Thomas Jefferson University, part of Jefferson Health Network, announced their plans to expand its academic programs into the Lehigh Valley region beginning this year. Leaders say the move will help strengthen the regional healthcare workforce and support economic growth.
A full-time DNP-Nurse Anesthesia program will be offered at the Lehigh Valley Health Network Center for Healthcare Education, with the first semester taking place this fall. Online graduate programs will be offered along with in-person classes at the Center Valley location. Degrees will include a Master of Science in Nursing and a Doctor of Nursing Practice in Adult Gerontology. PhD in Nursing, RN-to-BSN, advanced certificate, and more programs will also be offered.
The university will also launch an online Associate of Science program in Paramedicine, providing academic credits for prior paramedic certification and training. Not only will this offer an accelerated path to college degrees for paramedics, but it will also lead directly into any of the school’s online bachelor’s degree programs.
Jefferson is also working to address the critical need for respiratory therapists in the region, with plans to open a respiratory therapy laboratory at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest for hands-on training.
More than 80 students from Jefferson University are completing clinical rotations at Lehigh Valley Health Network locations this academic year. That number is expected to more than double in 2026-2027.
