A shortage in nursing graduates will soon be in the past for New Mexico Junior College. The college recently celebrated the opening of its new Allied Health Building with a ribbon cutting ceremony for students, staff, and the community. The facility greatly expands opportunities to pursue healthcare education and careers in southeast New Mexico.
Since opening its doors in January, the Allied Health Building has offered the latest in technology and healthcare training. The 25,000 sq ft facility features sophisticated simulation equipment, skills labs, and integrated classroom space.
“Every year we turned away dozens of applicants due to space and lack of technology,” said Pat Chappelle, Chair of the Board of NMJC. “We now have a state-of-the-art building where students receive simulation-based training with manikins.”
The building showcases the possibilities of design, sustainability, and integrated project delivery in healthcare construction. HB Construction partnered with architect Dekker/Perich/Sabatini through the Construction Manager at Risk format to deliver the feature-rich building. The team worked alongside NMJC during design to maximize project scope and eliminate construction issues.
The interior of the facility mimics a real hospital, including 20 beds with functional headwalls, four simulation labs with control rooms, and computerized pharmaceutical equipment. The labs provide real-life medical scenarios and evaluation.
The project team achieved high levels of energy efficiency by incorporating LED lighting and sustainable terrazzo flooring, earning the building a LEED® Silver Certification.
In addition to training high-demand nurses, the facility will offer continuing training and certification for local providers and community members. The project team worked alongside healthcare experts to achieve NMJC’s long-term vision.
“We are looking forward to being able to actively teach to different learning styles with room to grow,” said NMJC Director of Nursing Misty Stine. “In the future we are going to work with the community and the nearby healthcare partners to provide all types of training.”
The Allied Health Building ties directly into Lea Regional Medical Center, bridging the two campuses and strengthening their relationship. NMJC’s focus on the building’s “wow” factor, education on display, and collaborative spaces puts the facility on the forefront of health and wellness training.
HB’s delivery of medical training facilities has coincided with rapid advancements in the field. Similar projects include the UNM Health Science Building Phase III and UNM Taos Health Careers Training Center.