March 03, 2020
La Roche University Distinguished Alumnus Anthony Battaglia ’95 Gives Back Through Clinical Simulation Center
PITTSBURGH, March 3, 2020 — La Roche Distinguished Alumnus Anthony Battaglia ’95, M.S., BSN, RN, recently made a substantial gift to La Roche University’s Many Faces, One Vision campaign for the construction of a clinical simulation center.
The largest outright gift from a La Roche graduate in the institution’s history, it will allow students, including those in the University’s new Entry Level Master of Science in Nursing (ELMSN) program, to study their craft in The Anthony J. Battaglia Clinical Simulation Center, which will open on April 17.
“I’m a firm believer in the importance of using simulation tools to prepare future generations of health care professionals for working in the field,” Mr. Battaglia said. “Sim learning is important in general because even though it’s fiction, the decisions you make are real. It provides a safe place for students to practice, to ask questions and to make mistakes. The knowledge they gain in the sim lab can then be used in real life.”
As the founder, president and CEO of Pocket Nurse®, a global simulation and health care education solutions organization, the entrepreneur has built a company that carries and creates thousands of products designed to let nursing and medical students practice their skills before working with real patients.
Mr. Battaglia earned his B.S. in nursing from La Roche University, and his M.S. in training and development from Carlow University. He also is a fellow in entrepreneurial business with the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh. Mr. Battaglia was honored as a La Roche Distinguished Alumnus in 2018.
“We are forever grateful to Anthony for his transformational gift to La Roche University,” Sister Candace Introcaso, CDP, Ph.D., president of La Roche, said. “As an alumnus, entrepreneur and a business leader, Anthony is an exemplary individual whose innovative vision has educated health care professionals across the United States. We are proud of all that he has accomplished, and we are honored to receive this gift.”
The Anthony J. Battaglia Clinical Simulation Center will provide students with a variety of opportunities to practice assessment skills and critical thinking before dealing with live patients. Low- to mid-fidelity simulators will be used to teach vital signs assessments, wound care and more. High-fidelity simulators can be programed so that students can use higher order thinking to respond to more complex conditions related to neurological, respiratory and cardiac problems.
The simulation center also will provide an opportunity for students in La Roche’s new ELMSN program to practice their skills. Introduced in 2019, the accelerated, 77-credit ELMSN degree is a hybrid program that enables college or university graduates with a bachelor’s degree in any area to earn a master’s degree in nursing in as few as 20 months.
About La Roche University: A private liberal arts university in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, La Roche University offers 66 undergraduate programs of study, six master’s degrees and one doctoral degree, with particular strengths in education, business, criminal justice, psychology, and health and medical sciences as well as interior design and graphic design. This residential university provides a vibrant campus community for more than 1,400 men and women enjoying 30-plus student organizations and an exciting NCAA Div. III athletics program. Founded by the Sisters of Divine Providence in 1963, La Roche University embraces its Catholic heritage while welcoming people of all faiths and backgrounds. With a legacy of social justice and a commitment to international exchange, La Roche University educates students to be lifelong learners and achievers in an increasingly diverse and global society.
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