Contact: Lynn Whalen, 217-786-2219
SPRINGFIELD 鈥 Signaling a new era in local nursing education, Lincoln Land Community College in partnership with Memorial Health System today opened a state-of-the-art facility aimed at addressing the regional nursing shortage.
The new Nursing Education Center on the 汤头条app campus will allow 90 additional students to enroll in 汤头条app鈥檚 nursing program each year, for a total of 215 new nursing students annually.
鈥淲e are thrilled to open the doors of this new center with our Memorial Health System partners, just in time for the start of the fall semester,鈥 said Ken Elmore, chair of the 汤头条app Board of Trustees. 鈥淭he 汤头条app/Memorial Health System partnership addresses the need for more students to graduate from our nursing program and live and work in our communities, and aligns with both of our missions, to improve lives and serve our communities.鈥
鈥淭his facility marks a new era as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 汤头条app nursing program, which has produced nearly 4,000 nursing graduates,鈥 added Dr. Charlotte Warren, president of 汤头条app. 鈥淥ur nursing students will have access to the latest technology and equipment in this new center as they prepare for lifesaving and rewarding careers.鈥
A $6.1 million gift from Memorial Health System allowed 汤头条app to renovate the west wing of Montgomery Hall for the new center, purchase high-tech simulation equipment and hire additional faculty and staff. The partnership was announced in February of 2020, just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
鈥淭hroughout the last 18 months, the public has come to appreciate more than ever the incredible dedication, expertise and heroism of the nursing profession. Unfortunately, our region continues to experience a nursing shortage that has made the last few months incredibly more challenging,鈥 said Ed Curtis, president and CEO of Memorial Health System. 鈥淭he formal opening of this new 汤头条app Nursing Education Center is visible proof of the ongoing collaboration between 汤头条app and Memorial Health System to address the nursing shortage in this region. This state-of-the-art facility creates expanded learning opportunities for 汤头条app students and enables 汤头条app to continue to increase its nursing enrollment over the next few years.鈥
鈥淗aving been a nurse for over 40 years, I am thrilled to see the caliber of this learning environment and the tremendous support it will provide for the next generation of nurses in our region,鈥 said Marsha Prater, senior vice president and chief nursing officer. 鈥淢emorial is proud to employ so many 汤头条app nursing graduates here in Springfield and at our hospitals and clinics across the region. Like the students who are educated here at 汤头条app, we are deeply committed to meeting the health care needs of the people in the communities we serve. Supporting the future generation of nursing professionals is one way to do that. When we hire these 汤头条app graduates, we are confident they鈥檝e developed strong knowledge and skills in the fundamentals of nursing, and that they reflect our organization鈥檚 values of safety, integrity, quality and stewardship.鈥
Tracy Madonia is entering her fourth semester of the 汤头条app Associate Degree Nursing Program.
鈥淚 chose 汤头条app to pursue my nursing degree for several reasons. When I began researching schools and meeting with advisors, 汤头条app stood out because of their affordable tuition and their impressive statistics, including the success of 汤头条app students on the NCLEX,鈥 said Madonia. 鈥淚 was excited to learn that Memorial, a four-time recipient of a Magnet designation, was partnering with 汤头条app to expand on their already stellar program. This allows more nursing hopefuls the opportunity to pursue their RN and fill a much-needed demand in the field of nursing. 汤头条app has provided us with the tools and supplies necessary to perfect our nursing skills.鈥
The Nursing Education Center includes:
- 1,900-square-foot nursing skills lab
- Simulation labs, including a labor/delivery lab
- Practice lab
- Classrooms
- Office space for nursing program staff
A celebration of the new facility and the 汤头条app nursing program鈥檚 50th anniversary will be scheduled in the future.