Roane State Community College opens new Knox Regional Health Science Education Center
The college hosted a celebration event on January 20, 2026, as students began attending classes in the new building at the start of the Spring 2026 semester.
Roane State Community College has opened its new Knox Regional Health Science Education Center, celebrating the occasion with a special event on January 20, 2026. Students now attend classes in the building, known as the Covenant Health Campus, which is also utilized by students taking health science classes at Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) Knoxville.
According to an article on Roane State Community College’s website, Chris Whaley, the president of the college, reflected on the experience of finally seeing students occupying the building: “Seeing students walk the halls of this new campus and be so excited to learn means the world to us as educators. The added convenience of having two colleges under a single roof, directly across the street from a major healthcare provider, means students can seamlessly explore academic and career opportunities. We are so grateful for our continued partnership with TCAT Knoxville and Covenant Health.”
Covenant Health gifted the 10 acres of land the Knox Regional Health Science Education Center sits on to the colleges in 2023. Covenant Health’s Parkwest Medical Center is on the same street, symbolizing the interconnectedness of the organization with the colleges.
President and CEO of Covenant Health Jim VanderSteeg said, “We couldn’t have been more pleased to donate the land for the new health science and simulation center, which is bringing innovative resources to a greater number of students and preparing them for success in their healthcare careers. Educating the healthcare professionals of tomorrow is a vital part of caring for our communities, so this is truly a perfect partnership for Covenant Health.”
The three-story building, which spans 130,000 square feet, features the flagship Roane State Simulation Center. The Simulation Center is the first of its kind in the state of Tennessee, and features simulated environments like a hospital, ambulance, two-story apartment, and other immersive spaces. These controlled scenarios will allow students to practice their healthcare training in realistic spaces that will mimic actual environments they will be working in.
According to the webpage for the Roane State Simulation Center, the Center “will focus on providing high quality simulated interdisciplinary, collaborative learning experiences,” and it was designed to “facilitate students’ acquisition of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to provide safe, competent health care to a variety of individuals with a variety of healthcare needs.”
The second floor of the building is designated as space for TCAT Knoxville students, and the third floor is for Roane State Community College students. The first floor of the building is shared space for both colleges, as well as for the community.
Roane State Community College is currently offering its nursing, EMS, and medical laboratory technology courses in the new building, and is planning to offer polysomnography, respiratory therapy, and continuing education courses for healthcare workers there in the near future. Among the new programs the college plans to launch are diagnostic medical sonography (ultrasound), echocardiography, and neurodiagnostic technology programs.
At the celebration event on January 20 to officially welcome students into the new space, students were able to tour the new space, ask questions, participate in a mini job fair from Covenant Health, have lunch, and enter a drawing to receive one of seven $500 scholarships from the Roane State Foundation.
For more information about Roane State Community College, visit the school’s website.