St. Louis Community College opened its doors to a new Nursing and Health Sciences Center on Feb.27 on the Florissant Valley campus.
“[The building] is great to get a real-life feel of what it’s like to be at a hospital,” Chancellor Jeff L. Pittman told the St. Louis American after he was joined by faculty members in cutting a ribbon on a fourth-floor multi-purpose room.
“There are 2,500 vacancies in nursing alone [regionally]. We need to elevate all of these programs.”
The new building marks the first of six to be opened by the college, as part of the STLCC Transformed initiative. It will bolster STLCC’s addition of new technologies and modernize its four main campuses.
The construction of the new 100,000 square foot building began in July 2023, and cost just over $62 million.
“The Nursing and Health Sciences Center is more than just a building,” Pittman said in a press release on Feb. 27. “It is a carefully thought-out space that will support healthcare education at STLCC.”
The construction was funded through Proposition R, an 8-cent tax levy approved by St. Louis city and county voters in 2021, as well as a grant from the state of Missouri.
Dr. William Hubble, distinct dean of health sciences at the college, said the renovations will be helpful for communities in north St. Louis county as well as around the region, where nurses are in demand.
The Missouri Hospital Association, which creates a report on vacancies in hospitals around Missouri, found that there are over 3,000 vacancies in various nursing positions in hospitals in the St. Louis region. Though vacancies have dropped since last year, the association said problems still remain as the numbers still have not reached pre-pandemic levels.
“STLCC plays a significant role in meeting the healthcare workforce needs in our region. Through the programs at the new center, we’ll train and prepare medical professionals for these careers that are in high demand,” Hubble said.
As part of the new building, new technology includes the treatment area of an ambulance and human mannequins that can cough, blink and model human behaviors – each of which cost over $80,000 apiece.
“In addition to our exceptional faculty, STLCC students will have access to state-of-the-art classrooms, laboratories, and simulation spaces in order to become the competent and qualified medical professionals our community relies on,” said Hubble.
He added that the new building will also allow for more students to be accepted into programs, leading to more diverse healthcare providers to help marginalized communities around the region.
“We’re trying to create pathways to an associate’s degree,” he said.
“Then the hospitals they work at will help them get their bachelor’s degree. It’s an affordable way to get their licensing.”
Among the other buildings projected to be built in coming years include a Health and Technology Center on the Wildwood campus, an Advanced Manufacturing Center at Florissant Valley, a Financial Services Education Center and an Emerging Technology Center at Meramec and a Transportation Education Center on the Forest Park Campus.
The new building has already welcomed students, and the public dental clinic will be open in the fall, with radiology students being admitted in the spring to stagger admissions.
“This building is going to touch a lot of lives,” Hubble said. “Not just the students, but to those they provide care for in the community.”
Namratha Prasad is St. Louis American Comcast NBC-Universal Fellow/Reporter