Woman’s Hospital Donates $150,000 to Southeastern University’s College of Nursing and Names New Simulation Lab
Woman’s Hospital has made an investment of $150,000 to support Southeastern Louisiana University’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences and named the new Obstetrics Maternal/Newborn Simulation Lab as part of upcoming renovations on the university’s Baton Rouge campus. Earlier this week, Woman’s President and CEO Rene Ragas joined Southeastern President William Wainwright, school and hospital officials, and students for the ceremony. The school has a long-standing history of producing thousands of highly trained and compassionate nurses and is working to grow the program to attract more students to the profession and help address the growing shortage of healthcare workers in Louisiana.
“Investing in nursing education is an investment in the health of communities across Louisiana,” said Ragas. “Woman’s currently employs 200 Southeastern highly skilled nurses, and we are proud of our partnership to help develop future generations of caregivers and leaders. We hope this investment will increase opportunities for students, provide critical resources, and inspire more people to answer the call to this noble profession.”
The $15.5 million renovation will be completed in two phases and will include new state-of-the-art classrooms, a redesigned auditorium with enhanced distance education capabilities, flexible workspaces, and upgraded simulation labs.
“We are grateful to Rene and his team for investing in our students and school. The shortage of healthcare workers in Louisiana is a significant challenge, but this project is part of our solution,” said Wainwright. “By expanding our nursing program and collaborating with Woman’s Hospital, we’re creating a robust pipeline for well-trained nurses who will live, work, and contribute to the healthcare needs of our state. This public private partnership represents alignment of higher education and industry missions to strengthen our healthcare economy.”
“Not only will this enhance the students’ learning experience, but it will ultimately save lives by preparing them to respond confidently and competently in high-stress situations,” said Southeastern University’s College of Nursing Dean Ann K. Carruth.
About Woman’s Hospital
Woman’s is a specialty hospital for women and infants located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Since opening in 1968, it has welcomed more than 375,000 babies, making it one of the largest delivery services in the country and the largest in Louisiana. Additionally, Woman’s operates a level III-S neonatal intensive care unit; this designation allows them to care for infants who are extremely premature, are critically ill or require surgical intervention. The hospital is also recognized for its expertise in mammography as well as breast and gynecologic cancer care. As a private, nonprofit organization, all funds are reinvested into the hospital to continue Woman’s mission to improve the health of women and infants through the latest technology, a highly qualified staff and critical community programs and services.