The University of La Verne is one step closer to breaking ground on a dedicated campus for its College of Health and Community Well-Being thanks to a $15 million grant.
AltaMed, a Southern California health-care provider, has pledged the funds to the university to aid in the construction of a state-of-the-art facility for the college, one of five under the ULV umbrella. The college offers undergraduate degrees in nursing, psychology and kinesiology as well as graduate degrees for physician assistants and in public health — all in an effort to increase the number of health-care professionals in the Inland Empire.
The planned building will be located next to the ULV School of Law campus in downtown Ontario, and the two buildings will be adjoined by a bridge. The total construction cost for the new building will be around $44 million, with the project being funded by the AltaMed gift, $14 million from alumni and other donations, and $8.5 million from the state, according to a university representative.
“The AltaMed board’s unanimous support for the university’s college and strategic partnership will help address critical shortages of trained health care professionals while transforming health and well-being throughout Southern California and beyond,” former university president Devorah Lieberman said in a news release. Liberman retired recently after serving 12 years as the university president.
The new facility is also part of ULV’s education and innovation corridor, which offers a gateway for education, workforce development, and support for a historically underserved and under-sourced region, according to the release. The college is part of a trio planned for downtown Ontario that forms a regional hub for ULV.
The AltaMed gift is the largest capital gift in the university’s 132-year history. In recognition of this, the new building will be named after AltaMed CEO and President Cástulo de la Rocha.
“This investment will help train future generations of culturally competent healthcare leaders who can address the root causes of the negative impacts of the social determinants of health and improve health outcomes,” Cástulo de la Rocha said in the same release. “At a time when we are on the precipice of a massive provider shortage, this partnership will work to expand the number of health care providers our state is training exponentially.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be 203,200 openings for nurses each year on average until 2031 due to factors such as individuals moving on to different occupations or entering retirement. The bureau also reported an opening of 14,100 psychology positions on average for the next decade.
Construction of the new facility is expected to begin in early 2024 and conclude in 2025.
