LSU-Alexandria breaks ground on its new 43-million-dollar Health Education Campus. University officials say it’s a transformational project that will address the shortage of nurses and allied health professionals.
“This project represents exactly what a public university should do,” Chancellor Paul Coreil said. “Our community identified a critical need, and together we built a solution. The LSUA Health Education Campus will help educate more healthcare professionals, strengthen our regional workforce, and improve healthcare access for generations to come.”
The 78,266-square-foot facility in downtown Alexandria will include active-learning classrooms, advanced simulation laboratories and a 240-seat auditorium.
The idea grew from a healthcare summit convened by LSU, where physicians, hospital administrators, and healthcare leaders challenged the university to help meet the region’s growing demand for healthcare professionals.
“We have had in this area a growing need for an investment in health care,” Dr. Ryan Riche the dean of the College of Health and Human Services at LSU-A said. “We are very short in healthcare workforce so this is aimed to alleviate that problem.”
Riche says the new campus will support about 700 additional healthcare positions throughout central Louisiana.
Construction is beginning immediately, and the facility will welcome students in the fall of 2028.