DAVENPORT, Iowa -
St. Ambrose University unveiled plans Monday to build a new, $11.5 million health science facility in time for the 2010-11 school year.
The state-of-the-art facility, set to be built on the Northwest corner of Genesis' West Medical Center, will house the school's physical therapy, occupational therapy and nursing programs under one roof.
The plan comes at a period of growth in the industry.
"Our nursing program, for example, has had a tremendous enrollment growth and are in some tight facilities," said Professor Sandy Cassady, Dir. of Physical Therapy. "[We] look forward to these expanded spaces to better serve our students."
Currently, the university has raised $7.5 million toward to the project, with a ground-breaking scheduled for sometime this Spring.
Underclassmen, who'll be Juniors and Seniors when the facility opens in August, 2010, said they're excited about the development.
"This plan makes it great for nursing students," said Mike Tapia, a St. Ambrose nursing student from Taylor Ridge, Ill. "[Classes] will be right on [the hospital] campus and really convenient for [students]."
Despite the troubled economy, Cassady acknowledged that much of the health industry is doing well, as are recent graduates of St. Ambrose's health science programs, with some disciplines reporting 100% employment following graduation.
Many of those graduates stay here in the Quad City area.
The state-of-the-art facility, set to be built on the Northwest corner of Genesis' West Medical Center, will house the school's physical therapy, occupational therapy and nursing programs under one roof.
The plan comes at a period of growth in the industry.
"Our nursing program, for example, has had a tremendous enrollment growth and are in some tight facilities," said Professor Sandy Cassady, Dir. of Physical Therapy. "[We] look forward to these expanded spaces to better serve our students."
Currently, the university has raised $7.5 million toward to the project, with a ground-breaking scheduled for sometime this Spring.
Underclassmen, who'll be Juniors and Seniors when the facility opens in August, 2010, said they're excited about the development.
"This plan makes it great for nursing students," said Mike Tapia, a St. Ambrose nursing student from Taylor Ridge, Ill. "[Classes] will be right on [the hospital] campus and really convenient for [students]."
Despite the troubled economy, Cassady acknowledged that much of the health industry is doing well, as are recent graduates of St. Ambrose's health science programs, with some disciplines reporting 100% employment following graduation.
Many of those graduates stay here in the Quad City area.
