The university is currently seeking funding for its planned Center for Healthcare Innovation.
Eastern Kentucky University is planning for a new Center for Healthcare Innovation, which will bring together its healthcare students into one unified space for learning in an environment similar to what they will encounter in their careers. The Center for Healthcare Innovation is being planned to help combat the state’s healthcare workforce shortages and improving the communities in which it operates through the preparation of more qualified healthcare workers.
According to an article on Eastern Kentucky University's website, university president David McFaddin was quoted as saying of the planned Center for Healthcare Innovation, “This is a generational project that will improve the health and well-being of our communities. The Center for Health Innovation will bring 3,000 students in health-related majors into a space where they can learn in an environment similar to what they will experience in the healthcare field. This ensures our graduates are ready to meet the healthcare needs of Kentuckians on day one of their careers.”
The planned Center for Healthcare Innovation will house the university’s proposed College for Osteopathic Medicine, as well as the nursing, occupational therapy, medical laboratory science, public health, psychology, counseling, biomedical sciences, and emergency medical care programs.
Students in these programs will be working together in scenarios similar to what they might expect to find on medical teams in clinical and hospital situations. The university will be working with industry partners to design spaces that will closely resemble what they can expect in their working lives.
Speaking of the collaborative nature of the planned space, Dr. Brad Hall, who serves as the university’s chief medical and strategic partnerships officer, said, “EKU envisions the Center for Health Innovation as a state-of-the-art facility for modern medical education, featuring learning spaces and clinical simulation labs. By integrating these programs, the Center for Health Innovation will provide expanded medical research opportunities and foster an interdisciplinary learning environment that prepares students for the complexities of modern medicine.”
The university is currently seeking funding through the 2026 legislative session to help make its plans for the Center for Healthcare Innovation come to fruition. It also needs to seek escrow funds for the proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine, which is a requirement from Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation as a step toward accreditation for the proposed college.
For more information about Eastern Kentucky University, visit the school’s website.