A gift of $1.725 million from Dr. Mushtaque Juneja, a Louisville anesthesiologist, entrepreneur and Bellarmine University alumnus, will provide premier facilities, state-of-the-art equipment, and faculty and student support for Bellarmine’s new
Doctor of Nursing Practice-Nurse Anesthesia (DNP-NA) program.
The program will now be called the Bellarmine University Juneja Nurse Anesthesia Program.
“Bellarmine’s new nurse anesthesia program reinforces Bellarmine’s role as a leader in healthcare education that can quickly develop new offerings which are responsive to community needs,” said Dr. Susan M. Donovan, Bellarmine’s
president. “Making that happen requires support from donors like Dr. Juneja. I am very appreciative of the impact his gift will have for our students and ultimately for their patients.”
The DNP-NA prepares nurses for high-paying jobs and a higher level of autonomy in a growing career field. Nurse anesthetists practice in virtually every healthcare setting, including surgical suite, labor and delivery units, endoscopy, lithotripsy and
interventional areas.
The DNP-NA program was announced in December 2022 and accredited in early 2023. The 18 students in the initial group are in their second semester of study. The second group, which will begin studies in August, was increased to 20 after approximately 300
candidates expressed interest.
“We are extremely grateful for this generous gift from Dr. Mushtaque Juneja, which is a continuation of his commitment to Bellarmine, our Nurse Anesthesia residents, and the entire anesthesia profession,” said Dr. Carly Mitchell, director
of Bellarmine’s DNP-NA program, which is housed in the
Donna & Allan Lansing School of Nursing & Clinical Sciences.
“This gift will support the development of a state-of-the-art simulation center equipped with high-fidelity mannequins, Point-of-Care-Ultrasound simulators, and trainers for airway management and invasive skills.” It will also offset program
startup costs.
The DNP-NA Program will be housed in the Bellarmine Flynn building, which boasts 15,000 square feet of space, including four classrooms, two lab spaces and a student lounge. Modifications to the lab space will include a pre-operative/post-operative area
as well as two operating rooms to provide students with immersive, experiential learning opportunities in a simulated perioperative setting.
A five-year, $2.4 million partnership with Norton Healthcare supporting the program allows students to complete all their required clinical education experiences in Norton Healthcare hospitals, without having to leave the Louisville area.
Juneja, who practices at Norton Hospital in downtown Louisville and Norton Women’s and Children’s Hospital in St. Matthews, has a long list of accomplishments in healthcare and in business. While serving as chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology
at Norton Suburban Hospital, he started a nurse anesthesia school in conjunction with Texas Wesleyan University. He is an international entrepreneur, commercial real estate developer, restaurateur and financial consultant.
He received his MBA from Bellarmine in 2000 and then became a founding member of Bellarmine’s Rubel School of Business Executive Advisory Board. As co-chair of that board, he was instrumental in the Rubel School’s earning accreditation from
the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), held by fewer than 5 percent of all business schools.
Juneja and his wife, Dr. Samina Juneja, are longtime supporters of Bellarmine. They made possible the construction of the Ponte Juneja Bridge on Via Cassia Road and named the Eva Vivienne Juneja Study Room in memory of their granddaughter. Mushtaque is
a member of Bellarmine’s Gallery of Distinguished Graduates.
Juneja said the future of the DNP-NA program is bright because there is a growing national shortage of anesthesiologists. “Bellarmine has a big opportunity to expand in this area, no question,” he said.
In addition to being well-paying, the career is “unbelievably rewarding,” Juneja said. “You are relieving the suffering of pain in mankind. I think ultimately helping other humans is a service. You feel good about it because you can
make somebody smile in their misery. What could be more than that?”
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Doctor of Nursing Practice-Nurse Anesthesia (DNP-NA) program: Applicants to the DNP-NA program must have a BSN or higher degree from a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited nursing program and proof of active, unrestricted license to practice nursing in Kentucky
and/or compact states. Certification as a Critical Care Registered Nurse and a minimum of one year of current, continuous full-time employment as a registered nurse in a critical care setting are required.
The 36-month DNP-NA program is divided into nine semesters. The first two semesters consist of full-time study online, followed by seven semesters of full-time study on-site.