’s reach and impact by partnering with other hospitals across the Mass General Brigham system in the years ahead.

“This program is a unique collaboration between healthcare and higher education that will ultimately provide great benefit to patients and our community, while helping those who may not otherwise have such an opportunity,” Errol R. Norwitz, MD, President and CEO of NWH, said in a statement. “It will also help advance the careers of those committed to providing safe, high quality medical care and fill a critical staffing need inside operating rooms at our hospital and across the region.”

As part of the program curriculum, students will prepare for the certification exam offered by the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting. Depending on the region, the starting salary for a surgical technologist can range from $60,000 to $70,000 annually.

Tuition for this program is set to align with other certificate programs at Lasell. To support the students who will take part in the roll-out of this new academic partnership, NWH leadership has secured philanthropic funding and will provide full scholarships for all its employees who participate in this program, in exchange for a commitment to work at NWH for three years.

NWH will focus initial outreach efforts on current employees including those not currently in clinical roles, as medical experience is not required. Those who choose to continue their education can apply the credits earned through the Surgical Technology Program toward a Bachelor of Science degree at Lasell University.

For more information on the Surgical Technology Program, click here.