Health sciences building opens at community college

Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2005 | 9:37 a.m.

A $25 million Health Sciences Building at the Community College of Southern Nevada's West Charleston Campus opened to students taking fall classes even before its dedication.

The building complex was a top priority for the new millennium as the state's health training and treatment advance to meet growth, said CCSN President Richard Carpenter.

Ground was broken in May 2004 for the 85,400-square-foot building. Official dedication ceremonies are scheduled for Nov. 7.

The building supports 532 current nursing students, more than triple the 150 enrolled in 2000, Carpenter said.

"It will also house expanded programs in surgical technology, diagnostic medical sonography, pharmacy technician and medical office assisting, all high-demand professional medical disciplines," Carpenter said.

Health sciences enrollment is increasing year by year, said Michael Richards, vice president for academic affairs.

For the academic year 2003-2004, those students filled 15,892 classroom seats, Richards said, increasing by 10.2 percent to 17,507 seats filled last year.

This fall the community college is offering 686 courses in health sciences programs, a 10.6 percent increase over course sections offered last fall, he said.

The new Health Sciences Plaza connects to existing campus plazas with 12 academic classrooms and 12 health science labs, a 150-seat auditorium plus academic computer laboratory and faculty offices.

The Health Sciences Building became the sixth structure at the college's Charleston campus, which opened in 1988.

In addition to the state's funds, matching funding totaling $500,000 in a federal grant was secured by Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., Carpenter said.

The expanded health science programs were once based in the Donald F. Stone Building, constructed in 1992, said Professor Fran Brown, dean of health sciences.

The existing Claude Howard Building continues to house dental hygiene and dental assisting as well as programs in physical and occupational therapy assisting, ophthalmology, radiation therapy and massage.

The new building will also provide a home for health and human performance classes.