Husson University Breaks Ground on New Wellness Learning Center
Published on: October 18, 2018
BANGOR, MAINE - Husson University announced today that they will be holding a groundbreaking ceremony for the University’s new Wellness Learning Center in front of the Robert O’Donnell Commons building, on Husson University’s Bangor campus, on Friday, October 19, 2018 at 4 pm.
“By building this new facility in one of the most visible locations on our campus, we are demonstrating our commitment to our healthcare academic programs and to the health of our students,” said Robert J. Ronan, '79, retired senior vice president of technology at Fidelity Investments and current Husson University Board of Trustees chair.
Once completed, this new 6,750 square feet facility will be devoted to delivering health and counseling services to Husson students. In addition, students enrolled in the graduate counseling program will have experiential learning spaces where they can learn how to work with clients in a therapeutic setting.
The envisioned building would also include a new 2,085 square-foot simulation center for interprofessional education that will be utilized by students enrolled in Husson’s nursing, occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT), and pharmacy programs.
Interprofessional education stresses the importance of communication between professionals in various healthcare disciplines as a way to maximizing patient outcomes and eliminating medical errors. It’s an approach that has generated impressive results.
The process has led to 50 percent reductions in both adverse patient outcomes and the average length of intensive care, a dramatic decrease in the clinical error rate, and lowering the per capita cost of health care, all while increasing in the professional satisfaction of those employed in health care fields.[1]
The new Wellness Learning Center should be completed in the fall of 2019. These and the additional learning spaces created by the new building will help successfully position Husson for additional future growth.
While Husson University is already the home of one of the largest, private, nonprofit university nursing programs in Maine, the demand for healthcare professionals continues to increase. According to the Maine Department of Labor, “the advancing age structure of the population is a primary factor driving job gains in healthcare.”[2] Their data indicates that healthcare and social assistance will be the largest sector of employment growth in the next decade with over 8,000 new jobs created in the state by 2024[3].
Simultaneously, the professional reputation and quality of Husson’s nursing program continues to improve. Husson already has a solid reputation for developing nurses who excel in their field. The addition of the new Wellness Learning Center will only enhance the education of Husson nursing students and help make Husson Maine’s undisputed nursing education leader.
This leadership can already be seen in Husson’s course content. The University’s healthcare programs are already a leading advocate for interprofessional education. “Interprofessional collaboration continues to be an important skill set that we seek to instill in all of our graduates,” said Husson University College of Health and Education Interim Dean Paula Tingley. EdD, NCC. “The addition of these facilities will allow for more interprofessional interaction between students of various healthcare disciplines. This interaction will better prepare our graduates to adhere to the highest standard of care as they work to treat patients in a team environment.”
Husson University President Robert A. Clark, Ph.D. feels that the new structure will address two distinct university priorities. “The wellness of our student population is, and will continue to be,
an important priority. This new facility will ensure that our students receive quality healthcare services. Second, this project will provide the important and necessary infrastructure required to grow our nursing program; an area of distinction for our university. In the near-term future, this project and our new College of Business building are among our highest priorities.”
For more than 100 years, Husson University has prepared future leaders to handle the challenges of tomorrow through innovative undergraduate and graduate degrees. With a commitment to delivering affordable classroom, online and experiential learning opportunities, Husson University has come to represent superior value in higher education. Our Bangor campus and off-campus satellite education centers in Southern Maine, Wells, and Northern Maine provide advanced knowledge in business; health and education; pharmacy studies, science and humanities; as well as communication. In addition, Husson University has a robust adult learning program. For more information about educational opportunities that can lead to personal and professional success, visit Husson.edu.
[1] “Agents of C.A.R.E.: Health care disciplines team up through interprofessional education (IPE) to tackle the challenges of the future”, Ohio Northern University, http://www.onu.edu/features/57325
[2] “Maine Workforce Outlook 2014 to 2024,” Center for Workforce Research, Maine Department of Labor, http://www.maine.gov/labor/cwri/data/projections/2024/2024_Outlook.pdf
[3] Ibid