Goshen College secures $4M to renovate, expand nursing facilities
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Goshen College has been awarded a $4 million grant from the U.S. Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration. The college says the funding will allow it to renovate the historic Westlawn Hall, triple the size of its nursing facilities and expand enrollment.
About 18,000 square feet on the second and third floors of Westlawn Hall will be renovated to create a nursing education center. The renovated facilities will feature three inpatient simulation rooms and six exam rooms for simulation training, as well as a 10-bed skills lab, a central teaching area, flexible classrooms, student lounges, study areas and office space.
With the additional space, the college says it will be able to quadruple its nursing students, helping fill the nursing shortage in Elkhart County and the surrounding region.
“Goshen College is pleased and grateful for this EDA investment, which will support the expansion of our highly regarded nursing program and fill a critical shortage in the region’s skilled nursing workforce,” said President Rebecca Stoltzfus. “The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the importance of skilled nurses and health care professionals in an emergency. As a regional workforce training provider for the healthcare industry, we are well positioned to help make the region’s workforce ready for future healthcare emergencies, which will increase the region’s resiliency in the face of future health-related crises.”
In total, the renovation is estimated to cost $5.7 million, and the EDA investment will be matched with $1.7 million from the college.
The college expects to begin renovations in 2023.