Work underway on $49M renovation of USI’s Health Professions Center
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(rendering courtesy of the University of Southern Indiana)
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(rendering courtesy of the University of Southern Indiana)
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(rendering courtesy of the University of Southern Indiana)
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(rendering courtesy of the University of Southern Indiana)
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(rendering courtesy of the University of Southern Indiana)
The University of Southern Indiana on Wednesday marked the beginning of the $49 million final phase of renovations to its Health Professions Center.
The project, the university said, will add more than 48,000 square feet of space that will include a new auditorium, nursing skills labs, and respiratory therapy labs.
The Health Professions Center houses USI’s Kinney College of Nursing and Health Professions, and this latest phase is the fourth in a series of upgrades that started in 2017 with a renovation of the building’s third floor.
The project will also include an enhancement of the building’s front entrance that USI said will redefine the entrance to the Evansville campus.
“This exterior expansion, facing the roundabout and campus entrance, will add a striking new front door to our University,” USI Interim President Steve Bridges said in a news release. “Inside, new labs, meeting spaces and new and updated areas for students and faculty will allow us to continue to grow our programs. The investment represents our commitment to advancing health professions education and serving the healthcare needs of our broader community.”
An expanded first floor will serve as the home for the Kinney College’s administrative officers, Advising Center, and the Center for Health Professions Lifelong Learning Department, as well as student dining and study spaces and new classroom space.
The first floor will also feature a new, 250-capacity auditorium that will be used as an interactive classroom and gathering spot for meetings and large campus events, USI said.
The university is also constructing eight new nursing skills labs designed to simulate a hospital setting, as well as two labs for students in the USI Respiratory Therapy Program and two new Occupational Therapy Assistant Labs on the second floor.
“The Kinney College is proud to play a vital role in building the healthcare workforce for our community and state, with licensure and certification pass rates that consistently exceed the national average,” said Julie McCullough, dean of the Kinney College. “As we expand and renovate, our students will have access to cutting-edge labs and classrooms, ensuring they receive the best possible training to meet the evolving demands of the healthcare industry.”
Funding for the project was approved by the Indiana General Assembly during the 2023 legislative session.
The fourth and final phase comes about 15 months after USI began work on the $18.5 million third phase of the renovation effort, which included a relocation of the building’s Clinical Simulation Center and Food and Nutrition Program, as well as a new radiology suite.
The entire renovation effort comes with a $75.5 million price tag, and a spokesperson for the university says the previous three phases are all complete.