ATLANTA (June 29, 2020) -- The demand for nurses of all specialties and levels remains extremely high. In an effort to prepare more students for licensure and offer continuing education to practicing nurses, Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing and Emory Healthcare will add nearly 70,000 square feet of space for teaching in downtown Decatur, Ga. The school will redesign portions of four floors at 250 Ponce (250 E. Ponce de Leon Ave.) with special attention paid to simulation, innovation, and team building.

The Emory Nursing Learning Center will act as a hub for students and Emory Healthcare nurses. The school anticipates enrollment of 1,400 by 2025, making the extra room vital for developing skills and practicing procedures. The new Simulation and Skills Lab at the center will include mock hospital settings with state-of-the art equipment. When finished, it will be the largest simulation center in Metro Atlanta.

“Learning is lifelong, and nowhere is that more evident than in the nursing profession,” said Jon Lewin, executive vice president for health affairs at Emory University and president and CEO of Emory Healthcare. “Both our nursing students and our Emory Healthcare nurses will benefit greatly from the simulation experiences and training conducted in this outstanding space.”

Students in multiple degree programs and class offerings use simulation to learn and sharpen skills. Such spaces include human patient simulator manikins and can be made to resemble hospital or clinic rooms that offer a variety of options to learn and practice.

“Building and maintaining the learning center is a service to the community,” said Linda McCauley, dean of the nursing school. “We can train more nurses that, in turn, can go out and address health care needs and disparities. The COVID-19 pandemic shows everyone the value of nurse education and practice. I’m very excited to see this cutting-edge facility take shape and expand our services beyond campus and traditional sites.”

250 Ponce, owned and operated by The Dilweg Companies, will also serve as the home of Emory Nursing Experience (ENE), which provides continuing education opportunities to nurses in person and online. Five classrooms will complement the Simulation and Skills Lab. A recording studio will support distance education.

Design-build firm The Beck Group will renovate the space in a multi-phase process. Scotland Wright Associates represented the school in the lease negotiation.

“The Beck Group is excited to be partnering with Emory Nursing on this important project,” said Ben Bard, regional director for Beck’s Atlanta office. “During these past few months, we have all seen the significant role health care professionals play in keeping our community safe. Our team understands the important role this facility will play in training the next generation of nurses.”

The Beck Group is the largest integrated design-build firm in Metro Atlanta and specializes in adaptive-reuse projects. Beck recently completed several notable projects in the area, including The Hub at Peachtree Center and The Candler Hotel. Current projects include the Phipps Plaza Mixed-Use Transformation in Buckhead.

The nursing school anticipates opening ENE offices and teaching space May 2021. The project is scheduled to finish by February 2022.

About the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Emory University's Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing produces nurse leaders who are transforming healthcare through science, education, practice, and policy. Graduates go on to become national and international leaders in patient care, public health, government, research, and education. The school also offers degree programs leading to certification as nurse practitioners and nurse-midwives. Graduates of the school's doctor of nurse practice (DNP) program may go on to become nurse anesthetist and/or advanced leaders in health care administration. The school also maintains a PhD program in partnership with Emory's Laney Graduate School. The school is a national leader in research funding and currently employs more than 120 full-time faculty members. Annual student enrollment is more than 1,000 across programs. For more information, visit nursing.emory.edu.

Emory Nursing Experience (ENE) is on the cutting edge of nursing continuing education. As part of the Emory School of Nursing, ENE’s world-class faculty have created evidence-based coursework that is designed to further a nurse’s career and present new opportunities for growth. Through innovative and easy-to-use technology, nurses can not only fulfill their CE requirements but coordinate education to fit their needs in a stress-free environment. To learn more about ENE, visit nursing.emory.edu/enpdc. 

About Emory Healthcare

Emory Healthcare, with more than 24,000 employees and 11 hospitals, is the most comprehensive academic health system in Georgia, with $4.4 billion in annual net revenue. System-wide, it has 2,691 licensed patient beds, more than 2,800 physicians practicing in more than 70 specialties, serving metro Atlanta with 250 locations. It is the only health system in Georgia with four Magnet-designated hospitals for nursing excellence: Emory Saint Joseph's Hospital, Emory University Hospital, Emory Johns Creek Hospital and Emory University Orthopaedics & Spine Hospital. Emory Healthcare's mission is to improve the health of individuals and communities at home and throughout the world. For more information, visit emoryhealthcare.org.

About The Beck Group

Founded in 1912, The Beck Group is a collaborative team of designers, builders and technology experts, offering planning, architecture, interior design, construction, sustainability and technology consulting services. By integrating architecture and construction, Beck provides a unique approach to projects that transforms the way organizations design and build. With more than 900 employees in Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Dallas, Denver, Fort Worth, Mexico City and Tampa, Beck’s pioneering use of mainstream and emerging technologies provides clients with solutions at every stage of their projects. The Beck Group is the largest integrated design-build firm in Metro Atlanta and specializes in adaptive-reuse projects. Beck recently completed several notable projects in the area, including The Hub at Peachtree Center and The Candler Hotel. Current projects include the Phipps Plaza Mixed-Use Transformation in Buckhead. For more information, visit beckgroup.com.

About The Dilweg Companies

The Dilweg Companies (TDC) is a vertically-integrated real estate owner-operator founded in 1999 by Anthony Dilweg. TDC manages a portfolio of primarily commercial office assets valued at $1.1 billion including 24 assets with a total of 5.7 million square feet. Headquartered in Raleigh-Durham, TDC utilizes a strategic, middle-market investment strategy to deliver long-term value to investors and tenants across the rapidly-growing Southeastern United States. For more information, please call (919) 402-9100 or visit www.dilweg.com.