Published on December 10, 2025 11:04 am
Last Updated on December 10, 2025 11:06 am
Olney Central College, the Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB), and local and state officials will celebrate the completion of the new Health Professions Center with an Open House and Dedication Ceremony on Thursday.
The public is invited to explore the 8,500-square-foot addition to Dr. Kent L. Wattleworth Hall from 3 to 7 p.m., with a formal dedication ceremony at 4 p.m.
Funded through the Rebuild Illinois capital program, the $3.5 million investment will benefit healthcare education and workforce readiness. The Health Professions Center includes two new classrooms, a six-bed nursing skills lab, two nursing simulation labs with an observation area, and a new radiography classroom and lab. The facility also offers a conference room, faculty offices, and a student commons area to support collaborative learning.
“Olney Central College’s new Health Professions Center will be a regional hub for Illinois’ future healthcare professionals — a place where they can learn, grow, and thrive through hands-on education,”said Governor JB Pritzker. “Thanks to Rebuild Illinois, we’re making transformative investments in community colleges across the state, empowering Illinoisans to reach their full potential and bring their skills to our unmatched workforce.”
“The Health Professions Center will be used to help train the next generation of healthcare workers in our region,” said Dr. Alani Frederick, Dean of Health Professions at Illinois Eastern Community Colleges. “This building represents the commitment from IECC to ensure a student-focused education.”
“With the new simulation center, all IECC Nursing students will have the opportunity to work through real world scenarios and practice high risk, low volume events such as a cardiac arrest and postpartum hemorrhage,” Frederick emphasized. “The Nursing Skills Lab will feature flexible space which will reinforce IECC Nursing’s commitment to active learning and allowing a safe and realistic learning environment. Our Radiography Program will have access to an energized lab, the first in IECC history. This space will allow students to practice projections in a controlled environment, ensuring that they are safe clinicians and are ready to make the most of their clinical experiences.”
Managed by the Illinois Capital Development Board, this project is the most extensive renovation to OCC’s main building since its opening in 1974. Shores Builders, the general contractor, delivered the new Health Professions Center three months ahead of schedule and within the project budget. The scope of work involved constructing a 7,820-square-foot single-story building addition and renovating 1,900 square feet of existing space within Wattleworth Hall.
