BENTONVILLE — A $250,000 gift from Washington Regional Medical Center will help pay for learning labs for health profession students at NorthWest Arkansas Community College.
The gift was announced Thursday.
At A Glance
Health Professions
NorthWest Arkansas Community College serves about 1,300 health profession students a year. It will be able to increase that by 1,000 with the new health professions building. The college enrolls 150 people annually in its competitive nursing program and turns away more than 150 applicants a year. It will be able to enroll 250 people upon the center’s completion.
Source: NorthWest Arkansas Community College
The 83,000-square-foot Center for Health Professions is to open in November with classes starting in January. It cost $12.2 million to build.
Bill Bradley, Washington Regional’s chief executive officer, said the hospital has been a part of the college’s nursing program since 2006.
“I don’t think of it as a donation but an investment for the hospital,” Bradley said. “If you turn on the TV or read the newspaper it is easy to read what is wrong with health care, but there are a lot of things that are right. The people are one of those things. Our experience with NWACC students is extremely positive. They are what is good about health care.”
Nursing labs in the new building will be named Washington Regional Medical Center Nursing Simulation Lab, college officials said.
Nursing labs will include a mock emergency room, an intensive care unit and obstetrics birthing rooms, said Mary Ross, college dean of health professions.
Alex Vasquez, college board chairman, said the health professions building is another way the college is preparing students for the future.
“It is really about unearthing diamonds,” Vasquez said. “Students here today, you are diamonds, and the college’s job is to polish you and ready you for the world.”
Greg Forrester, a student in the nursing program, said he chose the college because it has a quality program. He said construction of the health professions building reiterates the importance the college places on the program.
“It shows their want for us to be the best in the region,” Forrester said.
The building will house programs for registered nurses, emergency medical technicians, fire science, respiratory therapy, paramedics, physical therapy assistants and certified nursing assistants.