Chattanooga State Community College will celebrate the opening of its new state-of-the-art Health Science Center on Tuesday, October 27.   Designed to be an informal event, the grand opening is an invitation to the public to visit Chattanooga State’s Health Science Center between 4-6 p.m.  During this time visitors will be able to tour the facility and meet with faculty as they learn about the 20 fully-accredited healthcare programs offered through the college.

An architecturally-striking structure, the 100,000-square-foot building is located close to the college’s main entrance at 4501 Amnicola Highway.  Funded by both private and public support, the Health Science Center is a $31 million project that expands enrollment capacity in Chattanooga State’s healthcare programs to approximately 1,000 students.

Chattanooga State President Dr. James Catanzaro said, “The Health Science Center provides students, faculty and staff with a dynamic educational environment in which to learn, teach and explore.  This building is the realization of Chattanooga State’s longtime objective to grow and enhance its healthcare education to address local workforce needs.  Furthermore, uniting 20 healthcare educational initiatives together in the same facility nurtures a synergy that promotes opportunities for collaborative teaching and interdisciplinary learning.”

Providing students access to the latest advancements in health education, the Health Science Center is a technologically-sophisticated educational facility.  Signature features of the new Health Science Center 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.  In this environment, nursing students work with a patient simulator, which replicates realistic medical scenarios and helps students develop their clinical proficiency and hone their critical-thinking skills.  Highly-developed and ingenious, this mannequin 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.

According to Dr. Howard Yarbrough, dean of nursing and allied health at Chattanooga State, utilizing simulation training in the nursing program is a practical and valuable educational tool.  “The simulation strategy offers students a hands-on, interactive tutorial that engages them in thoughtful analysis and allows them to make meaningful decisions.  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 technologically-superior 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.”

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.

For more information about Chattanooga State Community College and its educational programs, call the Chattanooga State information hotline at 423.697.4404 or toll free at 1.866.547.3733 or visit the college’s Web site at www.chattanoogastate.edu.

Chattanooga State Community College is a comprehensive, regionally accredited community college, operated under the policies and guidelines of the Tennessee Board of Regents College System.  Founded in 1965 and serving a six-county area in Southeast Tennessee, Chattanooga State offers a wide array of programs and services.