New $28 million health and human services building to open at SVSU

A new $28 million, state-of-the-art facility at Saginaw Valley State University soon will open its doors for the more than 2,000 undergraduate students in the College of Health and Human Services program.

The building is expected to open its doors on Aug. 30, just in time for the fall semester, says J.J. Boehm, director of media relations and university communications at the university. A building dedication ceremony will be held on Aug. 16 for the 90,000-square-foot facility. Construction on the project began in May 2009.

The nursing, occupational therapy, exercise science, and social services programs that are part of the College of Health and Human Services have been housed in separate buildings around campus, he says.

"It's one college that did not have a facility to call its own," Boehm says.

Having the programs under one roof  will create "some real opportunities for maximizing resources and some interdisciplinary collaboration," he says.

The new building has 12 classrooms, 13 laboratories, and office space. It also features state-of-the-art technology and facilities that will help students learn the latest techniques used for patient care, Boehm says.

Occupational students now will have a laboratory that is furnished like an apartment to help them learn how to effectively work with patients who need help with daily tasks following strokes and diagnosis of other conditions, he says. Nursing students also will have access to mannequins that simulate different health conditions and offer students training in diagnosing health conditions.

The building itself also is state-of-the art an aqua-thermal heating and cooling system, which is expected to create energy savings of about $85,000 per year for the university.

Funding for the new facility came from the State of Michigan ($21 million) and SVSU ($7 million).

Writer: Jenny Cromie
Source: Saginaw Valley State University, J.J. Boehm