KEARNEY – Health-care education and access for central and western Nebraska took a giant step forward on Friday when ground was broken at a ceremony for a new University of Nebraska project: The Health Science Education Complex at University of Nebraska at Kearney.

The collaboration between University of Nebraska Medical Center and UNK will take the physical form of a $19 million building at the corner of Highway 30 and University Drive on the west edge of UNK’s campus, and comes after more than two years of discussion and planning, development of programs and fundraising.

The complex will open in June 2015.

The vision of UNK and UNMC is to build a nationally recognized learning and research environment that promotes education in rural primary care, generates scientific discoveries and new knowledge about rural health, and enhances strategies to promote high-quality primary care in rural communities by creating academic and community partnerships around rural health problems and opportunities.

Some facts about the Health Science Education Complex:

• 50,000 square feet
• 7 programs: nursing and graduate nursing (expanded from current), physician assistants, physical therapy, clinical laboratory science, medical nutrition, radiography, diagnostic medical sonography (allied health professions)
• Projected additional full-time personnel: 25
• Total full-time personnel: 46
• Annual economic impact: $30.5 million (study by UNO Center for Public Affairs Research)
• Numbers
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  of students in Nursing: 172 (includes 132 new/additional students)

• Numbers of students in Allied Health Professions: 132 (all new/additional)
• Total students in undergraduate and graduate programs: 300
• Number of classrooms: 7
• Number of laboratories: 5 (anatomy, rehabilitation, musculoskeletal, assessment, task training)
• Number of simulation areas: 14 (4 clinical exam rooms, 4 control rooms, 3 simulation rooms, changing room, debriefing, energized radiography)