“As we continue to navigate the impacts of a global pandemic, the importance of a well-prepared health care workforce is critical. Our graduates will be entering the halls of hospitals, clinics, doctors offices and other healthcare facilities and must be prepared for new challenges and opportunities,” HCC President Shelley White said.

The Haywood Healthcare Foundation is funding $5.8 million of the price tag. County Commissioner Kevin Ensley said a legacy put in motion 100 years ago is now coming full circle, walking back through the chain of forward-thinking investments that paved the way for HHF’s backing of the project.

That chain went something like this: Haywood County rallied to build a county hospital back in the 1920s ... that, in turn, led to the construction of Haywood Regional Medical Center in the 1970s ... which netted a tidy profit when bought out by Duke LifePoint in the 2010s … That led to the trust fund managed by Haywood Healthcare Foundation on behalf of the county ... Today, the fund is helping to pay for the health sciences building.

“We are almost paying it forward, if you will, by using the proceeds to educate the young people for jobs in the medical field,” Ensley said.

Every speaker at the groundbreaking thanked the Haywood Healthcare Foundation for its role.

“Your partnership is an incredible example of how a community can work together to tackle challenging workforce issues, grow educational opportunities and improve the lives of our citizens,” White said.

The project is a natural fit for the mission of HHF to improve the health and well-being of Haywood County residents.

Anthony Sutton, chairman of the HHF board, said the Health Sciences building will literally “improve healthcare for every Haywood County resident” by educating those who work in the field.

Given the national shortage of nurses and healthcare workers, cultivating the next generation of healthcare workers locally is a win-win.

“Students will be able to be educated in the community, work in the community and remain in the community,” Sutton said.

Along that vein, the Health Sciences building is also playing an economic development role.

“We are creating good, high-paying jobs for our young people to be able to stay in Haywood County,” said Ensley, adding the growing healthcare sector is nearly recession-proof.

The Health Sciences building will be used by numerous disciplines across campus aside from healthcare. The science labs in the new building are a sorely needed upgrade over the out-dated and cramped labs HCC currently has.

There also will be a 90-person lecture hall. HCC currently has no mid-sized instruction space between a giant auditorium and standard-sized classrooms.

The building will be finished in time for the fall 2022 semester.