Nursing school tech is highlight of new Van Lare Hall
ALPENA, Mich. — After more than a year of work, Alpena Community College’s original building has a brand new face – and brand–new tech.
The nearly–70–year–old building is now home to ACC’s nursing school.
It’s equipped with tools to practice with IV drips, oxygen feeds, and patient mobility. It also simulates a real hospital environment.
Instructor Diane O’Connor said she’s delighted with the upgrade.
“This space we have now is more than twice the space we had before. So it allows us to have more students here and more flexibility.”
The nursing school also has advanced classrooms with animated mannequins. These dummies blink, speak, and can simulate a wide variety of medical emergencies – All controlled by an operator in the next room.
O’Connor said she’s grateful to the community for raising more $3 million towards the building.
Yet despite all these impressive updates, ACC Foundation Executive Director Brenda Herman said there’s still another structure on the way.
“We’ll be adding a lecture hall to the building. We just announced this [on Friday]. There’s a crook on the building… it almost looks like an empty space. So we’ll be adding a lecture hall there.”
Other improvements to the building include a riverside view, air conditioning, and a new sprinkler system.
