WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University’s colleges of Health and Human Sciences and Pharmacy are taking giant leaps in advancing collaborative, innovative learning for health care professionals in Indiana through a new, modern facility at the corner of Mitch Daniels Boulevard and Russell Street.
The Clinical Education Building for Pharmacy and Nursing will address the country’s critical workforce needs for skilled nurses and pharmacists and expand interprofessional education opportunities that mirror modern health care settings.
Pending formal approval from Purdue’s Board of Trustees, this project will cost $160 million. The university combined with the two colleges (Pharmacy and Health and Human Sciences) have collectively raised or committed over $70 million in private and institutional funding, and the Indiana legislature recently approved an $89 million appropriation.
“We are thrilled to see this joint effort between the College of Health and Human Sciences and the College of Pharmacy become a reality,” said Marion K. Underwood, dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences. “Through the building’s highly synergetic design, this new space will allow two of Purdue’s outstanding programs to learn alongside each other through valuable interprofessional education and greater research opportunities.”
Purdue’s nursing and pharmacy programs are ranked among the highest in the state of Indiana, and the College of Pharmacy also holds a No. 4 ranking nationally for total research funding. The College of Pharmacy continues to graduate the largest class of pharmacists in the state, working with employers to address pharmacist shortages. The Purdue nursing program has more than doubled in size in recent years to help address the staffing shortages for nurses in Indiana and beyond. This innovative space will permit both programs to accommodate more students and increase campuswide collaboration opportunities to advance healthier Hoosier communities.
“The Clinical Education Building for Nursing and Pharmacy is paramount to preparing students to stay on the forefront of our ever-changing health care system and to serve as leaders in their field for generations to come,” said Eric L. Barker, the Jeannie and Jim Chaney Dean of Pharmacy. “The roles of pharmacists and nurses have rapidly changed, with both serving central roles in the delivery of patient care. This hub on Purdue’s campus will help drive students forward in their persistent pursuit of bettering human health.”
The new Clinical Education Building is proposed to house four floors featuring clinical simulation labs, collaboration spaces, large active-learning classrooms and modern research facilities. The building’s design will encourage nursing and pharmacy faculty and students to collaborate, conduct interdisciplinary research and develop impactful strategies that make a difference across public health, mental health, health equity and more. The building will have centrally scheduled classroom space that could serve the entire campus, including the two colleges.
Nearly two-thirds of all pharmacists in Indiana are Purdue graduates, and nearly two-thirds of Purdue School of Nursing graduates work in Indiana clinics, hospitals and communities. Through enhancing simulation opportunities and interprofessional education, the Clinical Education Building for Pharmacy and Nursing will align with the university’s land-grant mission to continue to advance Purdue as a leader in shaping Indiana health and well-being.
To learn more about the project, visit the Clinical Education Building for Nursing and Pharmacy website.
Writer: Rebecca Hoffa, rhoffa@purdue.edu