EVANSVILLE - In a resolution unanimously approved by Ivy Tech Community College Southwest Board of Trustees, the seven board members “fully” supported the proposed Downtown medical education center request for 223,000 gross square feet, designating 60,000 of it plus Simulation Center space to Ivy Tech.
At a Thursday afternoon meeting, Board Chair David Gunn presented information to other members about the resolution. Gunn said the 60,000 gross square feet would provide space for Ivy Tech’s Health Sciences and School of Nursing programs to grow. There are 1,000 students enrolled in programs that could benefit from the medical campus, including registered nurse, medical assistants, paramedics, surgical technologists and certified nursing assistants.
First-year Ivy Tech nursing student Nick Reed spoke to the board about his excitement over the opportunities the Downtown medical education center will provide.
“Having this multidisciplinary building in Downtown, the heart of Evansville ... the excitement to have all these disciples come together in one school — EMTs, doctors, CNAs, nurses — we get to come together and work together,” Reed, 20, said.
In its resolution, Ivy Tech states the medical campus “will be an immediate boost to the economy as well as to the atmosphere in Downtown Evansville.”
Hoosier Hot 50 Jobs projects that, by 2020, two of the top four jobs will be in health care fields, and both will require an associate degree, Gunn said. And the shortage of registered nurses and skilled health care workers has been a challenge statewide for many years, he said.
Ivy Tech officials estimate to see an increase of almost 1,600 students enrolled in programs through the new medical education center, as well as additional students for other institutions.
When the Downtown facility is finished, Ivy Tech plans to relocate all health-field programs to the medical education center.
The current 52,000 square feet of the main campus facility will then be used for other high-demand programs such as welding, automotive, technology and business. It will also allow Ivy Tech to expand community collaborations with WorkOne and high school Career and Technical Education programs.
Ivy Tech Southwest Chancellor Jonathan Weinzapfel gave an update to board members on funding for the project. Weinzapfel said the City Council unanimously committed a $57 million bond. Gov. Mike Pence included $19 million for the project in his budget, which the House increased to $37 million. And now the Senate will consider the biennial state budget. Weinzapfel said he expects the Senate version of the budget to be released the week of April 6.
“Then we’ll know whether they are building upon the funding already provided by the House for this project. ... So roughly a $50 million investment by the state to leverage a $125 million investment overall. Seems to me that is a good deal. ... I’m optimistic that in the end it will be included in the budget,” he said.
Weinzapfel noted consequences if the project is not fully funded. Those include less of an economic impact, less project student enrollment and not the same level of programming.
Partners in the medical education center are Indiana University School of Medicine-Evansville, the University of Southern Indiana and the University of Evansville. Partner hospitals are Evansville’s Deaconess and St. Mary’s, Memorial of Jasper and Good Samaritan of Vincennes.