2.01.10
The Allied Health School of Nursing is featured in the January/February 2010 issue of Chattanooga Magazine. Here is the following article transcribed from Chattanooga Magazine.
A Focus on Regional Demand
Story by Jennifer Watts Hoff
With a stunning modern design inside and out, the new Health Science Center at Chattanooga State Community College is more than just a cutting-edge education facility. It is the new face of a college that continues to evolve to meet the workforce demands of the region.
Funded by both private and public support, the $31 million facility expands enrollment capacity in Chattanooga State’s healthcare programs to approximately 1,000 students—a critical expansion to meet the growing shortage of healthcare workers in our region and nation.
“The Health Science Center provides students, faculty and staff with a dynamic educational environment in which to learn, teach and explore,“ says Dr. James Catanzaro, president of Chattanooga State. “This building is the realization of Chattanoooga State’s longtime objective to grow and enhance its healthcare education to address local workforce needs.“
Workforce Demands
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 10 of the 20 fastest growing occupations are healthcare related, and the healthcare industry will generate 3.2 million new jobs by 2018—more than any other industry—due in large part to the growing elderly population The Southeast faces some of the biggest workforce needs, with Tennessee projected to have the most critical shortage of registered nurses in the region by 2012. Even more alarming: the Health Resources and Services Administration reports that Tennessee is poised to meet only 53 percent of the demand for registered nurses by 2020 if steps are not taken to address the shortages.
“This new facility is going to position Chattanooga State to turn out substantially more healthcare workers over the next 25 years,“ says Dr. Catanzaro. “We will be able to meet the demand locally, which is core to our mission.“
Chattanooga State supplies approximately 80 percent of our region’s non-doctoral healthcare professionals, and for students graduation in these high-demand career fields, the payoff is substantial. Salaries in the healthcare industry are projected to increase at double the rate of other industries, and with shortages nationwide, students can choose to live in virtually any city. Healthcare jobs usually survive economic downturns, and the career options are wide open: Chattanooga State offers 20 fully-accredited healthcare programs. With more than 300 students, registered nursing is the largest program, followed by the emergency medical technician, practical nursing, radiologic technology, and physical therapist assisting programs.
The college’s healthcare programs were once housed in various buildings across campus. But when the new 100,000-square-foot Health Science Center opened in fall of 2009, all of the programs were brought together in one facility. “Uniting 20 healthcare educational initiatives together in the same facility nurtures a synergy that promotes opportunities for collaborative teaching and interdisciplinary learning,“ says Catanzaro.
The center provides students access to the latest advancements in health education. Signature features of the new facility include a 150-seat auditorium, large multimedia tiered-seating classrooms, a multipurpose conference room, and a variety of state-of-the-art laboratories for clinical study.
One distinctive learning environment is the simulation lab, which allows nursing students to work with a patient simulator that replicates realistic medical scenarios. The simulator can precisely and realistically mimic a variety of medical conditions, such as the symptoms of a heart attack, the trauma from a gunshot wound, the indicators of renal failure, the intensity of an asthma attack, and the physical distress during a seizure. These simulations help students develop their clinical proficiency and hone their critical-thinking skills.
“The simulation strategy offers students a hands-on, interactive tutorial that engages them in thoughtful analysis and allows them to make meaningful decisions,“ says Dr. Howard Yarbrough, dean of Nursing and Allied Health at Chattanooga State. “Students have the opportunity to strengthen their core nursing competencies and sharpen the other skills that are essential to nursing, such as teamwork and effective communication.“
The Health Science Center also houses other notable high-tech laboratories. Like the nursing labs, these additional laboratory classrooms—designated for dental assisting, dental hygiene, health information management, nursing, pharmacy technician, physical therapist assisting, radiologic technology, and respiratory care—are equipped with the most current and advanced technology and equipment.
“Chattanooga State’s investment in technology is an endorsement of our mission to create an exceptional and progressive learning environment for our students,“ says Dr. Yarbrough. “Students enrolled in Chattanooga State’s nursing and allied health programs graduate fully prepared to confront the challenges they will encounter in the healthcare industry.“
Future Expansion
Chattanooga State’s commitment to excellence in its healthcare programs, the largest family of professional programs on campus, extends to every program and department. The college has recently fully renovated a building on campus to house the media technology program and is poised to expand its engineering programs to meet growing workforce demands brought on, in large part, by the Volkswagen assembly plant. In February 2010, the Volkswagen Academy Training Center will open at Enterprise South, and Chattanooga State faculty are working in partnership with Volkswagen leaders to develop the curriculum and training program for employees.
The college is also planning construction of a new field house for its athletics department and will renovate several classrooms and laboratories left vacant due to the relocation of the healthcare programs. These renovated spaces will enhance Anatomy and Physiology, Environmental Science, Geology, and Veterinary Technician classes. Pending approval, Chattanooga State will begin construction on dormitories in spring 2010, which would make it the first community college in the state to have on-campus housing. Every project is carefully planned to support student success and meet the dynamic needs of the community.
“The Health Science Center is the signature building that creates a new image for the college,“ says Catanzaro. “It is the first wave of a whole series of expansions that will be taking place at Chattanooga State over the next several years.“
For more information about the nursing and allied health programs at Chattanooga State Community College, contact the Division of Nursing and Allied Health at 423.697.4450 or visit www.chattanoogastate.edu.
