WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — King's College dedicated its new Frank and Carolyn Kowalski Center for Advanced Healthcare Education in downtown Wilkes-Barre.
The 8 million dollar facility brings new opportunities for students and the community in downtown Wilkes-Barre.
At 60,000 square feet across five floors, the new center will house King's College's first doctorate in occupational therapy and accelerated nursing programs, offering students hands-on experience
"It's a nice blend this building of working with community members whether it be young children or the elderly or if we cannot find particular conditions or types of patients, we're going to be able to offer augmented reality to our students where they'll be able to practice in life like holograms and simulations before they're out there working in the community," said Christopher O'Brien the Dean of Health Sciences.
From simulation labs and virtual reality to hands-on experiences in cadaver labs, the new facility offers a dynamic environment where students can grow and thrive as future healthcare professionals
Will ballot drop boxes be allowed in Luzerne County?
"The amount of improvement and things that can come from this is unquantifiable because the students already six to seven weeks in the facility have shown such growth and appreciation for what they've been given here," stated Dr. Deric Grohowski the Assistant Professor
"Being able to be like interactive and hang out and actually do stuff with our hands and other people and interact with other people I think is the best part of it, like every classroom from the smallest to the biggest classroom is very interactive," says Gunhvir Singh a fifth-year student.
The interactive space was made possible by Frank and Carolyn Kowalski, longtime Wyoming Valley residents, who want to see students succeed in the healthcare field.
"They're (the students) the future, the future of the world, they're the future of us, so this is why we involved with this type of emergent things," added Frank and Carolyn.
"If you're going to be in the medical profession you have to love what you do to be good at what you do, I think that the whole thing gives them the opportunity to be good at what they do," continued Carolyn.
The center is poised to make a significant difference in healthcare training and in the community
The project received more than 3.5 million dollars in state and local funding.
It is expected to generate a 9.5 million dollars annual economic impact for Wilkes-Barre.
