Central Florida’s $20 Million Nursing Center Breaks Ground

• At the Ocala, FL campus of the College of Central Florida, a new $20 million nursing center broke ground with an expected completion in November of 2024. 
• Expansions of the College of Central’s Florida nursing program is part of the state’s strategy to expand the nursing workforce in preparation for the shortage of 59,000 nurses projected by 2035. 
• The funding for this new nursing center was raised in addition to the $6.7 million in state grants gifted to the College of Central Florida, which will be put towards scholarships, recruiting faculty, and other advancements. 

Central Florida is often in the news because of its world-class amusement parks and equestrian centers, but now the College of Central Florida is making headlines with its new $20 million Nursing Center.

The $20 million nursing center broke ground in September at the College of Central Florida’s campus in Ocala, FL. Ocala has a population of nearly 65,000 residents and is struggling to care for patients as the nursing shortage continues.

This state-of-the-art nursing center will allow the College of Central Florida to admit more students to its nursing program, who will then go on to serve their community and help aide nurses already in the industry.

CF’s Center for Nursing

The new center for nursing is expected to be 42,500 sq ft split across a three-building complex. It will include six classrooms, one technical lab, three skill labs, and six simulated exam rooms. The center is expected to finish construction in November of 2024.

With this new facility, the College of Central Florida expects to grow its nursing program of 325 students across both associate’s and bachelor’s degree programs. These nurses are expected to continue serving patients in central Florida, with the President of CF stating “75% of our graduates stay in our community.”

The College of Central Florida also hopes to draw students with its affordability. CF’s nursing program is reported to have the sixth lowest cost in the nation. The program offers several pathways, including associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees, and certifications for scientific workplace preparation.

Florida’s Nursing Population

Nursing programs like the one at the College of Central Florida are vital as the state is already experiencing critical staffing shortages in 70% of its hospitals. While burnout pushes existing nurses out of the profession, nursing programs are meant to bring new life to the industry.

The synergy between academic programs and hospitals will only be more critical as time goes on. Florida is expected to face a continued shortage of 59,000 nurses within the next 12 years, placing it in the top five most severe projected shortages.

Advent Health, a Florida-based healthcare system employing 80,000 people across its nine operating states, is looking to hire an additional 8,200 nurses by the end of this year. Nurses from CF’s nursing program will help fill the staffing needs at Advent Health and HCA Florida Ocala Hospital.

Funding and Expansion

In May of 2022, the College of Central Florida received $17 million from the state and Citrus County Hospital District to expand its nursing program. They also received funds from the Marion County Commission and Marion County Hospital District, the country in which this new facility will be located in.

The College of Central Florida received the greatest share of funding from the state’s “Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE)” grant across the 26 schools that applied. Dr. Stephanie Cortes, the Associate Vice President of Health Sciences, confirmed that the university did receive $6.7 million from this grant, but the funds were not put toward the new nursing center.

Funds from the LINE grant will instead be put towards scholarships, recruiting faculty, and other advancements outside of the new nursing facility.

These grants and gifts are largely a part of the govenor’s $80 million funding for public nursing education at Florida colleges. Not only does this funding help expand nursing programs, the publicity also draws new nurses to the field. One nursing student, Kerry Ritrievi, joined the program after 35 years of being out of school, stating, “The need is there — I like to help people so that was another, you know, big factor in me giving this a shot.”

The Bottom Line

Students like Kerry are the future of nursing, showcasing that bringing attention to the nursing shortage helps bring people to the field. This, combined with expanding programs like the one at the College of Central Florida, creates hope for the future of the state’s patients.

Students will begin utilizing this $20 Million Nursing Center as early as January of 2025 and be able to take advantage of the state’s investment in the future of nursing. 

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