FORT WAYNE – Manchester University celebrated a major milestone in the ongoing expansion of its Fort Wayne location.
University officials held a small beam-raising ceremony on Sept. 26 to commemorate the placement of the location's final structural beam and completion of the building's expanded frame. The ceremony marks a significant milestone in the nearly $20 million expansion of its health sciences hub located on the campus of Parkview Regional Medical Center in Fort Wayne, according to a news release from Manchester University.
"Raising this beam into place is a huge step toward the finish line for this critical investment in our faculty, our students and the future of our university," said Stacy Young, president of Manchester University. "This expansion and investment is also an important development in helping health care providers meet the critical needs in the communities they serve, and it will also enhance Manchester University's role as a health science hub in Fort Wayne, Allen County and throughout the region."
The expansion will add more than 32,000 square feet of space and state-of-the-art capabilities to Manchester's Fort Wayne operations, strengthening Manchester's commitment to its neighbors in northeast Indiana and expanding its educational opportunities in health careers that are in high demand. Key aspects of the expansion will include the creation of an interprofessional clinic, which will provide students and faculty with hands-on opportunities and experience serving a high-need population in the region.
Other new additions include state-of-the-art physical therapy teaching labs, research and classroom spaces, nursing simulation and skills laboratory and a variety of versatile collaboration areas for students. The university will replace the existing facade to include a new entrance and two-story addition. There also will be a significant bump-out on the back of the second floor faculty and staff suite and a new cafe and patio.
Even students in online-exclusive programs will benefit from the upgrades in technology and expansion of Manchester's interprofessional education opportunities, stated the release.
It will enhance Manchester's nursing program, which earlier this year earned full, five-year accreditation through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). This accreditation covers both its Fort Wayne-based Accelerated BSN Second Degree program and its traditional, four-year track for a bachelor's degree in nursing, which includes some on-site instruction in Fort Wayne.
Other current Manchester University Fort Wayne programs benefiting from this expansion will include the Doctor of Pharmacy, Master of Athletic Training and Master of Science in Pharmacogenomics.