Gwynedd Mercy University Unveils Frances M. Maguire ’55 Healthcare Innovation Center

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GWYNEDD VALLEY, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 25, 2025--

Gwynedd Mercy University (GMercyU) marked a historic milestone with the grand opening of the Frances M. Maguire ’55 Healthcare Innovation Center (HIC), a 63,000-square-foot academic building that will transform the preparation of healthcare professionals. The unveiling comes at a critical time as nearly one in five nursing positions in Pennsylvania remain vacant, with similar shortages affecting other health disciplines.

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Gwynedd Mercy University's Frances M. Maguire ’55 Healthcare Innovation Center sets a new standard for healthcare education and collaboration in the Mercy tradition.

Made possible by a $10 million gift from the Maguire Foundation, in honor of alumna Frances M. Maguire ’55, the HIC is the largest academic building on campus and the centerpiece of the Frances M. Maguire Healthcare Innovation Campus. It opened to students this fall.

“For more than 70 years, GMercyU has distinguished itself as a leader in preparing healthcare professionals who combine clinical excellence with genuine compassion,” said Deanne H. D’Emilio, JD, President of GMercyU. “With the opening of the Frances M. Maguire Healthcare Innovation Center, we are extending that legacy and positioning our students to meet today’s workforce demands and shape tomorrow’s care.”

A hub for learning and innovation, the HIC provides students with access to:

• Hands-on learning: Nine skills labs and 15 simulation rooms, including The Windmill Foundation TM Nurses' Station, three exam rooms (maternity, patient care, and pediatric), ICU and standard hospital rooms, and home care/studio apartment settings
• The Frances Cannata Stimmler ’66 and Joseph Stimmler Inspiration Station: A multi-function space for hosting seminars, speakers, and large-scale simulation experiences where GMercyU partners with community healthcare, emergency management, and other municipal services on emergency management and preparedness drills
• The Jie Du, PhD Healthcare Innovation Commons: A two-story atrium serving as a central space for interdisciplinary collaboration
• Advanced technologies: A Virtual Environment for Radiotherapy Teaching (VERT) system, an ASL-5000 lung simulator, and simulation manikins, among other advanced learning tools

By uniting students from nursing, respiratory care, psychology, social work, computer information science, and other programs, the HIC fosters interprofessional education, preparing graduates to provide collaborative, whole-patient care and address future healthcare needs.

“The HIC is a model for how healthcare education should be delivered,” said Dr. Jane Tang, Dean of the Frances M. Maguire College of Nursing and Health Professions. “Our students are learning in environments that mirror real-world practice, where teamwork, technology, and compassion come together to respond to the needs of their communities and improve patient outcomes.”

Establishing a skilled pipeline of healthcare professionals is essential as workforce demands are far outpacing the supply. By emphasizing simulation-based training, interprofessional collaboration, and partnerships with regional health systems, GMercyU is addressing these challenges while continuing its mission to prepare the next generation of healthcare leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs.

The opening of the HIC will also enhance GMercyU’s Compassionate Care Collaborative, an initiative that partners with healthcare systems, providers, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs to expand the pipeline of qualified healthcare workers, address workforce development needs, and advance innovative approaches to improving equity and access to high quality patient care.

As part of the Collaborative, GMercyU will launch academic programs that respond to emerging needs, such as expansion of telehealth, behavioral health, integrated care, and complex care solutions. It is also advancing the use of new technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), to improve equity and patient experience, and creating partnerships that provide scholarship and loan repayment opportunities for students in exchange for employment commitments.

“The opening of the HIC is a milestone for Gwynedd Mercy University and a tribute to the life and legacy of our beloved alumna, Frannie Maguire,” D’Emilio said. “It represents our vision for the future of healthcare education — one rooted in the Mercy tradition — and focused on preparing students to grow as professionals who address the healthcare needs of today and tomorrow with precision and compassion, always with a focus on improving equity and access for all.”

GMercyU invites alumni and friends to continue the Mercy tradition by supporting the HIC and the students who will learn within it. To explore naming opportunities for classrooms, labs, and collaborative spaces, or other ways to contribute, contact Christina Riso, JD, Vice President for University Advancement, at [email protected]. Healthcare leaders may also schedule a time to discuss opportunities within the Compassionate Care Collaborative.

About Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Mercy University prepares students to become top professionals in the fields of nursing and other health professions, education, business, and the arts and sciences. Founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1948, Gwynedd Mercy University offers more than 70 bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and associate degree programs. In 2025, GMercyU was named a Best Value College by Niche and an Opportunity University by the Carnegie Foundation for its equitable access to higher education and graduate earnings. The University’s campus is situated on 145 private acres on Sumneytown Pike between routes 309 and 202 in Gwynedd Valley, Montgomery County. The University also offers online/accelerated undergraduate and graduate degree programs for working professions and career-changers. Learn more at gmercyu.edu, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

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CONTACT: Media Contacts

Madison Buiting

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Gwynedd Mercy University

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KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA PENNSYLVANIA

INDUSTRY KEYWORD: EDUCATION HEALTH GENERAL HEALTH CONTINUING TRAINING UNIVERSITY

SOURCE: Gwynedd Mercy University

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PUB: 09/25/2025 02:35 PM/DISC: 09/25/2025 02:34 PM

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