Jersey College to Graduate First Nursing Class From Its Dothan, Alabama, Campus

Two years after opening, the Dothan campus celebrates its first graduates, helping support the region’s growing workforce needs

DOTHAN, Ala., Nov. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jersey College, the higher education institution dedicated to excellence in nursing education, will celebrate the inaugural graduating class of its Dothan, Alabama, campus with a commencement ceremony on site Nov. 12, from 4 to 6 p.m. CST. Jeffrey Brannon, RN, Vice President of Business Development at Flowers Hospital, will deliver the keynote address.

The ceremony comes two years after the Dothan campus welcomed its first cohort in 2024 and arrives at a critical time for Alabama’s health care workforce. Approximately 39,000 Alabama nurses plan to retire by 2027, leaving the state facing a projected shortage of 14,000 nurses. As hospitals and health systems statewide work to strengthen their nursing staff, the Dothan graduates are ready to step into roles where they are needed.

“This first graduating class shows what is possible when nursing programs are built around the needs of both students and the communities they serve,” said Greg Karzhevsky, CEO and chancellor of Jersey College. “Many of these graduates completed their education while working and managing other responsibilities, and we look forward to the difference they will make as nurses.”

Jersey College’s Dothan campus operates through an alliance with Flowers Hospital. Students complete coursework in nursing, science, and general education alongside clinical practice at the institution, gaining hands-on experience in a hospital-affiliated environment that connects their training with regional workforce needs.

“Our collaboration with Jersey College gives students the chance to train alongside the nurses and care teams they may one day join,” said Dan Cumbie, Chief Nursing Officer at Flowers Hospital. “That experience builds confidence before they start their careers and gives our community a reliable source of new nurses.”

Jersey College offers both a traditional Professional Nursing program and an LPN-to-RN Bridge program at its Dothan campus, giving career changers and licensed practical nurses in Dothan and surrounding communities a path to pursue entry-level registered nursing positions across a variety of health care settings.

The Dothan program draws on Jersey College’s record of preparing nurses for licensure. The institution reports a 95.4% first-time NCLEX pass rate, compared with an approximately 86.7% national first-time pass rate in 2025, according to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. As the Dothan graduates begin their careers, the milestone marks a new chapter for health care in Southeast Alabama.

Prospective students can learn more about Jersey College’s programs at jerseycollege.edu.

About Jersey College
Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Teterboro, N.J., Jersey College is a nursing-focused institution dedicated to training competent, compassionate nurses ready to enter the workforce from day one. With 19 campuses across Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Indiana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Tennessee, Jersey College has built a reputation as one of the leading nursing institutions in the country, having graduated more than 14,000 nursing students. Its programs combine classroom theory with hands-on clinical practice and are designed with flexible curricula to serve working adults. Jersey College is accredited by The Council on Occupational Education; its associate degree in nursing programs at the Fort Wayne campus are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. Learn more at jerseycollege.edu.

Media contact: Caroline Hansen [chansen@wearecsg.com]