Construction has officially begun on the new Nursing and Allied Health wing at Erie County Community College. The project is being developed in the cafeteria space of the former Villa Maria Academy, located on West 8th Street. To mark the occasion, Erie County Executive Brenton Davis held a news conference at the site, where he and others symbolically helped demolish a wall to kick off the construction.

The project, which was announced last summer, is now in full swing. It represents a $2 million investment from the American Rescue Plan, combined with contributions from three local health systems. Speaking about the initiative, Davis emphasized its potential to create opportunities for the unemployed and underemployed, stating, "We really just wanted to bring the community along with the $2-million American rescue plan investment we have with county taxpayer investment, paired with three health systems to really make a difference in breaking down barriers, providing opportunities and that in turn is how we elevate the conditions of economic mobility for those unemployed or underemployed."

Davis invited representatives from LECOM, AHN Saint Vincent, UPMC Hamot, Erie County Council, and the community college to join him in the symbolic wall demolition. The site will soon be transformed into a state-of-the-art medical simulation lab, complete with hospital-grade equipment. The facility will serve as a training ground for allied health students preparing for careers in the medical field.

Michael Victor, Chair of the Board of Erie County Community College, described the vision for the space, saying, "When you come into this space which was the former Villa Cafeteria it will look like you've walked onto the floor of a hospital and that's how you train medically based students who want to get into the health care field."

Construction on the medical simulation lab is expected to be completed by February, with the first cohort of students anticipated to begin using the facility by next fall. The goal is to provide students with a realistic hospital environment to prepare them for the challenges of working in healthcare. Davis explained, "We want to simulate that environment, not just teach them in a can and plug them into what appears to be chaos. We want them to know how to operate the rules of the road so to speak in the hospitals because that's the way they're going to train."

Looking ahead, Davis also expressed plans to expand the community college's allied health training facilities. He mentioned hopes to begin work on another allied health lab in Corry, Pennsylvania, which will be developed in a former welding facility.