A new academic building with medical training labs at California State University Stanislaus’ Stockton campus opened with fanfare and high hopes this week.
The $54 million state-funded facility, named Willow Hall, is designed to train the next generation of nurses, social workers and other health and human services professionals to serve the San Joaquin Valley, school officials said.
The new building will allow up to 2,000 additional students to attend classes at the Stockton campus, according to a news release from Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom, who represents District 13.
Willow Hall includes modern classrooms, laboratories, student services and study areas. It also offers a high-fidelity simulation lab, a clinical skills lab and a physical diagnosis lab for hands-on training in nursing and health professions.
At Thursday’s official opening, Stanislaus State President Britt Rios-Ellis said the building focuses on addressing the region’s shortage of healthcare providers.
“We are highly medically underserved,” Rios-Ellis said. “Our motto is stay local, train local and serve local.”
Sarah Sweitzer, dean at the Stockton campus, noted the name Willow Hall was chosen intentionally because the willow tree symbolizes healing.
“It has been an amazing gift to watch Stockton fully embrace the Stockton campus,” Sweitzer said. “Our elected officials throughout San Joaquin County have really embraced this campus over the last three years and really built out what we call the anchor mission of the institution. We are here to partner within the community. We are here to work with the community, in community.”
Additional support for the labs came from private partners. Health Plan of San Joaquin contributed $2.5 million To support the redesign of the east wing and building the medical training labs. Health Net provided $817,000 to support the simulation lab, According to a fact sheet provided by CSU Stanislaus on Willow Hill.