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Health and Wellness Center at MCC to include 'desperately needed' family care clinic

A new $14.1 million Health and Wellness Center at Muskegon Community College promises to provide care for underserved eastern Muskegon residents while giving nursing students real world experience. School officials gathered Tuesday to cut the ribbon on what is being called more than just a building.

“We had a vision for developing a health center that would fit any college or university in the country. Ten years later, we are there," Muskegon Community College President Dr. Dale Nesbary said. Alongside fellow staff, Nesbary joined representatives from Mercy Health and Grand Valley State University Tuesday to unveil the community college’s new 52,000 square foot Health and Wellness Center on the school’s campus.

In addition to a number of amenities for college students, Nesbary says most importantly, the new center comes equipped with a 4,000-square-foot family medicine clinic that will provide care for residents living in the under-served surrounding neighborhood.

“Eastern Muskegon County is in desperate need for a health center," Nesbary said. "And this is going to meet those needs. Anyone living from where campus is located to twenty miles east of the county will be served by this building. We are thrilled to have it here.”

Working in partnership with Grand Valley State University, the new Health and Wellness Center at Muskegon Community College will also house a health simulation lab for nursing students while providing opportunities for GVSU students to log required clinical hours. Dr. Cynthia McCurren is the Dean at the Kirkhof College of Nursing at Grand Valley. She shared her thoughts moments before the ribbon cutting ceremony.

“When academia and health care practice collaborate on endeavors such as this, good things will happen,” McCurren said. 

The Health and Wellness Center is the third of four major projects completed by Muskegon Community College. Officials say the next will be a new Arts and Humanities Center opening in 2019.

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