This artist's rendering shows the plan for the new Victor K. Phillips Nursing and Allied Health Building at Butler County Community College.

BUTLER TWP — Butler County Community College is starting construction on a 25,000-square-foot facility that will feature a hospital-like setting, with state-of-the art skills labs, simulation labs, classrooms and a lecture hall.

The Victor K. Phillips Nursing and Allied Health Building is a $9 million project that has been years in the making, and seeing the construction process finally begin at a ceremony Wednesday made Janice Phillips Larrick excited about the future.

Phillips Larrick is a former nurse at Butler Memorial Hospital whose Janice Phillips Larrick Charitable Trust contributed $1 million to the project, and she was praised by the BC3 administrators at Wednesday's groundbreaking ceremony.“It's exciting, it's promising, it's love,” Phillips Larrick said after the ceremony. “It should be a reflection of the students and a place to learn.”The new facility is part of an $18 million south campus expansion project. The Victor K. Phillips Nursing and Allied Health Building could open by 2023, according to a news release from BC3.

In addition to the college administrators who spoke at the ceremony, a current student and a graduate of the Shaffer School of Nursing and Allied Health spoke about what a difference the new facility will make on education. The simulated workplace will be one of its game-changing elements.“This building will serve as a pathway to exponentially increase the number of nurses,” said Veda Reiser, a current student in the school of nursing. “I am so excited to see the even greater success this building will bring to our nursing program.”Ian Miller, a graduate of the school of nursing, said the new building will give not only the students, but also the staff the best environment for health care education. Jessica Lasanich, an instructor in the school of nursing, also said the new facility will be an asset to both students and faculty.Patty Annear, dean of the Shaffer School of Nursing and Allied Health, said the new facility will be a good space for students in different programs in the school of nursing and allied health to learn alongside one another in one place.

The Shaffer School of Nursing and Allied Health includes associate degree programs in health care science; medical assistant; nursing, R.N.; physical therapist assistant; and a technical trades-massage therapy management option. The school also includes workplace certificate or certificate programs in massage therapy, medical assistant, medical coding and billing specialist.“The classrooms and labs will be state-of-the-art spaces in which our students and faculty will collaborate,” Annear said.Phillips Larrick's son, Gordon Phillips, spoke at the ceremony about his mother's work as a nurse when she would sing songs to the people in her care. He said her love for the community never stopped driving her to give back to it.

Before the group in attendance ceremoniously tossed dirt in front of the construction site, BC3 president Nick Neupauer praised the donors and contributors to the project, and said the creation of the new building pushes the abilities of BC3 even further.“The most satisfying part of the day is this is another giant step forward in completing a promise that I made to each of you,” Neupauer said. “That is the building of this state-of-the-art facility.”

Butler County Community College president Nick Neupauer, left, nursing program graduate Ian Miller, current nursing student Veda Reiser, instructor Jessica Lasanich and Shaffer School of Nursing dean Dr. Patty Annear shovel dirt Wednesday at a ceremonial groundbreaking for the new Victor K. Phillips Nursing and Allied Health Building.Seb Foltz/Butler Eagle

Butler County Community College’s Shaffer School of Nursing and Allied Health dean Dr. Patty Annear speaks at the groundbreaking for the school’s Victor K. Phillips Nursing and Allied Health Building on Wednesday.Seb Foltz/Butler Eagle

Butler County Community College president Nick Neupauer speaks at the ground breaking for the school’s new Victor K. Phillips Nursing and Allied Health Building Wednesday. Seb Foltz/Butler Eagle 10/20/21