Western Wyoming Community College is set to break ground on a new Health Science wing next Thursday, May 10. The ceremony will take place from 3 to 4 p.m. at the edge of the west parking lot adjacent to Gateway Boulevard. The new wing, which will span over 10,000 square feet on the west side of the school, is estimated to cost $11.1 million and is scheduled for completion by August 2026.
The funding for the new wing includes a combination of state, college, and grant dollars. In January 2023, Western received a $3 million grant from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) under the Assistance to Coal Communities (ACC) initiative to help diversify the economy of Southwest Wyoming by enhancing the region’s healthcare workforce. The grant was awarded in response to the growth of Western’s nursing program from just 24 students per year in 2008 to 40 in 2017 without additional space. A Level II study conducted in 2020 revealed that new dedicated space was needed for health science curriculum at Western.
Heidi Brown, Chair of Health Sciences and Director of Nursing at Western, spoke about how important it is for institutions like theirs to expand physical resources in order to meet the demands of healthcare education. The new wing will accommodate approximately 80 nursing students, as well as around
