MONROE, Mich. – Monroe County Community College officially opened its new, $1.8-million Health Sciences Simulation Center during a ribbon cutting ceremony last night.
“This new simulation center is part of a larger $32 million transformation that will strengthen health care education and workforce preparation in Monroe County for decades to come,” said Aaron N. Mason, chair of the Board of Trustees. “It is designed to give our students the confidence, competence and preparation they need to walk into a clinical setting ready to deliver excellent care for our families, our neighbors and our community.”
From left, Monroe County Community College Board Secretary Nicole Goodman; Board Vice Chair Lynette M. Dowler; Dr. Joyce Haver, the widow of the late Gerald Welch, the college's second president and namesake of the facility where the Health Sciences Simulation Center is housed; Trustee Mary Kay Thayer; President Dr. Kojo A. Quartey; Board Chair Aaron N. Mason; Finley Arnett, representing State Rep. Reggie Miller, and State Sen. Joseph Bellino Jr.
Located in the Gerald Welch Health Education Building, which is being renovated and expanded into what is tentatively being called the Welch Center for Health and Public Safety, it was made possible by a grant from the State of Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential (MiLEAP) to support MCCC's partnership with the University of Michigan-Flint, said Helen Stripling, dean of health sciences.
"The center is designed to allow MCCC the ability to host Bachelor of Science degree courses taught on campus, and the creation of this lab space also supports MCCC's existing health sciences programs, allowing faculty to modify curriculum to include high-fidelity simulation, something they have not been able to do up to this point," she said.
MiLEAP was launched in December 2023 by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to improve education outcomes from birth to postsecondary and focuses on expanding early learning, achieving a goal 60% of adults with a skills certificate/degree by 2030 and fostering employer partnerships. The total grant supporting the MCCC-UM-Flint partnership was $2.17 million.
The Health Sciences Simulation Center takes up 2,628 square feet of the existing building's south wing. The simulation rooms mirror an actual hospital room setting and feature high-fidelity manikins ranging from premature infants to adults.
“Students are able to evaluate their manikin ‘patient’ using hands-on assessment skills and by analyzing vital signs displayed on a bedside monitor. Throughout this scenario, students will have to react to real-time changes in the patient's condition as controlled by an operator in another room,” Stripling said. "Multi-angle cameras and recording software have been installed, allowing faculty and students the ability to review and evaluate actions performed during simulation. Debriefing rooms, a necessary part of simulation, were also included in the suite and have the ability to play back recordings."
Additionally, the grant helped the college upgrade the technology in one of the existing nursing classrooms, allowing for hyflex teaching -- which combines in-person and online learning -- to take place in that room. Hyflex teaching allows students the choice to attend in-person or synchronously online, as well as gives both in-person and online students the ability to interact with the instructor and one another during a class period.
“The Health Sciences Simulation Center represents a major step forward in preparing the next generation of nurses and health professionals through high‑fidelity, evidence‑based learning that leads to better patient outcomes and to strong, well-paying, high-demand careers for our graduates,” said Dr. Kojo A. Quartey, president.
Stripling said MCCC has already scheduled and hosted two UM-Flint hybrid/hyflex courses in the new Simulation Center, with a third planned later this spring. To date, the grant has covered the tuition of 26 students attending the courses held on MCCC's campus and will do the same for up to 20 more students starting in the spring. The grant has also been used to cover the personnel costs of staffing the simulation lab and for training of that position.
"UM-Flint has been an amazing partner, offering classes that not only help Monroe County Community College Registered Nursing Program graduates earn a bachelor's degree, but also allowing the enrollment of students looking to concurrently take Bachelor of Science in nursing classes at the same time as their R.N. Program classes," Stripling said.
In late 2024, the college announced the $32-million transformation of the Welch Health Education Building to add three new nursing labs with 18 beds and two respiratory therapy labs with six beds and also allow for the relocation of MCCC’s growing criminal justice program to the facility. Five new classrooms will also be added, and two others will be renovated.
The state’s portion of the cost of the renovation and expansion of the facility will be $10.9 million. According to Josh Myers, executive director of The Foundation at MCCC and director of governmental affairs, the college is funding the rest of the cost of the construction through the 2020-25 Maintenance and Improvement Millage, the aforementioned grant for the Simulation Center and a capital fundraising campaign.
Construction on the full Welch Center for Health and Public Safety project began in summer 2025, with projected completion in spring 2027.
In addition to the completion of the Simulation Center, a single-use restroom has been completed in that area of the building, and a new roof has been installed over that section.
Stripling said that the driving force behind all the changes is to prepare students for real-world practice -- and simulation is an evidenced teaching method meant to do just that.
"With high-fidelity simulation, students get the ability to practice evidence-based competencies and respond to high-stakes medical situations in an environment that is psychologically safe," she said.
"Because any potential mistakes or misunderstandings are corrected before moving to bedside, students are better prepared in real-life clinical settings, ultimately improving the care and safety of patients. We know that the expectation for BSN-level coursework is the ability to run simulation, and this, combined with its ability to improve student outcomes, really drove the usage of this grant to fund a simulation center."
“As an MCCC alumnus and former trustee, I know firsthand what an exceptional college we have in Monroe,” said State Sen. Joe Bellino Jr., R-Monroe. “MCCC graduates are in high demand, especially in the health care field. The new Health Science Simulation Center is exactly the kind of investment the state should be making in our people, and I’m proud to stand here in support of it. This is great for our kids and great for our community.”
“The opening of the expanded Welch Health Education Building is a phenomenal step forward for MCCC, in an arena we already were
excelling at,” said State Rep. William Bruck, R-Erie. “This not only adds to the excellent health ed programs we have had but creates more unique opportunities in this space. The nursing and respiratory therapy courses which have received many accolades and awards, and other great health studies will only become better through this expansion. Congrats to MCCC, this is great for them and our community.”
“The new Health Sciences Simulation Center is an immense resource for MCCC students to get hands-on experience ahead of entering the nursing field, making this a major step forward for both students and patients in our community,” said State Rep. Reggie Miller (D- Van Buren Twp.). “I am also happy to see this grant funding expand access to nursing education in Monroe County by helping support tuition for the next generation of nurses.”
About Monroe County Community College
Founded in 1964, Monroe County Community College is a public, two-year institution supported by tax monies from Monroe County, educational funds from the State of Michigan and student tuition. The college’s mission is to enrich lives in our community by providing opportunity through student-focused, affordable, quality higher education and other learning experiences. The Main Campus is located at 1555 South Raisinville Road, Monroe, Mich., 48161, with easy access to Toledo and Detroit. The Whitman Center is located at 7777 Lewis Ave.,Temperance, Mich., 48182, near the Ohio-Michigan Border. Detailed information about MCCC is available at www.monroeccc.edu.
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