By Lauren Nichole Barrera
Mock car accident in rear parking lot not to be confused with real one.
The nursing and allied health departments will move from Nail Technical Center to the new, untitled building before the beginning of the fall semester.
“I imagine it will be like any other move, lots of packing and excitement,” Chair Stella Lovato said in February.
“We will have professional movers to help all of us move. With a little organization, I think it will make for an easy transition.”
She did not know the exact date the department would move, but she said summer school classes will be scheduled in Nail.
A bond passed in November 2005 approved $450 million for the Alamo Community College District.
This campus was given $79 million to go toward renovations, construction and the new parking garage.
The new building is budgeted at $72 million and will contain appoximately 120,000 square feet.
David Mrizek, vice president of student services, said the new building will have office space for 80 faculty, doubling the current number in the two departments.
The allied health department is made up of three areas — dental laboratory technology, the only civilian accredited program in Texas; dental assisting, one of seven accredited programs in the state; and medical assisting.
The medical assisting program trains students to perform routine administrative and clinical tasks.
Equipment for the new building includes mock patients, or electronic dummies, to be available to students working toward their nursing accreditation.
Mock patients are simulated people which can electronically emulate real patients.
They will be placed under various conditions to give nurses the chance to treat them for an ailment or injury.
Teachers will be able to speak through the simulated beings to students in training and give symptoms of an illness for students to treat.
Mrizek mentioned that the sim people also are able to vomit on command.
Each department will be equipped with its own reception area.
The rear parking lot will not only be reserved for an ambulance, but it will have a mock car accident to give emergency medical service students opportunities to train in simulated situations.
When the fall semester begins, Nail will be renovated and used as a student success center, Mrizek said. It will have space for student development classes.