Monroe County Community College opens new Health Sciences Simulation Center

Monroe County Community College has opened a new Health Sciences Simulation Center on campus, which was funded through a grant from the State of Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential. The grant was awarded to the college to support its partnership with the University of Michigan-Flint that allows Monroe County Community College to offer bachelor degree programs on campus.

According to an article on Monroe County Community College’s website, Helen Stripling, who serves as the college’s dean of health sciences, was quoted as saying of the new Health Sciences Simulation Center and the possibilities it will open for students and instruction, "The center is designed to allow MCCC the ability to host Bachelor of Science degree courses taught on campus, and the creation of this lab space also supports MCCC's existing health sciences programs, allowing faculty to modify curriculum to include high-fidelity simulation, something they have not been able to do up to this point. Students are able to evaluate their manikin ‘patient’ using hands-on assessment skills and by analyzing vital signs displayed on a bedside monitor. Throughout this scenario, students will have to react to real-time changes in the patient's condition as controlled by an operator in another room. Multi-angle cameras and recording software have been installed, allowing faculty and students the ability to review and evaluate actions performed during simulation. Debriefing rooms, a necessary part of simulation, were also included in the suite and have the ability to play back recordings."

The Health Sciences Simulation Center cost $1.8 million, and is part of the larger renovation of the Gerald Welch Health Education Building, which will be called the Welch Center for Health and Public Safety when its $32 million transformation is complete. The Health Sciences Simulation Center spans 2,628 square feet in the south wing of the building and has been designed to mirror a real hospital setting. 

Stripling explained that the Simulation Center has been designed to give students the ability to practice real-life scenarios in a safe setting. She said, "With high-fidelity simulation, students get the ability to practice evidence-based competencies and respond to high-stakes medical situations in an environment that is psychologically safe. Because any potential mistakes or misunderstandings are corrected before moving to bedside, students are better prepared in real-life clinical settings, ultimately improving the care and safety of patients. We know that the expectation for BSN-level coursework is the ability to run simulation, and this, combined with its ability to improve student outcomes, really drove the usage of this grant to fund a simulation center."

Monroe County Community College has partnered with the University of Michigan-Flint in order to be able to provide bachelor degree programs on the community college’s campus. Two UM-Flint hybrid/hyflex courses have already been hosted within the new simulation center, with more planned for later in the spring. 

The grant from the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential has also helped fund tuition for students participating in the hybrid/hyflex program with UM-Flint in the Simulation Center. The grant also funded the staffing of the Simulation Center and the training related to the individuals in those positions. 

Stipling said, "UM-Flint has been an amazing partner, offering classes that not only help Monroe County Community College Registered Nursing Program graduates earn a bachelor's degree, but also allowing the enrollment of students looking to concurrently take Bachelor of Science in nursing classes at the same time as their R.N. Program classes.”

The larger Welch Center for Health and Public Safety renovation project began in 2025 and is expected to be completed in the spring of 2027. The project will include, beyond the already-completed Simulation Center, three new nursing labs with 18 beds, two respiratory therapy labs with six beds, five new classrooms, two renovated classrooms, and the relocation of the criminal justice program to reside within the building, as well.

Speaking of the larger renovation project, Aaron N. Mason, the chair of the college’s Board of Trustees, said, “This new simulation center is part of a larger $32 million transformation that will strengthen health care education and workforce preparation in Monroe County for decades to come. It is designed to give our students the confidence, competence and preparation they need to walk into a clinical setting ready to deliver excellent care for our families, our neighbors and our community.”

State Rep. Reggie Miller said, “The new Health Sciences Simulation Center is an immense resource for MCCC students to get hands-on experience ahead of entering the nursing field, making this a major step forward for both students and patients in our community. I am also happy to see this grant funding expand access to nursing education in Monroe County by helping support tuition for the next generation of nurses.”

For more information about Monroe County Community College, visit the school’s website.