SC4 to unveil Health Sciences Building and hospital simulation wing at grand opening Sept. 27

Renovations are complete on the health sciences building.
Well-known for its excellence and training in the health sciences, St. Clair County Community College will unveil its renovated Health Sciences Building to the broader community at its Grand Opening Celebration beginning at 11 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 27.

Construction on the $9.8 million Capital Outlay project began last summer and was finalized on time and on budget to open for students in August.
 

The building now features an enviably innovative hospital simulation wing, ambulance bay and home setting, and more highlyStudents practice taking X-rays on a portable machine.-developed manikins and equipment to help prepare students with realistic scenarios and training. The renovated facility accelerates the expansion of programs, allows for a more interdisciplinary approach to patient care, and will serve more students through advanced teaching systems.

“Health care professionals are in high demand, and this new facility will offer SC4 students better technology and training opportunities,” says SC4 President Dr. Deborah A. Snyder. “We’re thrilled to welcome friends and community members to our Grand Opening Celebration to see the building and promote health.”

Visitors to the Health Sciences Building on Sept. 27 will be able to see health care simulations in action, learn about college programs offered and get an up-close look at new training equipment.

Nursing, medical assisting, medical resonance imaging (MRI), paramedic and emergency medical technician, health information technology (HIT), radiologic technology and respiratory therapy program demonstrations will begin at 11 a.m. and run until 2 p.m. They will show first-hand how SC4 students learn:

• To photograph more than 100 parts of the human body to help diagnose patients;

• Use digital tools to manage health information;

• Maximize simulation technology to improve health outcomes;

• To use home-setting scenario training to help save lives;

• Make a difference through medical assisting;

• And provide relief, treatment and more to at-risk patients.

More simulated health scenarios will also take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Additionally, the Grand Opening Celebration will feature a flu shot clinic, various free health screenings, a farmer’s market and live entertainment from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

According to SC4 Dean of Health Sciences Jenny Giles-Voss, the renovated facility will help students work more collaboratively across disciplines and hone their critical thinking and development skills.

The renovated Health Science Building is ready for students.SC4 health sciences programs continue to grow and excel to meet student and employer needs. For example, the college has increased its traditional ADN and radiologic technology cohorts and partnered with new clinical sites to expand training opportunities. It also has recently added in-demand programs like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), medical assisting and respiratory therapy, as well as celebrated a six-year, 100 percent first-time passage rate on a radiologic technology national exam.

In a past Keel article, McLaren Port Huron's Chief Nursing Officer Christine Sansom, RN, MSN – who is herself an SC4 alumna – noted the impact of SC4 and its commitment to strengthening health care opportunities on campus.

"Health care is an interdisciplinary, team effort. Understanding each other's roles and disciplines gives patients the highest quality care experience possible," Sansom says. "The fact that SC4 has thought about this and is planning for it within its curriculum gives students a greater advantage.

The Health Sciences Building Grand Opening Celebration is open to the public. For more information on SC4 programs, visit sc4.edu/programs/health-human-services/. For more information on projected health occupation outcomes, visit bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/home.htm.