Galen College sneak peek >

HCA Virginia Health System and its affiliate, Galen College of Nursing, have announced a second Virginia Galen campus will open in Roanoke in Spring 2023. A single-purpose nursing college with a mission to increase access to quality nursing education, Galen will bring an additional educational option in Roanoke to help address Virginia’s nursing workforce needs. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 194,500 average annual openings for registered nurses over the next 10 years, with employment projected to grow 9 percent.

“This new endeavor will help us continue to attract the next generation of nurses and help support the delivery of quality care in the state,” says Mark Vogt, Galen’s chief executive officer. “With over 30 years of experience exclusively educating nurses, Galen is well-positioned to help expand the pipeline of practice-ready nurses in the Roanoke area.” The Roanoke campus will feature advanced patient simulation labs and classroom environments designed to encourage practice-based hands-on learning. Galen says it has helped over 30,000 graduates enter the profession over the last 30 years. The Roanoke County campus will be its 15th nationwide.

“The addition of Galen College of Nursing will complement and increase the availability of high-quality nursing education available in Southwest Virginia,” said Amy Woods, chief nursing officer at LewisGale Medical Center LewisGale’s parent company, HCA, has a majority stake in Galen College and gets a first option on program graduates. Located at Metis Plaza on Electric Road the campus will initially offer a 2-year Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program and a Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse to Associate Degree in Nursing Bridge (LPN/LVN to ADN Bridge) starting in April. With four quarterly enrollments per year, admission for the first term is now in progress. The first student classes on campus are projected to begin in July.

Pro Lacrosse comes to Salem >

The Salem Civic Center had an historic night for local sports in late December when mayhem broke out. The Salem Mayhem to be precise, of the new Professional Box Lacrosse Association had their debut game against the Hampton Hammerheads. George Manias, Team President of the Salem Mayhem and Vice President of the PBLA says box, or indoor, lacrosse is a lot like hockey on foot – and on the artificial turf installed for their matches: “It becomes more physical because there’s less space to move around [than the outdoor lacrosse game.] Every time you get possession you have 30 seconds to take a shot.”

Manias says he the PBLA will open up the pro-lacrosse world for more American players, who mostly play the outdoor version of the sport. Lacrosse is dominated by Canadians at this point and each PBLA team actually has a 4-player cap on the number of players that can be on a roster from Canada. Mayhem head coach Lindsay Anderson is a member of the Ontario & Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame and previously coached in the National Lacrosse League – the major league for box lacrosse. “There’s penalties, there is fighting. A lot of the same penalties, tripping, holding, slashing, that type of stuff. If there’s a penalty call the coach has the option of taking a two minute penalty (and being shorthanded 4 on 5) or getting a penalty shot. It’s going to be very strategic of when you decide to do that.”

Manias hopes to see the PBLA become an official feeder circuit to the NLL as it continues to grow. Salem is a local hotbed for youth lacrosse and home to Roanoke College – which won the 1978 Division III college championship on a goal by Bob Rotanz, the co-owner of Mac & Bob’s restaurant in Salem. Rotanz was honored before the Mayhem’s opening game, which was attended by a sizable, boisterous crowd at the Salem Civic Center. The Mayhem will play seven home matches ending on April 1.