SLCC health center gets boost from IHC

WEST JORDAN — Salt Lake Community College and Intermountain Healthcare are teaming up to churn out more nurses, surgical technicians and medical assistants in coming years.

A $3 million donation by IHC announced Thursday will help the school finish a 151,000-square-foot Health Sciences Center on its West Jordan Campus. The center will bring together nine separate fields under one roof to facilitate better collaboration and open up seats for students now languishing on waiting lists.

"Today is a great day for students at Salt Lake Community College. We've reached a milestone in our growth," said Marlene Bacon, dean of the school of health sciences.

College leaders hope to have the new center up and running by fall semester of 2007. It will allow the school to increase the number of students admitted to health science fields by 60 percent. In 2005, SLCC health science departments had 292 graduates, but school leaders estimate the center could tack on another 132 graduates.

Currently, nursing students at SLCC face a lengthy waiting list to get into classes they need to graduate. The new center could double those slots, Bacon said.

"Intermountain Healthcare continues to share our vision and commitment to improving quality health care and providing educational experiences for future health care providers in our community," SLCC President Cynthia Bioteau said.

The center — located at the campus at 9000 South and 3491 West — will offer 28 medical labs, 15 classrooms, five computer labs, four testing rooms and a 500-seat auditorium. In addition to teaching, the center will offer SLCC hands-on experience at a community clinic and student health center.

The clinic will serve low-income families and students and will include a radiology clinic and physical therapy clinic.

"Having everyone located in the same place will allow us to better focus on our students' needs and to move our programs forward as we work together," Bacon said.

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