Earlier this week, Emporia State University announced plans to move its nursing department from the Cora Miller Building at Newman Regional Health to the currently-vacant Central Morse building.
On KVOE’s ESU Buzz on Thursday, representatives of both the university and hospital discussed what led to the announcement and what happens going forward. Emporia State Vice President of Infrastructure Cory Falldine says the university considered buying Cora Miller from the hospital, but it ultimately decided to move the program instead.
Conversations had been underway for quite some time and crystallized over the last two months.
The plan is to renovate Central Morse, vacant since 2019, to use about 30,000 square feet for that program — about two-thirds of the building’s available space — and also get “space optimization” in adjacent buildings. It’s a roughly $8.5 million capital investment that also includes around $3 million in “cost avoidance” by not adding a new building at ESU and another $4 million worth of deferred maintenance relief on campus.
Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Brent Thomas says this lets the department meet current and future needs.
Thomas says this also will bring nursing students closer to student services, give them more chances to be involved in the university experience and possibly bring more students to the program.
Cora Miller has been used for nursing education since it was constructed in 1971, but both the hospital and the university nursing program are celebrating their centennial anniversaries this year. Hospital CEO Bob Wright says conversations actually began in 2014 when the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said it was ending a Medicare funding stream for the hospital to support the nursing department. Facing that hurdle, the hospital let ESU use Cora Miller at no cost.
With that building likely available by summer 2024, Wright says the hospital is in preliminary, “sticky-note” planning phases for future use of that facility. Business and hospice offices, currently inside the building, are moving to the current CrossWinds administrative offices at 1000 Lincoln once CrossWinds moves to Emporia State’s former Chi Omega building.
The dorm rooms at Cora Miller may be converted into exam rooms. Wright says Newman Regional Health will be flexible and give ESU all the support it needs as the project develops. The current agreement between Newman Regional Health and ESU runs until summer 2024, so Falldine says time is of the essence to finalize plans, gain final approval and move forward.
