Pictured L-R, back row: Barry Stephenson; Andy Page; Dr. Shirley Raines; Rhonda Longmire; Hon. Jim Henry; Mike Belbeck, Campaign Vice-Chair; Mike Swain; James Frank Wilson; Dr. Jan Hahn; Sharon Templeton. L-R front row: Scott Niermann, RSF Executive Director; Dr. Lynn Massingale, Campaign Co-Chair; Jim VanderSteeg, Campaign Co-Chair; Dr. Chris Whaley, RSCC President; Kelli Chaney, TCAT Knoxville President; Jan McNally, Honorary Co-Chair. Not pictured: Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, Honorary Co-Chair; Greg Gheen, Campaign Vice-Chair; David Bradshaw; Michelle Hardin; and Wade Creswell.
May 26, 2023
Roane State Foundation is pleased to announce the members of its recently assembled campaign cabinet for the Knox Regional Health Science and Simulation Center project.
The $75,000,000 facility will replace Roane State’s current Knox County Center for Health Sciences, relocating the campus to the 9000-block of Sherrill Boulevard and expanding it to approximately 130,000 square feet. TCAT Knoxville will also occupy space and offer select health science programs at the new campus.
The State of Tennessee earmarked $67,500,000 in the 2022-2023 budget for the new facility. Roane State Foundation will provide an estimated $7,500,000 in community matching and scholarship funds and is kicking off a fundraising campaign to meet that goal.
Lt. Gov. Randy McNally and wife Jan McNally are honorary co-chairs of the campaign cabinet, with Jim VanderSteeg and Dr. Lynn Massingale serving as co-chairs. Mike Belbeck and Greg Gheen will serve as vice chairs.
McNally started his career in community pharmacies before joining Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge as staff pharmacist in 1979. He retired from that position in 2010 and currently serves the State of Tennessee as Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Senate. Jan McNally retired as Corporate Director for Leadership Development at Covenant Health in 2012. She also previously worked at Methodist Medical Center, first as director of nursing and later as president and chief administrative officer.
VanderSteeg is President and CEO of Covenant Health, a major partner for the new center and long-time supporter of the college’s health science programs. Earlier this year, Covenant donated 10 acres of land across the street from Parkwest Medical Center for the construction of the new facility. The parcel is the largest valued gift ever received by the college.
Massingale is chairman and co-founder of TeamHealth, a Knoxville-based physician practice started in 1979. TeamHealth offers emergency medicine, hospital medicine, critical care, anesthesiology, orthopedic surgery, general surgery, obstetrics, ambulatory care, post-acute care and medical call center solutions to approximately 3,000 acute and post-acute facilities and physician groups nationwide.
Belbeck is Executive Vice President of Operations at Covenant Health, a position he's held with the company since 2016. In this role, he is responsible for the oversight of 10 hospitals, home care services and care management across Covenant's 23-county service area. Belbeck previously served for more than eight years as President and Chief Administrative Officer of Methodist Medical Center.
Gheen is Principal and Co-Founder of Realty Trust Group (RTG), a company providing real estate solutions to the healthcare industry. Gheen served as RTG president from 1998 through 2022 and currently works on engagements across the company, including strategic planning, project development, and portfolio optimization. He brings more than 30 years of experience in healthcare real estate to the cabinet.
“We want to thank those who have volunteered to serve as the voice of this campaign to our communities,” said Scott Niermann, Roane State Foundation Executive Director. “These cabinet members were carefully selected for their ability to support our mission as well as their understanding of the critical need for strong health science education in East Tennessee. We have no doubt that each member will be an effective advocate for Roane State, its students, and this tremendous project.”
Dr. Chris Whaley, president of Roane State, and Kelli Chaney, president of TCAT Knoxville, will represent their respective institutions on the cabinet. Additional campaign cabinet members include:
The vision for the health science and simulation center is focused on creating dynamic spaces where instructors can provide comprehensive simulations of the work students will be doing when they graduate.
Current Roane State programs to be housed in the new center include nursing, EMS, polysomnography, and respiratory therapy, with the college planning to add seven new options. TCAT Knoxville’s health science programs offered under the same roof include dental assisting, phlebotomy, and surgical technology, among others.
Roane State and TCAT Knoxville plan to break ground on the new facility later this year. Preliminary estimates have the Knox Regional Health Science Center set to open for students in 2025.
Additional details on the capital campaign are forthcoming from Roane State Foundation.
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About Roane State: Roane State is a two-year college providing transfer programs, career-preparation programs and continuing education. Founded in 1971, the college has locations in Roane, Campbell, Cumberland, Fentress, Knox, Loudon, Morgan, and Scott counties as well as a branch campus in Oak Ridge. For more information, visit roanestate.edu or call (865) 882-4554. Remember, eligible adults can now attend Roane State tuition-free with the Reconnect grant. Learn more: roanestate.edu/reconnect.
About TCAT Knoxville: The Tennessee College of Applied Technology Knoxville was established in 1963 by enactment of the General Assembly as part of a statewide system to provide work specific training preparing citizens for employment. The Tennessee College of Applied Technology Knoxville designs and offers programs that are responsive to local needs. TCAT Knoxville is committed to providing quality technical education that will enable business and industry to be more productive and globally competitive. Learn more at tcatknoxville.edu.
About Roane State Foundation: Roane State Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)3 corporation that seeks to enhance community awareness of the college, to secure private contributions and bequests, and to manage monies or properties given to the Foundation, including an approximately $20 million endowment. Roane State Foundation supports the college with capital projects, equipment, educational programs, and scholarships. For more information or to make a gift to support Roane State students, visit roanestate.edu/foundation, email Foundationdept@roanestate.edu, or call (865) 882-4507.
Roane State Community College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, ethnicity or national origin, sex, disability, age, status as protected veteran or any other class protected by Federal or State laws and regulation and by Tennessee board of Regents policies with respect to employment, programs, and activities. View full non-discrimination policy.
