On Tuesday, June 13, CentraCare presented the SCTCC Foundation with $500,000 for biology laboratory renovations and updates.
David Borgert, Director of Community and Government Relations for CentraCare Health, presented the donation during President Joyce Helens’ farewell reception. The donation will help grow the health care workforce and allow SCTCC students the tools needed to succeed.
SCTCC provides a stream of health care graduates to CentraCare, and it all starts with biology and anatomy & physiology classes here.
“The number of people available is really limited by the capacity of the biology labs here at [SCTCC],” said Borgert. “We have workforce concerns. We need a lot of workers, and the obstruction in the pipeline is the capacity of these labs, where people get physiology and anatomy, basic biology, and other foundational courses for all health care workers.”
The renovation of outdated lab space will accommodate two large multi-use, flexible biological science laboratories and will increase access by doubling the number of seats available for students. SCTCC will be able to expand its health program offerings, increasing the number of qualified students able to pursue health care careers.
“The SCTCC Foundation is grateful to have a strong partnership with CentraCare,” said Foundation Director Arlene Williams. “They understand the importance of well-trained health care workers for the future of our communities.”
The project is still in the planning stages, but plans to hire an architect are set for this summer with the hope of sharing concept designs by the end of the summer. The goal start date for renovations is spring 2018.