By Jasmine Dent

Correspondent
After several bumps on the road to operation Emory & Henrys School of Health
Sciences is scheduled to begin classes in the fall and plans for expansion and
renovation are now underway.
E&H announced last week that work to transform the former Smyth County
Community Hospital building into a state-of-the-art health education center had
begun.
Were very excited about this reconstruction project, said Lou Fincher, Dean of
School of Health Sciences. Reconstruction is critical and the timing is perfect for
bringing the other programs on line.
The reconstruction will be carried out in stages, Fincher explained. The first step
contractors will take will be asbestos abatement and roof replacement. This step is
projected to be complete by early July, by which time contractors will begin the
process of selective demolition. New construction is then expected to begin by
September or October with the targeted completion date set for June 2016.
Fincher said the School is already in the process of seeking accreditation for
Occupational Therapy and Physician Assistant programs, which are projected to
begin August 2016 and August 2017 respectively.
In addition to the programs of study, the school also plans to offer community
outreach programs for Falls Prevention and Obesity.
E&H Vice President for Academic Affairs Dave Haney explained that the School of
Health Sciences is in essence an extension of the colleges mission to serve the
community.
Emory & Henry College was founded in order to serve the population of Southwest
Virginia, to serve its needs, Haney said. Healthcare and healthcare education is a
huge need in this area.
Both Haney and Fincher noted that obesity is a growing problem in Southern
Appalachia, and with the longevity of the average person increasing, they said the
chances of the elderly experiencing injury from a fall also increase.
With that kind of need Fincher believes these two outreach programs will be of great
benefit to students and community members alike.
These two centers I am very excited about, Fincher said. Not only does it provide
valuable services to the community, but it also provides a rich experience for the
students.

Fincher said in offering these services, she sees it as a way to repay the community
for the support it has given the school.
We want to be able to give back to the community and have an impact on
healthcare, she said. These programs help with that mission.
Assessments and intervention for these programs will be free of charge to
community members, Fincher said.
The Obesity and the Falls Prevention Research Centers will be located in the former
Emergency Room area of the facility. Fincher said she believes the former ER is the
ideal location for the centers as many of those seeking treatment will have difficulty
making their way through the building. Being able to walk straight into the centers
will make the process that much easier for the patients, she explained.
To head the Obesity Research Center E&H hired Dr. Ted Angelopoulos, an
internationally-known obesity research expert. E&H also hired a search firm to help
find the most suitable candidates to head the Falls Prevention Center and the
Occupational Therapy program.
In addition to the outreach programs, Fincher said community members will also
have access to a large lecture hall that will seat over 200 people. This area can be
booked for events such as public meetings and continuing education for local
healthcare providers, she said.
Also included in the $20 million renovation is the addition of an innovative skills lab
in which students will take part in simulated patient cases. Fincher said instructors
will control a mannequin in which vital signs can be manipulated to simulate
different health-related scenarios.
You can create a real-world scenario, a potentially emergency scenario, that
students can learn from, but if they dont pick up on the symptoms, theyre not
really hurting anyone. We just have to reboot, Fincher explained.
Fincher believes opportunities abound for both students and the community.
This is a huge milestone for the college, but I think it will have a huge impact on
the economic development in Marion as well, she said.
Fincher explained that the students will shop in local stores, eat at local restaurants,
and pay local taxes.
Fincher believes a need for housing will also help drive Marions economy.
As graduate students, many of the students will be married and have children, so
traditional college housing would not be suitable for them, she explained.

It is for this reason, Fincher said, that E&H decided not to include on-campus
housing in their renovation plans.
Fincher said E&H is working closely with community members and town officials to
help meet the housing need.
If all goes as planned, the first phase of reconstruction will be completed June 2016,
just in time for Occupational Therapy classes to begin the following August. The
Obesity and Falls Prevention centers are also scheduled to open at that time.