WSU News Archive

By Melissa O'Neil Perdue, WSU Tri-Cities

 

 

RICHLAND, Wash. - Washington State University Tri-Cities today (Nov. 30) announced $2.9 million in contributions from regional health care donors toward renovating a commercial building in Richland into a state-of-the-art teaching facility for the College of Nursing.

Leaders from Group Health Cooperative, Kadlec Health System, Lourdes Health Network, Lampson International and WSU gathered to announce the regional partnership. They have provided $2.9 million in donations and in-kind support, including Kadlec’s offer of a $1-per-year lease for 20 years, with a 10-year extension.
 
"Due to campus growth, WSU Tri-Cities began exploring options about two years ago to relocate its nursing program to off-site facilities,” said James R. Pratt, interim chancellor. "In addition to more space, we hoped to be closer to Columbia Basin College’s two-year nursing program so we could create more synergy between our programs.
 
"Kadlec immediately stepped forward with the offer of 10,000 square feet of space in downtown Richland, plus $250,000 toward specialized equipment in the new facility,” Pratt said. "Group Health Cooperative jumped in with $75,000 and Lourdes Health Network immediately followed with $150,000.”
 
In addition, WSU President Elson S. Floyd committed $1 million toward the construction cost after WSU Tri-Cities raises the balance of the amount needed.

 

Find more information about the new partnership at http://www.tricity.wsu.edu/nursingpartnership.

 

Bill Lampson of Lampson International in Kennewick - who is co-chair for WSU Tri-Cities of the WSU Foundation’s "Campaign for WSU” fundraising effort - pledged $50,000 toward the nursing partnership, calling it an "especially creative collaboration.”

"There’s no doubt that nurses are key to the quality of healthcare that we have in the Tri-Cities,” Lampson said. "It’s always been an important giving priority for my family – particularly for my mom, Billie Jean, during her years as a volunteer with Kennewick General Hospital and with many other causes. Lampson International’s commitment to this project continues that legacy.

"We only need $435,000 to complete this project, primarily for simulation lab equipment,” he said. "Today we are challenging the community to join with us to ensure that this facility has all the equipment needed by the time it opens for nursing students a year from now.”

Construction on the former retail space on Lee Boulevard is expected to start in April 2013, with nursing classes to begin in January 2014.

Scott Armstrong, president and CEO of Group Health, said the statewide cooperative is pleased to partner with local hospitals and WSU in making this important education project a reality.

"Group Health has nearly 60,000 members in central and southeastern Washington,” he said. "We know that the quality of care they receive from our contracted health care network is in many ways dependent on the quality of the nurses working in those clinics and hospitals. We believe it’s important for nurses to be able to achieve higher levels of education and training through an improved education system that promotes seamless academic progression.
 
"My first job in the profession was at a 10-bed infirmary at Hamilton College in upstate New York,” Armstrong recalled. "Part of how I earned my undergraduate scholarship was by spending evenings serving meals and checking on patients. It was usually just me and a nurse or two on duty. Seeing the incredible impact the nurses had on the patients was deeply inspiring and it made a huge impression.”
 
John Serle, president and CEO of Lourdes Health Network in Pasco, echoed Armstrong’s respect for the nursing profession.

 "At some point in all of our lives, we access the health care system,” Serle said. "Hospitals, and the nurses who provide care within those hospitals, are integral to a community’s overall health.

 

"Lourdes is pleased to donate $150,000 to the College of Nursing program at Washington State University Tri-Cities to improve and advance the equipment used to train our local nurses,” he said, "and to provide cutting-edge simulation and practice labs that replicate real-world hospitals to produce competent, professional nurses to serve our community.”

 

Through WSU Tri-Cities, students can earn a bachelor of science degree in nursing (BSN), a registered nurse to bachelor of science in nursing (RN-BSN), a master of nursing (MN) in advanced population health, a post-master’s certificate in nursing education, a doctor of nursing practice (DNP), and a doctor of philosophy in nursing (Ph.D.).

 

Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland has provided steady and generous support while details of the Tri-Cities nursing partnership were developed.

 

"For several years now, we have seen many WSU-trained nurses join our team at Kadlec,” said Lane Savitch, president. "This project ensures that these high-demand nurses have the state-of-the-art training facilities needed to fully provide quality healthcare for the Tri-Cities and the surrounding region. We look forward to many more success stories coming from this wonderful partnership.”

 

The nursing program at WSU Tri-Cities is quite competitive, with more than 120 students applying for no more than 48 openings each year, said Patricia Butterfield, dean of the WSU College of Nursing.

 

"From a high-fidelity simulation lab and larger practice lab, to improved classrooms and staff offices, the new building will be a catalyst for best preparing nurses across the region,” she said. "I am in awe at how you have all come together for the greater cause to help bring talented, educated and dedicated nurses into your community.
 
"Educating a nurse is a community effort, and we are so grateful for your support,” Butterfield said. "Together, we are reinventing health care.”

WSU Tri-Cities is located along the scenic Columbia River in Richland, Wash. Established in 1989 with upper division and graduate programs, WSU Tri-Cities expanded in 2007 to a four-year undergraduate campus offering 18 bachelor’s, 10 master’s and six doctoral degree programs. Learn about the most diverse campus in the WSU system at http://tricity.wsu.edu and about the WSU College of Nursing at http://nursing.wsu.edu.

 

Group Health is one of the nation’s leading nonprofit health systems, recognized for its consumer-governed cooperative origins and innovative solutions for improving care. Established in 1947, Group Health Cooperative, together with its subsidiaries Group Health Options, Inc. and KPS Health Plans, provides health coverage to more than 624,000 residents of Washington and northern Idaho. See http://www.ghc.org.

 

Lane Savitch

Kadlec Health System is the largest healthcare organization in southeastern Washington. It is comprised of several subsidiary companies - including Kadlec Regional Medical Center, Kadlec Foundation, Kadlec Neurological Resource Center - and several physician practices - such as Kadlec Clinic and Kadlec Neuroscience Center. Health services include open-heart surgery, interventional cardiology, neonatal intensive care, neurosurgery, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, an advanced breast care center and one of the Northwest’s most advanced digital outpatient imaging centers. Kadlec is a locally owned, locally governed not-for-profit health system serving patients of the Tri-Cities and surrounding region. See http://www.kadlec.org
 

Bill Lampson

Lampson International has long been a leader in the heavy lift and transportation industry worldwide. Since its inception in 1946, Lampson has completed some of the most challenging and demanding projects in the United States and abroad. Lampson not only provides heavy rigging service and expertise, but also manufactures the world’s largest land based mobile crane — the Lampson Transi-Lift — as well as proprietary crawler transporters and other specialized heavy lift and transport equipment. The company is family owned and employs more than 250 people in the U.S., Canada and Australia. See http://lampsoncrane.com 
 

John Serle

Lourdes Health Network has been serving the Mid-Columbia region’s health care needs since 1916. With more than 17 locations, Lourdes is known as a compassionate, innovative health care leader. Lourdes Health Network is a not-for-profit organization, is a member of Ascension Health, employs nearly 850 associates and has more than 200 physicians on medical staff. See http://www.lourdeshealth.net

Contact:
Melissa O’Neil Perdue, WSU Tri-Cities Marketing and Communications Manager, 509-372-7319, cell/text 509-727-3094, moneil@tricity.wsu.edu  

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