CFCC’s Union Station officially issued an “All aboard!” and opened its doors to health care program students on Aug. 16, the first day of the fall semester. About 937 students attended classes in the new 250,000-square-foot facility. 

Parts of the facility remain under contruction, so only the third and fourth floors are currently open. The fourth floor, which houses the facility’s surgical technology program, boasts two large operating rooms that are similar in size and style to those at Southport’s Dosher Hospital.  In these simulation classrooms, students will practice their skills in protecting the sterile field during operations. 

Union Station’s third floor is home to CFCC’s nursing program. 

Its simulator rooms boast everything CFCC’s health instructors could ask for in the way of equipment, dummy patients and the overall design of the complex.   

“I was amazed at all the things you can program these machines to do,” said Regina McBarron, chair of CFCC’s Health Sciences program, describing the value of the lifelike, computerized dummies. 

In fact, Union Station—designed by LS3P architects and contracted by Shelco Inc.—has specifically been formatted and equipped to provide a realistic experience for healthcare students in their respective programs.  

“The ideal situation would be to run this place like a hospital,” said Amanda Lee, CFCC vice president  of instructional services. “Any service you might come across in a hospital, we plan to fit it in the facility.”  

Lee explained that while LS3P did an excellent job in drafting the facility’s design, the design team was very quick to get the expertise of CFCC’s instructors—since they “know better than anyone” what their respective facilities should look like.   

“When we do our training, we are actually ready for surgery,” said surgical technology lead instructor Denise Gautsch, as she led a tour of the surgi-tech simulation operating rooms. 

Funds to build and equip Union Station came from the 2008 New Hanover County bond referendum. The project required $54.5 million out of the total $164 million raised. 

Health care-related programs are among CFCC’s most popular. This semester, nearly 160 students have enrolled in courses related to the associate degree in nursing; 26 others are in the practical nursing (LPN) program, and 25 are enrolled in the surgi-tech program, said CFCC spokesman David Hardin.

“Our student enrollment is closely tied to trends in the local economy,” said CFCC president Ted Spring, in a statement. 

With the rising demand for health care-related jobs, more Cape Fear students have pursued degrees or certification that qualifies them to enter that market.

Last year, CFCC graduated 45 students from its associate degree nursing program; 24 from its LPN program and five from the surgical technology program. There is a 100 percent employment rate within each program, Hardin said.  

Once students settle in and construction is complete, Lee and other campus officials explained, the goal is to incorporate more programs into Union Station. One program that Lee looks forward to moving into the facility is health care business informatics. 

A professional in this field – “a nice hybrid between business and IT,” according to Lee – is charged with managing computer systems and mandating practices. The program will find a new home in Union Station sometime this fall, she said.

“It’ll be good to move them in this setting,” Lee said. “They’ll be more effective as professionals.” 

In addition to the facility’s accomodations to CFCC’s health care programs, Spring explained that Union Station will serve as a “one-stop shop” for students. It should act as a counterbalance to the rest of CFCC’s scattered downtown campus.   

“It allows for consolidation,” Spring said. 

Union Station’s top floor will house college administration offices and may also be used by the community to hold business conferences, events and seminars.

Spring acknowledged the importance of offering the community access to Union Station.  

“We belong to the community,” he said. “[These] buildings are purchased by the county.”  

Union Station will hold an official grand opening later this fall when construction is complete, Hardin said.