Rowan University celebrates opening of Rita & Larry Salva School of Nursing & Health Professions Building 

New facility expands nursing and health professions education as Rowan prepares for more than 1,000 nursing students this fall 

Rowan University, Virtua Health and partners celebrated the opening of the Rita & Larry Salva School of Nursing & Health Professions Building Thursday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the university’s West Campus, in Mantua Twp. The facility adds to Rowan’s significant investment in addressing the state’s shortage of nurses and health professionals.  

University and Virtua Health leaders, Rita and Larry Salva, U.S. Representative Donald Norcross and community members gathered for the ceremony, which highlighted the school’s rapid growth, the critical need for healthcare professionals in New Jersey and the importance of preparing students to work collaboratively across healthcare disciplines.  

“This school is going to go a long way toward meeting our region’s need for a highly skilled nursing and health professions workforce,” said Ali A. Houshmand, president of Rowan University. “A growing program needs room to grow. Today, we’re opening the first permanent home for the Salva School.” 

Houshmand noted that Rowan’s nursing programs have more than tripled their enrollment in five years, with the university expecting more than 1,000 nursing students this fall. The growth is part of Rowan’s broader expansion of healthcare education through Virtua Health College of Medicine & Life Sciences, established in 2021 to strengthen healthcare education, research and clinical care in the region—in partnership with Virtua Health, the region’s largest healthcare provider. 

U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross, whose 1st Congressional District includes Rowan’s Glassboro campus, spoke about the deeply human role nurses play in healthcare. Norcross shared his own experience after spending five weeks hospitalized with sepsis last year. 

“When I needed it most, it wasn't the machines behind me that were keeping my heart pumping. It was that nurse literally holding my hand, telling me we'll get through this,” Norcross said. “And that's what we're doing here today.” 

Norcross said the new school represents the intersection of education, employment and community well-being, while emphasizing the importance of preparing healthcare professionals who can provide both expertise and compassion. 

Benefactors’ vision comes to fruition 

Rita Salva, a longtime healthcare provider and educator, said the new facility represents an investment not only in students, but in the communities and patients they will eventually serve. 

“As a healthcare provider and educator for many years, I have seen firsthand how important it is to prepare the next generation of healthcare professionals, not only with knowledge and technical skills, but with compassion, collaboration, and a commitment to serving others,” Rita Salva said. 

Larry Salva, a Rowan alumnus and and current member of the Rowan Board of Trustees, reflected on the evolution of nursing education at Rowan and its growth into a comprehensive school. 

“It's fitting that the school will now have a dedicated building that will support the interdisciplinary collaboration between nursing and other health disciplines that are able to prepare students holistically for healthcare careers,” Larry Salva said. 

The new 42,000-square-foot facility features six classrooms, two nursing skills labs, two problem-based learning labs, a 3D visualization lab, a simulation suite and a 190-seat lecture hall. The building is designed to support hands-on education and interdisciplinary collaboration as students prepare for careers across the healthcare professions. 

The power of academic and clinical partnership 

Richard Jermyn, vice chancellor of Virtua Health College and dean of Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine, highlighted the partnership between the Salva School and Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes School of Nursing, which share a mission of educating future nurses, improving community health and preparing the next generation of healthcare leaders. 

Jermyn said the new facility gives students opportunities to develop clinical and collaborative skills while learning alongside students from other healthcare disciplines. 

“Most importantly, students can learn together, train together and collaborate across healthcare disciplines,” Jermyn said. 

Jermyn also emphasized the long-term purpose of the building, saying it was designed to serve generations of students and prepare them to treat patients with both skill and compassion. 

Dennis W. Pullin, president and CEO of Virtua Health, said the new facility comes at a critical time as healthcare organizations nationwide confront significant workforce shortages. 

“I think everyone agrees that nurses are both the backbone and the heartbeat of healthcare,” Pullin said. “They bring expertise when it's needed the most. They provide comfort when some of us are in our most difficult seasons of our lives.” 

Pullin said the partnership between Rowan and Virtua is helping create pathways for the nurses and healthcare professionals who will care for families and communities for decades to come. The new school also builds on the 65-year legacy of Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes School of Nursing and its longstanding role in preparing nurses to serve South Jersey. 

The future of nursing education in New Jersey  

The Rita & Larry Salva School of Nursing & Health Professions is part of Virtua Health College of Medicine & Life Sciences of Rowan University. The school offers programs designed to prepare nurses and other health professionals to meet the needs of New Jersey’s diverse and growing population. 

The new building represents a collaborative effort among Rowan University, Virtua Health and the Salvas. Rowan Facilities, Planning & Operations led the planning and development of the project, with Garrison Architects providing design services and Ogren Construction and Greyhawk supporting construction and project management.

The facility welcomes students for fall 2026 and will provide advanced learning spaces, including classrooms, teaching and skills labs, and collaborative environments designed to train the next generation of healthcare professionals. The school also continues its partnership with Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes School of Nursing through integrated undergraduate prelicensure cooperative nursing programming. 

Following the ceremony, guests toured the new facility and viewed the classrooms, simulation spaces and other learning environments that will support the school’s students and faculty. 

The Salva School is helping Rowan expand its capacity to educate the nurses, nurse practitioners and other healthcare professionals needed throughout South Jersey and beyond.