Jacksonville University is hauling its Healthcare Simulation Center back to the Arlington campus, planning a full buildout of the College of Healthcare Sciences' third floor so students can do their hands-on training closer to the heart of JU's health hub. The move is meant to bring nursing, first responder, and medical school simulation work in tight around the growing Medical Mall and other health sciences programs.
Timing Tied to New Medical School
The timing is no coincidence. LECOM at Jacksonville University is preparing to welcome its inaugural class this summer, a milestone JU has treated as a key driver of campus planning. As noted by Jacksonville University, the Medical Mall and Health Sciences Complex are intended to anchor clinical education and interdisciplinary training on the north end of campus.
Permit, Cost and Design
According to a report from the Jax Daily Record, the city is reviewing a permit application that would allow JU to spend an estimated $3.7 million to build out the third floor at 5491 Dolphin Point Blvd. The filing outlines a roughly 21,000-square-foot simulation center and names PQH Group Design Inc. as the architect. Planned spaces include examination rooms, a nurses’ station, mock hospital rooms, debriefing and control rooms, classroom space, an anatomy lab and interactive multipurpose areas. In a March 2 statement, JU wrote, “We will centralize resources in our state-of-the-art Health Sciences Complex.”
How the Program Grew
Jacksonville University first expanded formal simulation training in 2014 to support area hospitals during the Ebola response. The program later moved into a converted former Albertsons at Beach and University boulevards before operating from an off-campus site at 5940 Beach Blvd. That off-campus footprint grew over the years to serve nurses and first responders with large-scale simulation programming, according to Jacksonville University and industry reporting.
What It Means for Students and Partners
Bringing much of the simulation work back to the Arlington campus is expected to streamline scheduling, make it easier for clinical partners to work with JU programs and keep medical school students closer to laboratory and classroom resources instead of sending them across town. Officials still need the city to clear the permit and finalize the interior build-out timeline ahead of the medical school’s summer start.
