SJRCC PRESS RELEASE November 2007 SJRCC dedicates state-of-the-art Health-Sciences Building St. Johns River Community College recently held a dedication ceremony for its new state-of-the-art Health-Sciences Building located on the Orange Park Campus. College Trustees and President Robert L. McLendon Jr. welcomed a crowd of more than 200 to celebrate the opening of the $12 million facility that will house SJRCC's health care and science programs. The two-story 52,000 square foot facility will accommodate the College's nursing, health information management and related allied health programs along with science labs for physics, chemistry, microbiology, biology, and anatomy and physiology. McLendon addressed dignitaries, Trustees, faculty and students on the significance of the dedication. "Today is all about Clay County," he said. "With the opening of this new facility, the Orange Park Campus is one of the most complete campuses in the community college system." McLendon then acknowledged Orange Park Medical Center and CEO Michael Mayo for the support of the nursing program since its beginning in 2003. "He gave us a space in his facility when we needed it," he said. "We will gladly continue our partnership with the Orange Park Medical Center now that we have our own facility." Mayo told audience members that each health care student makes a difference. "It all starts at this college with the training you are receiving," Mayo said. "It's a wonderful time, and I look forward to seeing you walking our halls on a daily basis." SJRCC's dean of nursing Virginia McColm said students and faculty look forward to moving into the facility in January where they will train students in a new environment designed to simulate a real hospital. "It is hoped that with the increased space and improved technology we can further expand our nursing and allied health programs, thus offering more members of our communities the opportunity to pursue their goals of a health care career," McColm said. Nursing instructor Billie Blake, an instructor who helped launch the Orange Park program, said the new facility is significant to SJRCC's future in nursing education. "This new center is designed to offer improved learning experiences to nursing students using replicated hospital environments and computer technology," Blake said. "The ability to use sophisticated interactive adult, obstetrical and infant simulators in a clinical-type setting will improve students' competences in performance-based patient care." According to SJRCC's executive vice president Melissa Miller, the facility was based on a prototype shared by three additional Florida community colleges - Lake-Sumter Community College, South Florida Community College and Palm Beach Community College. The prototype provided the college with a savings by sharing the design and building development and includes 12 classrooms, 10 science labs and 19 hospital beds equipped with various human patient simulators and manikins. The facility was constructed by Perry-McCall Construction, Inc. and designed by Schwab, Twitty & Hanser Architectural Group. College Trustees and SJRCC alumni Larry Lancaster (Vice Chairman) and Dale Wilson also addressed the audience. Also attending the dedication were State Representative Joe Pickens; Michael Comins, CEO of Florida Association of Community Colleges; and Ron Fahs, director of facilities, planning and budget for the division of community colleges. The Orange Park nursing program currently has 98 students enrolled and offers an associate in science degree in nursing that is approved by the Florida Board of Nursing. The program prepares students for careers as registered nurses and consists of 72 semester hours of general education, nursing-related and nursing core courses. Graduates are eligible to apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). The program articulates to a baccalaureate degree in nursing. St. Johns River Community College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award the associate degree. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4501 for questions about the accreditation of St. Johns River Community College. For more information about SJRCC's health care and science programs, call the Orange Park Campus at (904) 276-6800 or visit the Web site at www.sjrcc.edu. Photo top: Nursing instructor Dorothy Wilkinson (left) demonstrates one of the nursing program's human patient simulators to SJRCC's vice president for Workforce Development Michael Purinton (far left) and Orange Park Medical Center's CEO Michael Mayo and CNO Nancy Simon. Photo center: Orange Park Medical Center CEO Michael Mayo and SJRCC President Robert L. McLendon Jr. pause beside nursing instructor Dorothy Wilkinson as she prepares a human patient simulator for a demonstration. Photo bottom: SJRCC President Robert L. McLendon Jr. and SJRCC's Dean of Nursing Ginny McColm chat with Bob Rigel, Penney Retirement Community president, during the tour of the state-of-the-art Health-Sciences Building. Return to SJRCC home page.