U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen visited the campus of Colby-Sawyer College on Oct. 28 to tour the newly opened Janet Udall Schaefer ’52 Center for Health Sciences. Shaheen was instrumental in directing $1.5 million in federal funding to support the facility’s construction.

The 20,500-square-foot Schaefer Center for Health Studies provides state-of-the-art laboratory and simulation spaces for the college’s undergraduate and graduate programs, which include a Bachelor of Science in nursing, multiple tracks in Master of Science of Nursing programs and a Doctor of Nursing Practice, in addition to bachelor’s completion and post-master’s certificate programs in healthcare. The new space will also allow the college to launch new programs in areas of critical need to address the healthcare workforce issues that exist throughout the state and nation.

At the building’s dedication, held earlier this month, Deputy State Director Chris Scott from Shaheen’s office read a statement the senator had prepared for the occasion.

“The Schaefer Center for Health Sciences will build on Colby-Sawyer's proud legacy of shaping students into dedicated and highly skilled healthcare workers,” Shaheen wrote. “Educating and mentoring our next generation of healthcare professionals is vital to the long-term success of our Granite State, and it brings me great pleasure to know the Schaefer Center will equip our best and brightest to excel in the classroom and in the field.”

Shaheen toured the facility with nursing major Benjamin Bardwell ’27 and members of the college’s Senior Leadership Team and School of Nursing & Health Sciences administration to experience firsthand the building’s modern, four-room simulation center with learning environments to accommodate medical/surgical, pediatric, intensive care and labor and delivery education. She also toured its three medical exam rooms, two anatomy and physiology labs, fully equipped 12-bed skills lab, and nurses' station, which simulates the hospital/clinical environment.

“We are grateful to Senator Shaheen for her ongoing support as we develop academic programs that prepare workers to truly meet the healthcare challenges of today,” Colby-Sawyer Interim President Laura Sykes ’98 said. “Her advocacy has helped make the Schaefer Center a reality that will have a significant impact not only on Colby-Sawyer students, but also on healthcare throughout the region for many years to come.”

As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Shaheen successfully advocated for the inclusion of $62 million to support projects in New Hampshire in the 2022 government funding bill signed into law by President Biden. The $1.5 million allocated toward the Schaefer Center for Health Sciences was part of over $15 million designated to labor and health and human services projects in the Granite State.

The Schaefer Center for Health Studies opened at the start of fall semester and celebrated its official dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 18 as part of the college’s Homecoming and Family Weekend event.