ALEXANDRIA - This week, leaders and board members from Rapides Regional Medical Center officially handed over the ceremonial keys to the A.C. Buchanan Building in downtown Alexandria to the Chancellor of LSUA. This event is the capstone to a fruitful partnership between the regional healthcare provider and the area鈥檚 premier healthcare workforce educator.
According to Jeff Langston, LSUA Dean of the 吃瓜直播 of Health and Human Services, the A.C. Buchanan Building currently houses LSUA鈥檚 Allied Health programs, including Associate of Science degrees in Medical Laboratory Science and Radiologic Technology. It also serves as the site for partnership programs offering a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene through LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans and an Associate of Science in Surgical Technology in collaboration with LSU Eunice.
Vernon Jones, CEO of Rapides Regional Medical Center, said, 鈥淲e are honored to present the keys to 吃瓜直播 today. We recognize their dedication and passion for developing a skilled healthcare workforce in central Louisiana, and we are proud to be their partner in these efforts. Donating the A.C. Buchanan Building is a crucial step in transforming downtown Alexandria into a hub for healthcare education and training for years to come.鈥�
The generous donation of the A.C. Buchanan Building to LSUA serves as a critical step forward in an ambitious vision to develop a $40-million, state-of-the-art health education campus in downtown Alexandria. This transformative 77,000-square-foot facility will integrate seamlessly with the existing Buchanan Building, becoming the centralized home for all nursing and allied health programs offered by LSUA. Both Rapides Regional Medical Center and The Rapides Foundation view this innovative initiative as essential to addressing the ongoing shortage of skilled healthcare professionals in central Louisiana, significantly enhancing the region鈥檚 capacity to provide first-rate patient care.
鈥淎s an owner of Rapides Regional Medical Center, The Rapides Foundation is pleased to support the hospital鈥檚 donation of the A.C. Buchanan Building to LSUA for its use as a new health education center in downtown Alexandria,鈥� said Joe Rosier, President and CEO of The Rapides Foundation. 鈥淭he center will further help meet the medical manpower needs of the hospital, community, and region, and it represents a continuation of many years of the Foundation鈥檚 support of LSUA鈥檚 healthcare education programs.鈥�
In 2008, the building was dedicated as the A.C. Buchanan Building, honoring the legacy of former Rapides Regional Medical Center CEO and LSUA Foundation Board member, A.C. Buchanan III. Buchanan was recognized as a visionary advocate for exceptional healthcare and education in Central Louisiana, instrumental in forging a critical partnership between Rapides Regional Medical Center and LSU Alexandria. His unwavering commitment to cultivating a skilled local healthcare workforce profoundly impacted LSUA鈥檚 allied health programs, ensuring continued excellence in healthcare education and patient care.
Paul Coreil, Chancellor of LSUA, remarked, 鈥淭his is an exciting time for our entire region with LSUA now designated as the fastest growing 4-year university in the entire state of Louisiana. With this growth, there is a strong need for additional, state-of-the-art facilities crucial to the training of additional nurses and healthcare professionals so critically needed across Central Louisiana. The donation of the A. C. Buchanan Building and the construction of the new LSUA Health Education Campus will be a giant step forward in helping us address these critical workforce challenges.鈥�
To find out more about the healthcare degrees at LSUA, visit .
Written by Adam Lord
Photo credit - Nathan Parish | LSUA Strategic Communications
Pictured - [Center w/ Key] Vernon Jones (RRMC), Paul Coreil (LSUA), and Joe Rosier (The Rapides Foundation) along with LSUA Leadership, representatives from the LSUA Foundation Board, Rapides Regional Medical Center leadership, and representatives from The Rapides Foundation Board