Alumnus Gift Provides Support to New Healthcare Administration Program

The new B.S. in Healthcare Administration program at St. John Fisher University has received additional support from Dr. Jerry Vasile, Class of 1967 and his wife, Mary Ellen Vasile.

The gift has established the Healthcare Administration Program Development Fund and will provide support to undergraduate students. In honor of the Vasiles, the Louis and Regina Vasile Classroom will be established in the School of Business, dedicated by Jerry to his parents for their unwavering encouragement and support of his educational endeavors.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare administration is growing nearly ten times faster than other sectors, with a 2025 IntuitionLabs report ranking it among the most in-demand career paths nationwide. Graduates of the program will be well prepared for careers in healthcare management, health services administration, and hospital operations. This program also aims to prepare students for entry into graduate and professional programs in health policy, healthcare leadership, and business administration.

“We are grateful to the Vasiles for helping us further the University’s mission of providing an educational experience where our students can grow into purposeful leaders who contribute to the evolving healthcare landscape across the country,”said Dr. Gerard J. Rooney, president. “Their support of this new program demonstrates their commitment to aiding the preparation of students for leadership roles in a complex industry.”

Over a 40-year career in healthcare administration, Vasile has held several major executive positions, including chief executive officer, chief operating officer, and faculty member at major academic medical centers including the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center’s Strong Memorial Hospital, and the Johns Hopkins Health System.

He also enjoyed a distinguished career in professional management consulting, providing counsel to hospitals, academic medical centers, and pharmaceutical and medical manufacturing organizations both domestically and internationally. In that capacity, he served both private and public entities, including ministries of health in several countries. He has testified before the United States Congress, and was an expert panelist at a White House conference on health care reform.

Vasile’s Fisher education was a catalyst for his long, successful career in healthcare administration. He credits the Basilians from the Congregation of St. Basil who supported his experience, particularly Father Joseph Dorsey, CSB for guiding him to undertake graduate education in healthcare administration. He was actively involved with the University for many years, including service on the Board of Trustees from 1981 to 1984.

In 2019, he was honored with the University’s Alumni Science and Technology Hall of Fame, which recognizes alumni who are noteworthy for their service to their community or the University and for significant contributions to science/technology, science education, or medicine and health-related fields.

The Vasiles’ philanthropy has also supported the creation of the Louis J. & Regina Vasile Memorial Scholarship, established in 1980 to honor Jerry’s late parents, Louis and Regina. As first-generation Italians who never had the opportunity to benefit from education beyond grammar school themselves, Louis and Regina strongly committed to securing a good education for their three children.