BATON ROUGE — Baton Rouge Community College opened its new $35 million nursing and allied health facility on its main campus on Wednesday.

The BRCC Our Lady of the Lake Health Nursing and Allied Health Building features new labs, simulated hospital and surgical rooms, a home-health-care training space, high-fidelity mannequins that simulate real patients and a student fitness center. 

With the opening of the new building, the school will add several new programs to its Division of Nursing and Allied Health, including:
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Respiratory care
- Athletic training 

“BRCC is one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the nation, and our healthcare programs are among our largest and most in-demand,” BRCC Chancellor Willie E. Smith Sr. said. “To meet the needs of our students and regional employers, we needed a new, modern facility. The technology in this building will help make our graduates some of the most prepared in the state and country, and will allow us to better serve the healthcare workforce in our area."

At 93,000 square feet, the building has the capacity for 1,500 students.