OMAHA—Creighton University has opened its new CL and Rachel Werner Center for Health Sciences Education, named in honor of major donors to the university. As designed by RDG Planning & Design, the new health sciences education center will focus on interprofessional education for the 21st century.

The 145,000-square-foot space is the new home for Creighton’s School of Medicine, which is anticipated to serve nearly 6,000 students each year. RDG’s design emphasizes collaborative focus between health professionals and EMS technicians to work and learn from one another in a single space.  The space also features an interdisciplinary simulation center and group classrooms to serve both synchronous and asynchronous distance learning in addition to in-person instruction.

“The CL and Rachel Werner Center is a beacon of the growth and progress of Creighton’s health sciences enterprise, which teaches a different kind of care—one that is holistic, empathetic and rooted in our Jesuit values,” Creighton President the Rev. Daniel S. Hendrickson, SJ, Ph.D., said of the new building.  “This facility will grow and deepen the connections we are already making with the patients and communities our health sciences alumni serve.”

The Werner Center is the third collaboration between Creighton University and RDG on the heels of work at the School of Dentistry as well as Creighton’s Health Sciences Campus, located in Phoenix.

“Creighton’s continuous investment in the expansion of its medical education facilities and programs positions the university as an unmatched leader in health sciences education,” said RDG Partner and Architect Brian Halsey.  “By designing spaces that support the development of practice-ready healthcare professionals, we’re able to support Creighton’s mission of public health and well-being, both locally and nationally.”

The Werner Center broke ground in early 2021.

RDG operates from offices in Colorado, Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska.

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PHOENIX — Creighton University has reached an agreement on the construction of a new, nearly $100 million health sciences campus at Park Central in midtown Phoenix, a significant expansion of the university’s current presence in the state.

The project will be broken into two phases, with phase one to include a new 200,000-square-foot building that will eventually house nearly 800 Creighton health sciences students in Arizona.

The expansion will include a four-year medical school, nursing school, occupational and physical therapy schools, pharmacy school, physician assistant school and emergency medical services program. A second building adjacent to the first may be added in the future.

The new building will be located along Central Avenue on the Park Central property, on land that is currently a parking lot. Construction on the new building will begin in spring 2019, the first on the Park Central site in decades, and is expected to be completed in spring 2021.

Creighton’s new Phoenix campus will meet the University’s current needs while providing ample room for expansion in the future, and the central Phoenix location makes it convenient for students doing their residencies and other studies at nearby hospitals.

“Creighton University is preparing for an exciting new era in Phoenix, one that combines our tradition for educational excellence in the health sciences with our distinctive Jesuit, Catholic mission,” said the Rev. Daniel S. Hendrickson, SJ, PhD, president of Creighton University. “Creighton University has strong connections to the Arizona medical community, and we look forward to expanding our impact by educating many more exceptionally qualified health care professionals to serve the community moving forward.”

The new Creighton University facility is also a significant boost for the revitalization of Park Central. Sharon Harper, president & CEO of Plaza Companies that is redeveloping Park Central in partnership with Holualoa Companies, said Creighton is an ideal fit for the project.

“The new Park Central will have a focus not only on the creation of world-class office, retail and public spaces, but also on a commitment to health and innovation,” said Harper. “Creighton University’s commitment to innovating in health care education makes it a great partner, and we couldn’t be more pleased to have them join the Park Central family.”

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