Debra Minzola, Ph.D., CRNA, recently was named to the Marquis Who's Who list for her work as program director of the Geisinger/Commonwealth University Nurse Anesthesia Program. The list features professionals doing outstanding work in their professions.
Minzola gained attention after being featured in a university-wide Commonwealth University news article, “A Professional Pipeline: Geisinger/Commonwealth Nurse Anesthesia Program Provides Vital Professionals,” Aug. 1, 2023, that spotlighted the 36-month anesthesia program that attracts students from as far away as California, Oregon, and Arizona. The class only accepts 15 students who graduate with a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.
Commonwealth University nurse anesthesia graduates have earned a compelling reputation in the industry, with the Class of 2022 earning a 100% pass rate in the National Certification Exam (NCE), while the average pass rate was 82%.
The program – which was affiliated with Bloomsburg University before its merger with two other state-affiliated schools, Lock Haven and Mansfield, to form Commonwealth University – is headquartered at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville.
“Approximately 60% of our graduates are staying with the Geisinger System,” Minzola said. “That says a lot about the good relationship between the university and the clinical site. It makes it a more positive learning experience, and they want to stay here. Our recruitment has been phenomenal for Geisinger.”
If Minzola’s name sounds familiar, that is because she recently was installed as president of the Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists (PANA), which represents approximately 4,000 CRNAs and students statewide.
She recently helped the statewide association mark national CRNA Week in Pa. in January. You can check out her message to members HERE, where she celebrate all the innovative CRNAs and nurse anesthesia residents who provide exceptional care to their patients during their most vulnerable moments.
