The Gordon E. Inman Center, the new home of the Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing, officially opened this morning at Belmont University. After 20 months of construction, the $22.5 million facility will house Belmont’s nursing, social work, occupational therapy and physical therapy programs.
Gordon E. Inman, a successful Tennessee business leader, donated $10.5 million to the project -the largest single donor gift at Belmont – and HCA’s TriStar Health System contributed $7.5 million. Belmont has also joined with three area colleges and universities – Volunteer State Community College, Trevecca Nazarene University and Nashville State Technical Community College – in the Partners in Nursing consortium. Through the consortium, students at these area schools will divide their time between their respective schools and Belmont where they will complete their nursing education.
According to a study by the Tennessee Independent Colleges & University Association (TICUA), by the year 2020 there will be a shortage of nearly 9,500 nurses in Tennessee. With the opening of The Center, Belmont will be able to increase its enrollment of student nurses from 250 to 600, giving access and opportunity to the next generations of health care leaders.
“This is a great and important day in the city of Nashville,” Mayor Bill Purcell said. “This new health care connection will bring the best and the brightest health care professionals to our community.”
Students will receive their education in state-of-the-art labs and classrooms that include lift equipment to teach student safety, simulated mannequins that respond to basic stimuli and apartments to teach social work students how to work with clients with special needs. Equipment for The Center was provided through The Memorial Foundation of Hendersonville, Tenn., through a $500,000 technology grant.
“The building is beautiful,” Gordon Inman said. “But it’s not the main purpose. It will provide for many nurses and health care professionals for many years to come, long after we are all gone. That is why we’re here.”
Click here for slide show of June 9, 2006 opening event.
- Video of remarks from the opening event are available here in the following formats:
- Windows Media
- Quicktime Movie
