A ribbon-cutting ceremony has officially launched the new FutureReady Healthcare Center on the South campus of WSU Tech. The ceremony was held Thursday morning to celebrate a partnership with the City of Wichita, the Wichita Public Schools, Wesley Healthcare and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas.
WSU Tech president Dr. Sheree Utash said the new center will help meet local and nationwide needs for health care workers, and she said it will not only offer top-tier education and hands-on experience, but it will also serve as a beacon of opportunity, nurturing the next generation of health care leaders and innovators. Dr. Utash also announced that Blue Cross Blue Shield has made a donation of $600,000 that will create an endowed fund to support future programing for the center.
The facility has eight classrooms and four cutting-edge labs, and it will have a capacity to enroll 300 students. The center will serve about 175 students in the next year, and growth in enrollment is expected as students become aware of the opportunities available through career exploration and guidance in the Wichita Public Schools.
The Wichita City Council allocated WSU Tech $2.1 million last year from American Rescue Plan Act funding, and that helped to acquire state-of-the-art equipment, supplies and facility renovations at WSU Tech and Wesley Medical Center.
