Work has begun on a $20 million project partnering Lexington Medical Center and the University of South Carolina.

The two parties hosted an event Feb. 21 marking the groundbreaking for a 52,000-square-foot nursing simulation center and teaching space to be located across Sunset Boulevard from the hospital’s main West Columbia campus.

The clinical education space is set to include state-of-the art classrooms, a simulation center with a hospital suite, primary care suite, a community apartment complex, and a skill suite. 

Jeannette Andrews, dean of the USC College of Nursing, said the center, which is anticipated to be finished in 2024, will serve as a model for other nursing colleges across the country.

Tod Augsburger, president and CEO of Lexington Medical, said South Carolina is projected to have the fourth-highest shortage of nurses in the country within the next 10 years, stating that population growth in the state has contributed to the issue. 

“Our shared commitment to supporting workforce development in our communities includes educating and training qualified individuals to help them get more opportunities here in the Midlands, as well as throughout South Carolina and the country,” Augsburger said of how the center will address this problem.

USC President Michael Amiridis said the university is looking to increase the number of highly qualified nursing graduates, but is unable to build the physical and clinical infrastructure on its own, while the hospital is unable to single-handedly recruit and retain the number of high-caliber nurses it needs.

“Combined together, we can both achieve our goals and support our common mission,” he said. “This is a very strong foundation for a great and long-lasting partnership between the two organizations.”

Amiridis emphasized that the university and medical center are anchors of the community, governed by representatives of the community, and throughout history have been committed to serving the people of the Midlands.

Andrews said the center will increase the university’s number of nursing graduates by 80% over the next two to seven years, growing to 400 from the current average class size of 220.

Melissa Taylor, Lexington Medical’s vice president and chief nursing officer, said the increased number of graduates will open other opportunities for the hospital and allow for additional endeavors like nursing research, creative staffing models, and avenues for current nurses to advance their nursing education.

The center will be constructed by Alliance Engineering and LS3P Engineering, with funding coming from the hospital. Lexington Medical will provide clinical instructors while the university will fund equipment needed for the simulation center along with the equipment and furnishings for classroom spaces, according to a press release.

“It’s a benefit for all in Lexington County,” Augsburger said.