Roane State Community College (RSCC) is East Tennessee’s regional healthcare workforce provider, offering 19 degree and certificate programs – among the largest selection at any community college in the state. It is likely that one out of three emergency responders and healthcare workers in our region have passed through the doors of Roane State’s Center for Health Sciences, with more than 300 credit program graduates and over 5,000 continuing education students annually. The Center for Health Sciences is a single-discipline campus located in West Knoxville serving the entire region at the direction of the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR). One of the first of its kind in the area, the facility now has no room for needed expansion and “has the most significant space needs of any Roane State campus” according to RSCC’s Master Plan. Absent increased space, Roane State is unable to meet the growing healthcare workforce needs of the region. Roane State Community College, together with Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) in Knoxville (another TBR institution), has received approval from the State to fund a new Center for Health Sciences, including the state’s first fully integrated simulation center
FACILITY PLANS
The new facility will be a nearly $75 million, approximately 130,000 square-foot structure with an estimated 11,000 square-foot simulation center where interdisciplinary teams of students interact in realistic scenarios, both live and simulated. Such facilities are generally found at four-year universities, with only two such centers at a community college in the Southeast. These learning scenarios will be used by both credit programs and continuing education and are extremely effective in preparing students for real-life situations they will confront in the workplace. The ground floor of this multi-story facility will be dedicated to the simulation center. This space will include a main entrance, an ambulance bay and EMS quarters, trauma room, and various multi-purpose rooms which can be set up as an apartment, an exam room, a surgical suite, or any other space found in a scenario needed for training. The facility will include an amphitheater and meeting space, briefing rooms to prepare for the case study of the day, space for student lockers, and substantial storage for the wide variety of equipment and supplies necessary to set up realistic scenarios. The plans include the addition of eight new credit programs, with 50% or more of all RSCC healthcare programs offered at the new Center in West Knoxville. With State approval for this project secured, Roane State Foundation seeks to raise $7.5 million in support of the project.
PROGRAMS AND GROWTH
Roane State Community College’s current Knox County facility is a total of 16,061 square feet, offering seven credit programs with no room for growth or expansion. Only one cohort per program is sustainable with current facility limitations. Current facility is landlocked.
Current programs:
- EMS Program (EMT, AEMT, & Paramedic**)
- Nursing (RN)**
- Polysomnography**
- Respiratory Therapy**
- Workforce Development (2022): 4,804 students served; 97,968 total contact hours Additional programs at new facility:
- Cardiovascular Technology
- Electroneurodiagnostic Technology
- Healthcare Administration AAS
- Medical Equipment Maintenance
- Medical Lab Technology
- Public Health AS/AAS
- Sterile Processing
- Ultrasound/Diagnostic Medical Sonography
TCAT Knoxville currently offers seven programs with no room for growth or expansion as current facility is landlocked.
Current programs:
- Dental Assisting
- Medical Assisting
- Medical Office Information Technology
- Nursing Aid (CNA)
- Practical Nursing (LPN)
- Surgical Technology
- Workforce Development
The new Knox Regional Health Science and Simulation Center will:
- Allow students to participate in collaborative interdisciplinary healthcare scenarios
- Expand clinical experiences
- Supplement availability of clinical experience for select specialty areas
- Provide students exposure to high-risk/low-volume simulations in a safe environment
This innovative facility will be approximately 130,000 square feet, including an estimated 11,000 square feet for the simulation center.
Total Projected Cost: $75,000,000 (includes $7.5M in private philanthropy)
Net Project Cost: $67,500,000 (funding approved and allocated by the State of Tennessee)
