VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WVEC) — Old Dominion University celebrated a $1.3 million expansion of its health sciences programs and the establishment of a new Center for "Telehealth" Education and Research at the Virginia Beach Higher Education Center.
"Coming to Virginia Beach has enabled us to expand the school's clinical simulation requirements, and increase our class capacity in critical shortage profession areas," said Karen Karlowicz, Chair of ODU's School of Nursing.
Virginia Mayor Louis Jones praised the additions.
"One of the Virginia Beach City Council's goals is to have world-class schools and educational programs," he said. "And this is truly world class that we're celebrating here today."
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam said the expansion will pay big dividends.
"The number one challenge if we're going to drive our economy is to be able to train our workforce," he said. "And that is why I am so excited to be here today, because that is the mission of our schools, and that is to train our youth for 21st Century jobs."
The move will also enlarge other programs in the Schools of Nursing and Community & Environmental Health within the College of Health Sciences.
The expansion is bringing an additional 850 students and 62 faculty members to Virginia Beach.
"It creates synergies with the adjacent Virginia Beach bio-corridor which includes Sentara Healthcare, Lifenet, Operation Smile, and Children's Hospital of the Kings Daughters," said ODU President John Broderick."In the future, residents will benefit from our plans to open a primary care clinic, including speech, physical therapy, and behavioral health and a substance abuse prevention center, right here in Virginia Beach."
In addition to the expansion in Virginia Beach, ODU plans to construct a new $75 million health sciences building on its main campus in Norfolk in the next several years.
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