ORLANDO, FL (January 16, 2024) |
With a few shovels full of dirt, impressive renderings of a new state-of-art nursing pavilion at the University of Central Florida became closer to reality Friday, as the UCF College of Nursing broke ground on the project, thanks to generous support from community donors, including Dr. Phillips Charities, Orlando Health, AdventHealth, and Addition Financial Credit Union.
The Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion, anticipated to open at Medical City in Lake Nona for the 2025-26 academic year, will help Florida address a critical nursing shortage amid a growing population.
“UCF has a bold vision to scale our nationally ranked College of Nursing to provide the highest quality healthcare education to graduate more nurses, who are desperately needed in Florida,” said UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright. “The UCF College of Nursing’s Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion is a state-of-the-art space that will enable us to reshape the next generation of healthcare and create a healthier, brighter future for our entire state through education and innovation.”
The pavilion is named in honor of Dr. Phillips Charities, which provided the lead gift for the project. The gift opened the door for many other philanthropic donations, from large hospital groups such as AdventHealth and Orlando Health, to other community partners such as Addition Financial Credit Union, who contributed $100,000 to the building.
“We are proud to make this investment in expanding quality healthcare education in the Central Florida Community,” said Kevin Miller, President and CEO of Addition Financial Credit Union. “The shared commitment to our community’s well-being is demonstrated through UCF’s new nursing campus and enhanced program. Addition Financial is proud to be a partner on this transformational project which underscores the value in supporting nursing education and the Central Florida medical community.”