HCC unveils plans to expand in the Texas Medical Center
Jul 16, 2015
Houston Community College (HCC) will soon have a bigger presence in the world-renowned Texas Medical Center. Members of the medical and local communities saw plans for the new Coleman Healthcare Educational Facility during a town hall meeting. HCC is the only community college located in the heart of the Medical Center.
“The exposure that our students get here at HCC Coleman get is unparalleled,” said Dr. Phillip Nicotera, president of HCC Coleman College for Health Sciences.
The new state-of-the-art, energy efficient building will stand 10 stories tall with entire floors dedicated to traditional classrooms to give students the ultimate college experience, along with skills and simulation labs designed to replicate real hospital settings. There will also be bridge access over Pressler Street to connect the new facility with the current Coleman Campus. Roger Bumgardner, program director for Radiography and Computed Tomography (CT), is pleased how architects guided faculty with planning and designing the 248,000 square-foot project.
“They really did involve the people who are going to be teaching there,” he said. “That’s vitally important because of the placement of the equipment, the type of equipment, and the space needed for the equipment.”
The HCC Coleman Healthcare Educational Facility will give instructors and students access to the best, high-tech medical tools and endless resources. That is welcome news for Rabia Adil, who is working towards her certification in Nuclear Medicine.
“Technology is improving daily and some of the stuff you can see now and the difference treatments make over time are really amazing,” said Adil. “I think it’s wonderful that HCC is expanding the campus I am hoping they will be able to include some more programs.”
Currently, HCC Coleman College for Health Sciences offers associate degrees and certificates in more than 20 health science fields but that number is expected to grow with the demand for more high-skill, high-growth occupations. Registration is currently underway for fall in such areas as Medical Assisting, Medical Lab Technology, Respiratory Therapy, Occupational Therapy (OTA), and Physical Therapy Assisting (PTA).
“As we move forward into the next decade, as the baby boomers retire, we will see shortages in every one of the allied health fields,” said Dr. Nicotera. “HCC is positioned to alleviate those shortages.”
Groundbreaking for this facility is set for this fall with a projected completion of Summer 2017. A photo gallery of the town hall meeting is available via flickr. For more information about the HCC Groundbreaker Bond Program or to register for classes, visit hccs.edu.