In December, the entire Salem Community College (SCC) family was dealt a terrible blow when Dr. Terri Covello died in a car accident. Dr. Covello made a tremendous impact on not only the Nursing programs but the entire College community. We were, and are still, devastated by this loss. In her five years with SCC, Dr. Covello raised the Nursing program to an entirely different level. Today, as a result of her efforts, we are a premier program for both Practical Nurses and Registered Nurses.  

Dr. Covello realized there was more work to be done. We needed to upgrade and expand our facilities. Initially, she took the Nursing classes that were scattered around campus and centralized them in Davidow Hall as well as the Nursing Center. Through the generous donation of Dr. and Mrs. Sauers she was able to create a simulation lab in Davidow Hall that has proven to be an invaluable teaching tool. Her dream was to add on to the Davidow site with a true lecture room (currently, we use the theater, which is not conducive to academic study), and two more labs. This expansion would allow us to serve more potential nursing candidates. She anticipated we could grow the program by at least 50% with the additional facilities, making us the premier program in South Jersey or the region.  

In memory of Dr. Covello, we are striving to make the Nursing Facility Expansion a reality. Current projected costs run about $4.2M. Through generous donations of benefactors and a state-funded program known as Chapter 12, we are close to making Dr. Covello’s dream come true. Currently, as I write this blog, we are $1,000,000 from our goal. A million dollars is a lot of money, but it represents only a quarter of this project.  We are three quarters of the way there.

If you care to donate, or you have suggestions as to funders who may be interested in making the future for Salem County a healthy one, please contact Melissa Daly, SCC Foundation Director, at mdaly@salemcc.edu or 856-351-2644.  You can also donate online at www.salemcc.edu/nursingexpansion. Every dollar helps.