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Houston Northwest Medical Center and Surrounding Community Will Benefit From New Lone Star College-North Harris Health Professions Building

Posted on: Monday, 16 March 2009, 14:03 CDT

HOUSTON, March 16 /PRNewswire/ -- For more than 23 years Houston Northwest Medical Center and Lone Star College-North Harris (LSC-North Harris) have worked together to offer nursing students a comprehensive nursing school program.

Each week, students rotate through several different nursing units. These clinical rotations are designed to help students apply theoretical concepts learned in the classroom to actual clinical situations.

Recently LSC-North Harris purchased two office buildings near the Houston Northwest Medical Center campus to be used for the college's Health Professions Building.

The facilities will include a nursing lab, computer lab, a library and a student study area. Also planned is a simulation lab, which will feature simulator patients that produce artificial vital signs and react to treatments.

"This acquisition will give the college an expanded presence in the community and will help us meet the growing need for classroom and lab space to train health professionals -- the strongest and highest in demand of the college's work force programs," states LSC-North Harris President Dr. Steve Head.

Project director Terry Erwin said the tentative schedule is for construction to start in October and completion in May 2010. Financial resources for the purchase and renovation come from the 2008 Lone Star College System bond referendum that was passed in May.

"We are excited that next year the nursing lab at LSC-North Harris will be within walking distance of our hospital," says Terry Kirk, Houston Northwest Medical Center chief nursing officer. "Our nation and our state currently face an unprecedented health care work force shortage in Texas." According to the latest projections from the Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies, demand for full-time registered nurses in Texas in 2008 exceeds supply by 22,000. Without major increases in funding for nurse education, this gap is expected to increase to 70,000 by 2020 as the state's rapidly growing population ages and requires more acute care, and as older nurses retire or reduce the hours they work. "The need is great, and LSC-North Harris is swiftly answering the call through the expansion of nursing education," adds Kirk.

About Houston Northwest Medical Center

Houston Northwest Medical Center is located at 710 F.M. 1960 West in Houston. Houston Northwest Medical Center has been serving the North Houston community for 35 years. The hospital is an Accredited Chest Pain Center by the Society of Chest Pain Centers. Houston Northwest Medical Center ranks among the nation's top hospitals for several service lines including critical care, stroke and general surgery by HealthGrades, an independent health care ratings company. Houston Northwest Medical Center is also a designated Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. To learn more about Houston Northwest Medical Center, a facility accredited by The Joint Commission, visit www.hnmc.com.

CONTACT: Theresa Lewis Houston Northwest Medical Center (281) 440-2444 Theresa.Lewis@tenethealth.com

SOURCE Houston Northwest Medical Center

Source: PR Newswire

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