Health and wellness services at Penn State Altoona will be undergoing improvements in the near future, as the college teams up with Central Pennsylvania Health Services Corp., of which Altoona Hospital is a major component, to create the Sheetz Family Health Center on campus. The center, expected to be in operation in April 2001, will house the college's nursing program and student Health and Wellness Center, as well as an on-site physicians' office open to the public.
The proposed building will consist of 11,000 square feet -- of this amount, 8,500 square feet will be dedicated to Penn State Altoona's nursing program and Health and Wellness Center.
The current Health and Wellness Center in the Slep Student Center will be relocated to the new facility. One of the most used facilities on campus, the Health and Wellness Center has experienced tremendous growth over the past several years. Since 1995, the center has expanded from providing the services of one registered nurse doing mostly assessments and referrals, to the current holistic approach of a center which provides a comprehensive array of health services, health education, counseling & psychological services and disability services with a full complement of professional staff.
Penn State Altoona's nursing program consists of both an associate degree program and a bachelor's degree program for registered nurses. Currently, the college uses Altoona Hospital's facilities for the clinical training required by these programs, while administering classroom work on campus. The addition of the Sheetz Family Health Center will allow the nursing program to hold both components under one roof, since the facility will house classrooms, clinical labs, mock hospital rooms, faculty offices and a small computer lab dedicated solely to the nursing program.
The remaining 2,500 square feet of the building will be occupied by Blair Medical Associates. BMA plans to open a primary care office with two physicians as well as an urgent care center. The primary care office will be open to the public with regularly scheduled appointments. The urgent care center will accept walk-ins needing immediate medical treatment. The facility will allow BMA to conduct diagnostic testing, lab work and small surgical procedures on-site, rather than sending patients to the hospital for these services.
The Sheetz Family Health Center will be located on campus ground, directly off of Juniata Gap road, with its own entrance and public parking. The building project is expected to cost between $1.1 million and $1.4 million.
Hayes Large Architects are the architects for the project and are in the final stage of developing the floor plan and blueprints. It is anticipated that the project will be put out to bid in the beginning of March, with a proposed completion date of April 2001. Blair Medical Associates will move into the building upon completion. Penn State Altoona plans to transfer its wellness center and nursing program into the building no later than the summer of 2001 to be ready to open by the fall 2001 semester.