Main content
School of Nursing receives donation toward new home apartment for simulation
Media Contact
Tricia Benson
Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

ATLANTA — An ongoing, collaborative project between the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing and CenterWell Home Health, part of Humana Inc., has led to a donation toward a named space at the new, state-of-the-art Emory Nursing Learning Center (ENLC) in Decatur, Georgia.

The $170,000 gift will create the CenterWell Home Health Home Lab at the ENLC. The lab will resemble a small apartment for students to simulate care in the home. The area also includes conference rooms and work space for faculty.

“Hundreds of undergraduate nursing students will rotate through the Home Lab and gain exposure to the world of home health nursing,” says Tricia Benson, chief engagement officer at the School of Nursing. “The lab will provide a safe, collaborative space for building skills without the risk of patient harm. We are grateful for the support and partnership of CenterWell Home Health.”

Students will work with mannequins in the simulation space while instructors and classmates can observe from a nearby debriefing room. A connected telehealth office will allow students to engage in simulated remote consults — a critical part of home health nursing during pandemics.

The lab will be the largest of its kind in Georgia. 

According to Benson, demand continues to rise for nurses in all specialties, including those equipped to care for an aging population. As the largest home health provider in the country, CenterWell Home Health continues to see the need for health care workers.

“With this lab, students will receive valuable experience to prepare them for practice and perhaps inspire them to start a career in home health,” says Kathy Driscoll, chief nursing officer at Humana. “By getting a better understanding of a patient’s environment and how they live, students will learn the importance of tailoring care around what matters most to the patient to achieve the best possible outcomes. Care in the home provides a deeper understanding of how a variety of factors impact the patient’s life, such as their level of loneliness, access to nutritious food, mental health and other social determinants of health.”

Phase one of the Emory Nurse Learning Center finished last summer, giving the school’s continuing education offerings a new home in downtown Decatur. Additional phases, including the CenterWell Home Health Home Lab, are expected in September 2022.


Recent News