Intermountain Healthcare makes $3 million donation to help fund SLCC Health Sciences Center

SALT LAKE CITY – Salt Lake Community College officials announced Thursday, August 10, that Intermountain Healthcare will donate $3 million to help fund construction on a new Health Sciences Center being built at SLCC’s Jordan Campus, 3491 West Wights Fort Road.

The new facility is critical to ensuring that Utah continues to have highly qualified medical professionals to serve the needs of future patients.  The College broke ground on the new learning facility in October 2005.  The building will be completed for classes in the fall semester of 2007.

For several years, SLCC has partnered with Intermountain Healthcare to help train nurses and other medical professionals.

“We have a great relationship with Salt Lake Community College, and we are very pleased to provide support for their valuable medical education programs,” says Nancy Nowak, vice president of clinical operations and chief nursing officer at Intermountain Healthcare.  “We are excited to be a part of the new Health Sciences Center and look forward to collaborating with their nursing programs, as well as their educational programs for medical technicians and medical assistants.”

SLCC President Dr. Cynthia A. Bioteau says the College deeply values its partnership with Intermountain Healthcare and is extremely grateful for this generous donation.  “Intermountain Healthcare continues to share our vision and commitment to improving quality healthcare and providing educational experiences for future healthcare providers in our community.  The Health Sciences Center will help us achieve these goals.”

The new Health Sciences Center will bring cutting-edge technology to SLCC teachers and students, says Dr. Marlene Bacon, Dean of the School of Health Sciences.

 “The newly integrated teaching facility consolidates the College’s health science offerings into a single location where students and faculty from various disciplines can benefit from contact with one another.”

The Center will offer 28 medical and general science labs, 15 classrooms, 5 computer labs, 4 assessment and testing rooms, a 500-seat auditorium and an 80-seat tiered classroom.  Classrooms and labs for the health science programs are currently spread over six locations throughout Salt Lake Valley, creating duplication of space and efforts.

“Having everyone located in the same place will allow us to better focus on our students’ needs,” says Bacon, “and to move our programs forward as we work together.”

“We’re very excited about the new Health Sciences Center,” says Joyce Barra, SLCC Interim Division Chair for Nursing.  “We’re looking forward to collaborating with our sister programs – physical therapy, occupational therapy, and radiological technology.”

Functions used by multiple programs include: sterile prep areas, adjunct faculty offices, professional consultation rooms, conference rooms, computer labs, the community healthcare clinic, and locker/shower/changing rooms.  Consolidating these functions will introduce health science students to the multi-disciplinary environment common to most health care settings.

Comprising approximately 151,000 square feet, the multi-level building will also have a fitness room, an aerobic/dance room and a health sciences library.  The facility will also have a wellness clinic and student health center.  The clinic and health center will serve low-income families in the community and students at the Jordan Campus.  The wellness clinic and student health center will act as a service learning center, teaching students and benefiting the community.  There will also be a radiology clinic, an occupational/physical therapy clinic and a physical therapy pool. 

“An increase in teaching space will allow a 60 percent increase in the number of students admitted to the allied health disciplines and the nursing program’s enrollment capacity will nearly double,” says Bacon.

SLCC has offered health science courses since 1948, with enrollment continuing to increase each year.  In the fall of 2005 there were more than 800 students enrolled in health science programs, including 420 nursing students.  Last year, students in the nursing program received the highest scores in the state on the NCLEX-RN, a registered nurse licensure exam.

The College currently provides two-year A.A.S. degrees in the following areas: nursing, radiology technology, physical therapy assistant, occupational therapy assistant, dental hygiene, medical lab technician and biotechnology. SLCC offers certification programs in medical assisting and surgical technology.

Salt Lake Community College is an accredited, student-focused urban college serving the diverse needs of the Salt Lake community. The College serves some 60,000 students each year through credit and non-credit courses and workshops, making it the largest institution of higher education in Utah. 

To accommodate student needs, SLCC has 15 sites located throughout the Salt Lake Valley.  Courses are offered in both traditional and accelerated semesters, during the day, at night and on weekends.  Students receive personal attention from faculty as the College maintains a student-to-faculty ratio of less than 20 to 1.

Intermountain Healthcare is a community-owned system of nonprofit hospitals and clinics that provides medical care to residents of Utah and Idaho.  Intermountain’s physicians, nurses and other caregivers are recognized national leaders in providing high quality care, regardless of patients’ ability to pay.