"While this bill does not solve the problem entirely, it does provide significant resources to address issues like literacy and better access to quality health care in rural areas," Bennett said at the time. Money was also directed to Weber State University's nursing program, allowing it to recruit and hire new faculty members, expand classroom size and ultimately increase the number of nursing graduates.

SLCC's nursing program, which is approaching full capacity at nearly 500 students, is second to WSU in program size. The college accepts about 120 students to the program each year, but Utah is experiencing a 12 percent vacancy rate, according to the Utah Hospital Association.

The new facility is expected to help the situation by allowing the school to accept more students, as well as give them a better learning environment and will accommodate an increase of more than 360 health-care graduates each year.

Joy Tlou, SLCC's spokesman, said the college has a waiting list for students to get into specific programs, but no matter how long they are required to wait, everyone who is accepted will get an opportunity to finish the program of their choice.

Amid the 16 classrooms inside the building, the 151,000-square-foot building houses multiple examination and assessment rooms, more than 30 computer, medical and cadaver laboratories, a 500-seat auditorium, two clinics that will eventually be open to the public, a physical therapy pool, library/media center and four computer testing centers.

The entire building is wired for Internet and "well-thought out to accommodate traffic patterns and program needs," said facilities director Frank Baker.

Construction began in June 2005, and students are looking forward to having the facility completed and open Aug. 23.

First-year nursing student Camille Nelson, said it will be great to have all nursing students and classes in one place. "It will be a lot larger, more accommodating for the students," she said, "and it seems like it will be better all around."

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E-mail: wleonard@desnews.com