FAIRFIELD — Sacred Heart University recently celebrated the expansion of its Center for Healthcare Education (CHE), which includes new multi-purpose classrooms and labs that will prepare students high-impact training in nursing and the health professions.
Faculty, staff, students and community members gathered at the CHE facility at 4000 Park Avenue in Bridgeport to see the transformative expansion.
SHU President John J. Petillo emphasized the university’s strategic vision for shaping the future health care workforce.
“This expansion reflects our unwavering commitment to preparing the next generation of health care professionals,” Petillo said. “By investing in innovative learning environments and expanding access to high-quality programs, we are strengthening both our institution and the communities we serve.”
Originally constructed in 2017, the state-of-the-art CHE facility was designed to provide hands-on learning experiences for students in SHU’s College of Health Professions (CHP) and the Dr. Susan L. Davis, RN, & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing.
The newly completed expansion adds approximately 60,000 square feet of advanced academic and student-centered space, enhancing SHU’s capacity to train highly skilled clinicians and support interdisciplinary collaboration. The expansion includes a range of modern learning environments designed to reflect real-world health care settings and support student success including:
- Multiple multi-purpose classrooms ranging in capacity from 30 to 90 students
- 24 new faculty and staff offices
- Two additional bedside skills labs
- Three simulation labs with control rooms for immersive clinical training
- Flexible student spaces, including breakout rooms, soft seating lounges and study areas
“This expansion represents a major milestone for our programs,” said Karen Daley, DHCON dean.
The enhanced facility also features expanded simulation capabilities, 10 new classrooms and significantly increased study space for students. Additional infrastructure improvements include a new parking garage.
“The expansion of the Center for Healthcare Education reflects our commitment to meeting the growing demand for highly skilled health care professionals,” said Karl Minges, dean of the CHP. “These new spaces allow us to expand our programs, foster collaboration across disciplines, and provide students with the immersive, high-quality training they need to succeed. This is not just a building expansion; it’s an investment in the future of health care.”
In May, the associate degree in nursing program will transition into the new annex, followed by the radiography and health science programs.
“We now have several exciting new programs in development, with proposals moving through the approval process,” Daley said. “This expansion positions us to continue growing in ways that directly respond to the needs of our community and the health care workforce.”
Senior nursing student Cameron Ottaviani shared his excitement over the CHE expansion.
“This building reinforces every bit of pride that I have to go through this wonderful program and to be a Sacred Heart Pioneer,” he said. “Additions like this are the reason why SHU is such a marvelous school, and there is absolutely nowhere else in this world that I would have rather gone for a college degree.”
