UVI BREAKS GROUND ON NURSING BUILDING ON ST. CROIX
The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) School of
Nursing (SON) will soon have a brand-new,
state-of-the-art learning facility. At the official
groundbreaking ceremony held in November 2023 on the
Albert A. Sheen Campus on St. Croix, UVI officials,
government dignitaries, students, and guests gathered
to celebrate the construction of the 11,800 square-foot
building that will serve as the learning center for nursing
students and house the University’s Health Services
Department.
Speaking at the groundbreaking, UVI President, Dr. David
Hall stated, “It is special because we are doing
something that is going to benefit generations to come.
The nurses that we produce at this university go on to
serve this community in the hospitals, in clinics, in so
many different settings. We want to be sure that they are
being trained in facilities that are the best that one can
provide because they are the best that we have.” Dr. Hall
recognized faculty, staff, students, federal and local
government officials as well as the Thurgood Marshall
College Fund President and CEO in attendance, Dr. Harry
Williams, for his advocacy. “I just want to indicate to all of
you how proud I am that we have worked together to
transform the future of the Virgin Islands.”
The one-story steel framed building will include two
clinical labs with classroom capacity of 28 and a shared
observation room, four hospital room simulations, a
classroom with a capacity of 24, a student break area, a
student collaboration area, a study/debriefing room, a
large conference room, and six faculty offices as well as
a Dean’s office. The Health Services area, to be used by
students needing medical attention, will include a
triage/lab, two exam rooms, a recovery area, two offices,
and a covered outdoor breezeway with seating for 17.
Sharing his congratulatory remarks, VI Lieutenant
Governor Tregenza Roach stated, “We are poised to have
a quality healthcare system in the Territory with these
facilities at our disposal that will be critical in addressing
the health needs of the people of the Virgin Islands as
well as the health needs of our neighbors in the
Caribbean who have no facilities that are comparable to
the ones we have here.” He went on to thank President
Hall and others including former Senator Kurt Vialet, who
was instrumental in supporting the School of Nursing
building project and other related UVI initiatives.
Former Senator Kurt Vialet shared his excitement at the
ceremony, applauding the UVI Nursing program for its
rigor and recognizing students for the high pass rate on
the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX).
Nursing student representative Kanicia Hendricks stated,
“As a nursing student, I am truly excited about the
tremendous potential that this new school offers. I
eagerly anticipate the positive impact it will have on our
educational journey and the future of nursing in the
Virgin Islands.”
The project also includes renovation in the adjacent
parking area, new underground utilities, sidewalks, and a
new pedestrian bridge connecting the building to the
adjacent UVI Medical Simulation Center. The building,
designed by Renee M D’Adamo, AIA Architect, LLC and
constructed by DS&R Construction, LLC is expected to
take 18 months to complete for opening in 2025.
The new building will replace six modular buildings
erected in 1997 adjacent to the Melvin Evans Center.
Those buildings will be repurposed to serve other
campus needs.
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