Southeast Community College dedicates new Lincoln Campus Health Sciences Center
LINCOLN – Southeast Community College dedicated a new Health Sciences Center on the school’s East “O” Street campus in Lincoln, holding a ribbon-cutting for the new 82,000 square foot facility.
"I believe....I have no doubt this will be one of the highest quality health science teaching facilities in the country. It is designed to promote innovation and collaboration among all of our health science programs."
The center will be home to sixteen health science programs offered through Southeast Community College. SCC President Dr. Paul Ilich says it will provide state-of-the-art training for students seeking employment in high-demand career fields.
"SCC produces approximately two thousand health science graduates every ten years, with ninety percent of these individuals finding employment in Nebraska. The challenge we have in Nebraska is that we have a tremendous shortage of skilled workers in these same health science occupations. Nebraska community colleges are uniquely positioned to address this barrier to Nebraska's economic growth."
SCC Dean of Health Sciences, Jill Sand gave one example where students will be able to seek a licensed practical nursing degree.
"For our LPN practice nursing program, they will have new spaces on both the Lincoln and Beatrice Campus.....new labs and an interdisciplinary space on both campuses will connect students like never before....and grow a hope for the future for quality health care. Our students will have access to some of the latest innovations in health care education, like a home-care setting in our interdisciplinary center apartment...flexible and versatile nursing labs...that will open doors to students across our fifteen county area who otherwise believed getting a nursing degree, wasn't an option."
Nebraska Lieutenant Governor Mike Foley described the new center as “a game changer”, with it comes to developing students for careers in health-related fields.
"Oh, the places they will go...the students that will study here, come January. This is going to be a beehive of activity. Those young people are going to be earning degrees in fields where they will be instantly in demand. They're in demand, today, because there is a great shortage of workers in health sciences career paths. They'll find so many wonderful opportunities not only in Lincoln, but beyond."
Community college board members, administrators and staff attended the ribbon cutting at the facility Tuesday morning. It’s located just east of the main campus buildings and the Career Center, on the Lincoln Campus.
