Mercy College of Health Sciences in Des Moines, Iowa, is conducting a $15 million fundraising campaign to pay for construction of a nursing school facility.
The college says the 24,300-square-foot, two-story Joyce E. Lillis School of Nursing building will replace a 12,000-square-foot building on Mercy College’s campus.
The previous building no longer met the college's needs and was decommissioned in 2018.
The new Joyce E. Lillis School of Nursing will have new skills labs, simulation spaces, and classrooms outfitted with high-fidelity manikins, and cutting-edge technology and equipment.
The college says the $15 million Legacy of Faith Campaign for the Joyce E. Lillis School of Nursing has raised $7.8 million from 298 donors since the Mercy College Board of Directors approved the capital campaign in April 2024.
"We must do everything possible to attract and retain quality students, exceptional faculty, and compassionate graduates to fill the monumental health care shortages facing our state,” says Mercy College of Health Sciences President Adreain Henry.
Iowa Workforce Development job postings consistently indicate over 3,500 openings are for registered nurses, the number one need for skilled labor in the state.
Construction on the new facility is expected to commence in 2026.
