University of Maine at Augusta Set to Open New Nursing Center

I'm not sure how many people realize this, but as a guy who has a gazillion nurses in his family, I can tell you with complete certainty (stats back this up), that Maine has a wicked shortage of nurses.

But, just how much of a shortage in the field is the Pine Tree State Facing?

Well, according to WGME 13, by the decade's end, Maine will be short nearly 3,000 qualified nurses. And that's a lot.

One Maine school, with the help of recently approved grants, is looking to help cushion that number in the next few years.

According to the news station, the University of Maine at Augusta is expanding its nursing and cybersecurity programs into a new building: the former Purdue University building at the Marketplace at Augusta.

And, for those of us old enough to remember, that location was a Staples office supply store for many, many years before that. Staples has since moved to the Augusta Crossing Mall on the other side of town.

But, how does the UMaine system plan to pay for this drastic expansion?

According to WGME, most of the funds have been provided through recently approved grants.

WGME said in part that the funding is primarily coming from,

$4.5 million in Fiscal Year 2024 Congressionally Directed Spending secured for UMA at the request of the University of Maine System by U.S. Sens. Susan Collins, vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Angus King.

$2.65 million allocated to UMA from $4.5 million in FY23 CDS secured for UMS for nursing simulation expansion and enhancements across the System by Collins and King.

In addition to federal and state funding, the Maine General Health System has contributed more than $480,000 to bolster the expansion, according to WGME.

The new nursing facility will feature a critical care room, a medical-surgical room and even a state-of-the-art labor and delivery room, the news station added.

WGME reported that university officials say the plan is to open the new center by August 2025.