PIKEVILLE, Ky. — Ground breaking ceremonies were held recently at Pikeville College to celebrate the construction of a nine-story educational facility, expanded clinical skills center and cafeteria/commons scheduled to be completed in March 2012.
The facility has a projected cost of $25 million, with ancillary costs elevating the project to about $30 million. Pikeville College initiated a capital construction campaign last fall and anticipates receiving $8 million to $10 million in gifts, grants and corporate support for the project. In late September, the USDA Rural Development Administration announced that the college was selected to receive a $ 26.5 million loan to construct the new building.
Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear also announced a $500,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission that he helped secure to offset the new facilities and construction costs.
The new medical tower will be located on a hillside and will include two lecture halls, a gross anatomy lab, two research labs, offices, small group classrooms and student study space, according to reports.
A clinical skills training and evaluation center that will house 12 specially-equipped examination rooms will be within the building and serve as training and testing centers for students in programs using standardized patients and high-fidelity robotic patient stimulators.
The Appalachian region of Kentucky where Pikeville is situated has been referred to as being “Doctor sparse” by Rep. Harold Rogers (D-Somerset). The Pikesville College School of Medicine is preparing and encouraging students to enter primary care practices and to locate those practices in such rural areas as eastern Kentucky.