The Salina campus of the KU Schools of Medicine and Nursing moved into a new home with the June 2018 opening of the Salina Health Education Center. The downtown building, purchased by the Salina Regional Health Foundation and renovated entirely with private contributions, provides the same kinds of cutting-edge technology found in the Health Education Building in Kansas City, Kan.

The KU School of Nursing established a presence at the Salina campus to attract and educate nurses who are interested in practicing in rural Kansas communities.

An inaugural class of nine students is scheduled to graduate this spring. Class sizes are expected to grow to 18 students in 2019, 24 students in 2020, and by year five, the campus will have reached its capacity of 48 students.

“We have a very unique opportunity to be in the same learning environment with the School of Medicine,” said Lisa Larson, assistant dean of academic affairs, KU School of Nursing-Salina. “We have more sophisticated technology in this building where we can create more realistic learning scenarios for our students.”

The modern environment facilitates interprofessional learning and offers simulation technology, clinical and anatomy labs, and flexible learning spaces. Both schools follow the same curricula as their counterparts on the Kansas City campus, and instruction is enriched by ample clinical experiences at the Salina Regional Health Center and other community-based sites.

Students witness the exceptional care being delivered in rural Kansas and see the quality of life afforded by living in these communities. University leaders believe this approach to health education can serve as a model for the nation.