CAMDEN – When Virtua Health took over Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital six years ago, one “true gem” that was not obvious is today shaping the future of Virtua’s workforce.

Virtua has been able to build an expansive training program around the Lourdes nursing school and has produced hundreds of new nurses each year in an industry suffering from a shortage.

“It was a true gem. It was like a diamond that we didn't even know and maybe even Lourdes didn't know,” said Dr. John Matsinger, Virtua executive vice president and chief operating officer.

The Lourdes Nursing School has been moved to the Rowan University Stratford campus and students are “all doing rotations with us during their training, and we've been able to offer many of those nurses opportunities to join Virtua upon graduation, and

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