Last updated: August 2026 | Researched and reviewed by Daniel Etheridge, CRNA
The Independence Health System School of Anesthesia at Saint Vincent College is a 36-month, entry-level DNAP based at Latrobe Hospital in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, about 40 miles east of Pittsburgh.
If you knew it as the Excela Health School of Anesthesia, it is the same program with a new name. Excela Health became Independence Health System, and the school followed.
The program has been training nurse anesthetists since 1954, admits about 30 students a year, and posted a 93% first-time NCE pass rate for the Class of 2025 with zero attrition.
Key Takeaways
- 93% first-time NCE pass rate for the Class of 2025, 100% pass rate at 90 days, 0% attrition, and 100% employment within six months
- Plan on roughly $116,000 to $122,000 in tuition and fees: 91 credits at $1,262 per credit (2025-26) plus college fees
- The GRE is preferred but not required, and one year of full-time critical care experience is the minimum
- Applications are due January 15 at 3 p.m. the year before you start; the program starts each January
Independence Health/Saint Vincent Nurse Anesthesia Program Quick Facts:
| Degree | DNAP (entry level) |
| Length | 36 months, 91 credits, full time |
| Location | Latrobe Hospital, One Mellon Way, Latrobe, PA (degree awarded by Saint Vincent College) |
| Class starts | January |
| Application deadline | January 15 at 3 p.m., the year prior to starting (confirm the cohort year with the school) |
| Class size | About 30 students |
| Tuition + fees | ≈ $116,000–$122,000: $114,842 tuition (91 credits × $1,262, 2025-26) plus college fees. Private, all states pay the same |
| GRE / CCRN | GRE preferred, not required · CCRN not mentioned in the published requirements |
| Outcomes | 93% first-time NCE (2025); 100% at 90 days; 0% attrition; 100% employed within 6 months |
| Accreditation | COA accredited (next review October 2028); distance education offerings approved by the COA June 2026 |
This program is one of 15 CRNA programs in Pennsylvania and one of four in the Pittsburgh area, alongside Pitt, Duquesne, and La Roche.
The Excela to Independence Health Name Change
The school was founded in 1954 as the Westmoreland Hospital School of Anesthesia. It affiliated with Latrobe Hospital in 1965, became a master’s program with La Roche College in 1991, and was renamed the Excela Health School of Anesthesia in 2006 when it partnered with Saint Vincent College. The COA approved the move to a doctorate in October 2018, and the first DNAP cohort started in January 2020.
Excela Health then merged into Independence Health System. The COA tracked the program under the Excela name through 2024 and under the Independence Health System name from January 2025. In May 2025, the COA approved the change in control and Title IV requirements, and in June 2026 it approved distance education offerings for the program.
None of this affected accreditation. The program’s next COA review is October 2028. Some of the hospital’s web pages still say “Excela” or “DNP,” and the application fee is still payable to Westmoreland Hospital, so do not be thrown by the old names.
Why Independence Health/Saint Vincent Stands Out
The outcomes for the Class of 2025 are strong: 93% first-time pass, 100% at 90 days, zero attrition, and 100% employed within six months.
The case count is high. The school requires 600 cases to graduate and says most graduates finish with well over 800. Students rotate through more than 20 clinical sites, from small community hospitals to large trauma centers.
The cohort is bigger than most. About 30 students a year gives you a large peer group, and a school that has been operating since 1954 has alumni in operating rooms all over western Pennsylvania.
The admission requirements are more flexible than most Pennsylvania programs. The GRE is preferred, not required. A 3.0 GPA is the minimum. Level I trauma ER experience counts. And the school will consider applicants with an ADN or diploma plus a non-nursing bachelor’s degree in a science field.
Independence Health/Saint Vincent CRNA Program Admission Requirements
To be considered for the Independence Health/Saint Vincent CRNA program, you will need:
- A BSN, or an associate degree or diploma in nursing plus a bachelor’s degree in a science-related field approved by the program director
- A cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher
- A current RN license in the United States or its protectorates
- At least one year of full-time critical care experience at a facility inside the United States or its protectorates
- Three letters of reference on the program’s form, one from your current unit manager or supervisor
- Current BLS and ACLS
- A resume, a summary of interest, a copy of your driver’s license, and sealed official transcripts
- A $65 application fee
- GRE scores are preferred (school code 0767), not required
The school lists accepted critical care units: CCU, ICU, MICU, NICU, PICU, TICU, SICU, and ER only at a Level I trauma center. Other experience may qualify with program approval.
The published requirements do not mention the CCRN. That does not mean you should skip it. With 30 seats and a 93% pass rate, applicants with a CCRN will stand out. Ask the school how it weighs the CCRN.
The whole packet must arrive together. The school states that documents sent separately will not be accepted.
Interviews are selective and at the admissions committee’s discretion.
Independence Health/Saint Vincent CRNA Program Tuition and Cost
Plan on roughly $116,000 to $122,000 in tuition and mandatory fees at 2025-26 rates.
Here is the breakdown:
- Tuition: $1,262 per credit for 91 credits, or $114,842
- Technology fee: $294 per year, or $882 over three years
- Graduation fee: $100
- Application fee: $65
That comes to about $115,900 using the fees Saint Vincent’s catalog lists. The college’s cost-of-attendance page budgets an additional $2,500 per year in “fee expenses” for DNAP students without explaining what it covers. If that figure is real, the total is closer to $122,400. Ask the school which number is right before you budget.
The health services fee does not apply to DNAP students. Rates for 2026-27 had not been posted when we checked, so expect the per-credit rate to rise.
Saint Vincent is a private college, so every student pays the same rate. The cost table on our Pennsylvania CRNA schools guide shows how this program compares to Pitt, Duquesne, and La Roche. Latrobe housing is cheaper than the city.
The national average CRNA salary is $248,320 (BLS, May 2025), so the math works.
Pass Rates, Attrition, and Employment
The Class of 2025 had a 93% first-time NCE pass rate, a 100% pass rate at 90 days after graduation, 0% attrition, and 100% employment within six months.
Saint Vincent’s page shows older cohorts: 83% first-time pass for 2019 and 2020 (the last master’s classes), then 60% for the 2022 class (the first DNAP cohort) and 90% for 2023. The eventual pass rate was 100% for 2019, 2020, and 2023 and 97% for 2022.
The 2022 number is a red flag you should ask about. A 60% first-time pass rate for the first doctoral cohort is low. The 90% and 93% that followed suggest the program corrected course, but ask what changed.
The 2021 and 2024 results are not published. Ask for them.
Student Experience
The program runs 36 months starting in January. Classes and the school office are on the first floor of Latrobe Hospital, and the degree, transcripts, and billing run through Saint Vincent College, whose campus is nearby in Latrobe.
The COA approved distance education offerings for the program in June 2026. The school’s pages do not yet describe an online component, so ask what that means for the first year.
Simulation is built into the curriculum, including a critical events simulation course in the third year.
With 30 students per cohort, this is one of the larger programs in the state. Faculty include the director, Michael DeBroeck, DNP, CRNA, an assistant director, and two education coordinators.
Living in Latrobe While Attending the Independence Health/Saint Vincent CRNA Program
Latrobe is a small city in Westmoreland County, about 40 miles east of Pittsburgh on Route 30. Saint Vincent College and Latrobe Hospital are both in Latrobe.
Rent in Latrobe and Greensburg is well below Pittsburgh. Many students live in Greensburg, 10 miles west, which has more apartments and puts you closer to the Pittsburgh-area clinical sites.
You will need a car. With more than 20 clinical sites, expect to drive to Pittsburgh and to rural hospitals across the region.
Application Dates and Deadlines
Applications are due by 3 p.m. on January 15, the year before you start. The school does not publish a specific cohort year on its pages, so by its own rule, a January 15, 2027 deadline would be for the class starting January 2028. Confirm that with the school.
If you are targeting January 2028:
18 months out (now): Be working full time in an accepted ICU, or in a Level I trauma ER. The full year must be complete before you start.
12 months out: Take the GRE if you can post a competitive score, since the school prefers it. Take the CCRN. Neither is required, but both help.
6 months out: Ask your current unit manager for a reference, plus two more on the program’s form. Write your summary of interest. Assemble the whole packet, since the school will not accept documents sent separately, and get it there before 3 p.m. on January 15.
The Interview
Interviews are by invitation after the committee reviews your complete file. Expect clinical questions about your ICU patients, including drips, ventilator management, and hemodynamics, along with why you want to be a CRNA and why this program.
Ask about the 2022 pass rate and what changed. Ask what the new distance education approval means for the schedule. Ask for the current clinical site list. All three answers will help you decide.
Clinical Rotations and Training Sites
The school describes more than 20 clinical sites, from small community facilities to large trauma hospitals. It does not publish the site names.
Students must complete 600 cases to graduate, and the school reports most graduates finish well over 800. Ask for the current site list and the typical travel distances before you commit.
Is the Independence Health/Saint Vincent CRNA Program Right for You?
Independence Health/Saint Vincent is a great fit if you:
- Want a large cohort and a program with 70 years of history in western Pennsylvania
- Do not want to take the GRE, or have a GPA between 3.0 and 3.2 that other programs would reject
- Are a Level I trauma ER nurse, since that experience counts here
- Have an ADN plus a science bachelor’s degree instead of a BSN
- Want a high case count with a wide range of hospital sizes
- Want a January start
- Want to live outside Pittsburgh and pay less rent
Consider other options if you:
- Want a published clinical site list before you commit
- Are concerned about the 60% first-time pass rate for the 2022 cohort and want to see the 2024 numbers first
- Want a single clear published total cost, since the college’s own pages disagree on fees
- Want a big academic medical center on your diploma
- Need to know what the new distance education approval means before you apply
- Want the school to tell you which cohort the January 15 deadline applies to
- Prefer a small cohort where you know everyone
In summary, this is an established program with a strong 2025 class, flexible admission requirements, and a big clinical network. The trade-offs are less published detail than we would like about sites, costs, and the 2022 and 2024 outcomes, and some leftover confusion from the Excela name change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Independence Health/Saint Vincent CRNA program a good program?
Yes, based on the most recent published data. The Class of 2025 had a 93% first-time NCE pass rate, a 100% pass rate at 90 days, 0% attrition, and 100% employment within six months. The program has been training nurse anesthetists since 1954 and is COA accredited through October 2028.
How much does the Independence Health/Saint Vincent CRNA program cost?
Tuition is $1,262 per credit for 91 credits, or $114,842 at 2025-26 rates. With college fees, plan on roughly $116,000 to $122,000 depending on which fee figure the college applies. Books, equipment, and housing are extra.
Does the Independence Health/Saint Vincent CRNA program require the GRE?
No. The school says GRE scores are preferred, not required. The CCRN is not mentioned in the published requirements. You will need BLS, ACLS, a 3.0 GPA, one year of full-time critical care experience, and three references.
Is the Excela Health School of Anesthesia still open?
Yes. It is now the Independence Health System School of Anesthesia at Saint Vincent College. Excela Health became Independence Health System, and the COA approved the change in control in May 2025. The program is accredited through October 2028 and admits about 30 students each January.
When is the Independence Health/Saint Vincent CRNA application deadline?
January 15 at 3 p.m., the year before you start. The program begins each January, so a January 15, 2027 deadline would be for the class starting January 2028. Confirm the cohort year with the school.
Next Steps
If you are targeting January 2028, the packet is due by 3 p.m. on January 15, 2027. Line up your unit manager’s reference now, decide whether to take the GRE, and assemble everything in one envelope. Questions can go to the school at 724-537-2638 or to Saint Vincent graduate admission at gradadmission@stvincent.edu.
If you want to compare programs first, start with the full Pennsylvania CRNA program list, including the three Pittsburgh programs 40 miles west. You can also compare programs in every state on our CRNA Schools by State page.
Contact the program
Independence Health System School of Anesthesia at Saint Vincent College
Program Director: Michael A. DeBroeck, DNP, CRNA (michael.debroeck@independence.health · 724-804-1132)
Latrobe Hospital, One Mellon Way, Latrobe, PA 15650 · School office 724-537-2638
Saint Vincent College Graduate Admission: gradadmission@stvincent.edu · 724-805-2933
Official pages: stvincent.edu — Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice · independence.health — School of Anesthesia
Accreditation: Council on Accreditation (COA) · Salary data: BLS OEWS (May 2025)