Gordon College celebrates new building

April 1, 2011 - Ribbon-cutting ceremonies were held today at the Nursing and Allied Health Building at GordonCollege campus.

Approximately 175 people were in attendance as Gordon Interim President Shelley Nickel, former president Lawrence Weill, Joan Cranford, chair of the division of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, and Marcy Torsch, president of the Gordon College Association of Nursing Students, cut the ribbon in celebration of the opening of the 59,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art building.

Nickel thanked former GordonCollege president Lawrence Weill for his determination and effort in making this building a reality, as well as the UpsonRegionalMedicalCenter board of trustees for sharing the dream and making a generous donation to show their support.

The new facility is three stories and will serve as a teaching hospital. The main entrance of the building is opens to a plaza in the center of the Barnesville campus.

The first floor contains two theater lecture halls, two classrooms and a multi-function collaborative learning center.

The second floor is designed to simulate an actual hospital. Through a generous donation from UpsonRegionalMedicalCenter, the hospital was able to have two labs named after long-time board trustees.

The William C. Byrd Pediatric Simulation Laboratory is named after the URMC trustee who served from 1987 to 2006. The lab is designed to simulate a pediatric ward. Here students will practice with realistic “simbabies” that can be programmed to cry, move and react to stimuli.

Down the hall is the George H. Hightower Sr. Adult Simulation Laboratory. The late Hightower served on the URMC board from 1987 to 2003. In this lab are realistic adult mannequins who respond much like live patients.

Also on the second floor is the Pat Brown Practice Laboratory, named after Griffin resident Pat Brown who served as interim director of the Gordon College Nursing Program from 1985-93, again from 1999 to 2000 and from 2002-06 when she retired.

The practice lab is where most of the teaching takes place. Brown was known for her nurturing approach to teaching and her famous mantra “Don’t forget to wash your hands!” Nursing alumni and friends made this lab possible.

The Aldora Check Off Laboratory was named after the town of Aldora due to a generous donation from the town’s leadership. Aldora has helped support the quality of life in LamarCounty since the town was incorporated in 1906. In the check off lab, the students practice critical skills fundamental to becoming a nurse, demonstrating what they have learned in a one-on-one controlled environment.

"The leadership of the Town of Aldora also saw what this building could do for GordonCollege and for the healthcare needs of this region and they made a donation," President Nickel told the crowd. "These gifts allowed us to show that this building was not just something GordonCollege needed, but something this community wanted.”

The building’s third floor contains administrative offices, a classroom, a computer lab and an anatomy and physiology lab.

“It truly is the jewel of our beautiful campus. Most importantly, it’ll enhance the education, training and skills our nursing and allied health students receive during their academic experience,” said President Nickel.

Gordon’s nursing program was started in 1973 when 50 students entered.

Since then, more than 1,900 students have graduated from the program.

“We have nurses working all over the U.S.,” said Joan Cranford, chair of the division of nursing and allied health. “Several have stayed right here as instructors.” 

Quick Facts

• Design Professional: Collins, Cooper, Carusi Architects
• Construction Professional: Piedmont Construction Group
• GSFIC Project Manager: Wes Berry
• GSFIC Contract Compliance Specialist: Darrel Whitworth