Bellarmine University announced at the end of January that the school has received a gift of $1,725,000 to benefit its new Doctor of Nursing Practice-Nurse Anesthesia program.
The gift came from Dr. Mushtaque Juneja, an anesthesiologist, and entrepreneur who is a Bellarmine alumnus.
The funds will be used to develop a “state-of-the-art simulation center equipped with high-fidelity mannequins, point-of-care ultrasound simulators and trainers for airway management and invasive skills,” said a press release from the university. Funds will also be used to offset the program’s startup cost.
Dr. Susan Donovan, Bellarmine’s president, said she appreciates how this gift will impact the students and their patients.
“Bellarmine’s new nurse anesthesia program reinforces Bellarmine’s role as a leader in healthcare education that can quickly develop new offerings that are responsive to community needs,” Donovan said in the release. “Making that happen requires support from donors like Dr. Juneja. I am appreciative of the impact his gift will have for our students and ultimately for their patients.”
The Doctor of Nursing Practice-Nurse Anesthesia program, now known as the Bellarmine University Juneja Nurse Anesthesia Program — launched in 2022 and accredited in 2023, according to the release.
The 18 students in the first cohort are in their second year of training. A second cohort of 20 students will begin studies in the fall.
