Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

ALBANY – Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital cut the ribbon on its new Nursing Living and Learning Community Tuesday evening.

Scott Steiner, the Phoebe Health System president and CEO, said he and Andrew Parker, the late Albany Technical College president, “went out on a limb” with the project. It’s part of Phoebe’s effort to expand the pipeline of nurses and health care professionals in southwest Georgia.

“The Living and Learning Community is an innovative and bold response to the biggest challenge facing health care today, especially in rural and small urban communities like ours – a severe shortage of nurses and other health professionals,” Steiner said.

The new facility is 130,000 square feet that combines student living and learning space. The first floor is dedicated to studies with high-tech classrooms, labs, study spaces and common areas. The top two floors have 80 fully furnished apartments where students can live while they take coursework.

In the living and learning community, students can learn in hands-on simulated clinical environments and then, in a year or two, they can walk across the street to Phoebe to shadow nurses and immerse themselves in the health care environment.

The building offers programs with the Medical College of Georgia and the Pharmacy Residency with the University of Georgia, but its largest partnership is with ATC.

More than 100 visitors flooded the space out front of the new facility that was once the site of Albany High and Albany Middle School. They stood in the relentless afternoon sun to hear remarks from Phoebe leadership as well as officials from ATC, the Technical College System of Georgia and Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Ga.

Bishop said the southwest Georgia community weathered the COVID-19 pandemic, which strained hospitals and health care professionals but revealed where investments in the health care system were most needed. He said the largest need is qualified nurses and physicians as Georgia grows fast “in all corners.”

“Today’s grand opening marks another important step for building the medical professional work force that Georgia needs,” the Congressman said. “It is set to become a hub that will welcome and prepare the next generation of Georgia’s medical practitioners and health care providers.”

Bishop, who previously secured federal funding for ATC to train more nurses and for Phoebe to purchase mobile health clinics, pledged Congress’ partnership in continuing to improve health care in southwest Georgia.

ATC President Emmett Griswold talked about how the project will allow the college to quadruple its number of nursing students. He said about three years ago, ATC had the capacity to enroll only 40 nursing students per year and a target was set to increase the capacity by 400%.

In 2023, the technical college enrolled 102 nursing students. In 2024, it enrolled 124. Griswold said with this new facility and additional faculty, the college is on track to reach its target of enrolling 200 students in the next year.

Griswold, along with the event’s other speakers, took an opportunity to honor Parker. Parker’s family was present at the ceremony. Griswold said the opening of the new center sustains Parker’s legacy of touching lives for the betterment of southwest Georgia.

“It’s our duty and responsibility to continue to ensure the legacy of Dr. Parker … is preserved and protected, that all Georgians and Americans will have the opportunity to achieve their highest potential,” Griswold said. “This project will be an example for the world on how genuine partnerships will contribute to the growth of our community and make Albany/Dougherty and southwest Georgia a sanctuary for opportunity.”

Steiner said the facility creates more capacity for the about 4,000 nursing students in Georgia who want to get into nursing but can’t because there isn’t a slot available.

The added feature of being able to live in the center, he said, is an effort to align students’ learning, professional and personal experience.

Twanna Raymond is a 52-year-old nursing student in her last year at ATC. She said becoming a nurse was a lifelong dream she finally got the opportunity to achieve. Raymond is from Mobile, Ala., but lives in Albany with her husband. They’ll soon move into the Living and Learning Community together as the space offers housing options for couples and some families.

Raymond told the ribbon-cutting crowd that she was full of hope, anticipation, joy and excitement as she takes on her last year of nursing school and how Phoebe’s new center will impact it. She said the facility allows her to be more connected with her coursework and instructors by living on site.

“As an older adult taking on this challenge in an environment where I’m a senior to many of my adult classmates and peers and even some of my instructors, I can’t tell you how important my support structure is for me to succeed,” she said. “You all took this into consideration … you guys nailed it.”

Steiner called the facility a “spark” to aid Albany’s growth, especially in its downtown district.

“If we can fill our 180 nurse vacancies … that’s 180 nurses that are going to have a job paying more than $65,000 … they need somewhere to live … they need to join a church … they’re going to have a family and kids that can uplift the community,” he said.

Steiner said the program can be a destination, something that attracts prospective students and makes its community proud.

The $45 million project did not come without challenges. In its early stages, Albany’s Historic Preservation Commission challenged the building of the nursing education facility, asking for Phoebe to restore the property that once served as Albany High and Middle School.

Steiner said this wasn’t feasible, as the building had been vacant for about 25 years and was an outdated, wood structure. Restoring the original structure, he said, would’ve been double the cost.

Instead, Phoebe committed to honoring the building’s history. It met with former students, now older seniors, and asked them what they remembered most about the structure. Steiner said most had fond memories of the grand entrance, getting out of the car and talking with their friends under the ornate arches.

So Phoebe spent an extra $3 million to preserve the front facade of the old school, using some original brickwork and other elements. The front foyer of the building also displays memorabilia and photographs from the school

Steiner said the facility will continue the building’s legacy of learning and public education, “honoring the past while building a better future.”

Classes began Monday at the Nursing Living and Learning Community. Twenty-five students moved into the center’s housing. Steiner said completing construction was just the first step

“Now we have to execute the plan,” he said. “The plan is, how do we fill these programs up with young people that want to be caregivers, that have a big heart, that want to be part of our community? How do we go out and inspire them to be in this program? That’s our next job.”

ATC students can apply to the program now. Those interested in learning more can visit nextinnusing.com.

Staff Photo: Lucille Lannigan