Health care officials from the Jefferson College of Health Sciences, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, and Radford University are celebrating a collaborative effort in a unique way.
A construction project usually begins with a ground breaking and ends with a ribbon cutting. But not so for the new Virginia Intercollegiate Anatomy Lab. It’s located on the 8th floor of Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital which is home to Jefferson College and Radford University’s Doctorate of Physical Therapy program. So organizers thought up something different. . .a concrete breaking to symbolize the beginning of construction for the 2-and-a-half million dollar, 15 table lab.
Officials from the three institutions and elected officials took turns pounding a sledgehammer against an interior wall. Nathaniel Bishop, head of Jefferson College of Health Sciences, says the project fulfills a common need.
“Instead of looking at building three separate spaces, we began to envision the idea of building one large comprehensive facility that would meet the current and future needs of all our students.”
Dr. Cynda Johnson, Dean of the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine says t he collaborative effort is so unusual, there’s nothing like it in Virginia and possibly in the nation. She says the lab will bring together students from the three institutions as well as personnel.
“But space is a big issue for us, ‘cause now we have a very tight anatomy lab and this will allow all of our students to have the experience at the same time and learn from each other.”
The Virginia Intercollegiate Anatomy Lab is expected to be completed by late spring.