Governor Kathy Hochul announced a $62 million investment to establish nursing simulation centers across three SUNY campuses. The goal is to strengthen New York’s healthcare workforce and expand training opportunities for future nurses.
The investment includes $35 million in SUNY capital awards, with the remaining funds matched by campuses.
New simulation centers at Buffalo, Canton, and Stony Brook
Three SUNY schools will host the new centers:
- University at Buffalo will serve as the SUNY System-Wide Nursing Simulation Center of Excellence. It will act as a hub for simulation-based education and innovation.
- SUNY Canton and Stony Brook University will become Regional Nursing Simulation Centers, helping students in the North Country and Long Island.
“These centers will prepare the nurses of tomorrow with cutting-edge tools and high-quality clinical training,” Hochul said. “When we invest in healthcare education, we invest in the health and future of every New Yorker.”
Moreover, officials expect the centers to dramatically expand enrollment and training capacity across the state.
Boosting nursing enrollment statewide
The new centers will focus on training in critical practice areas like labor and delivery, high-acuity care, and community health. As a result, each campus has pledged major growth in nursing programs:
- University at Buffalo projects a 34% increase in prelicensure nursing enrollment within the first year. Over the next decade, it expects a 67% increase.
- SUNY Canton will see major growth across all levels, including a 192% increase at the baccalaureate level within five years.
- Stony Brook University anticipates a 19% rise in the first year and a 27% increase after five years.
Because clinical placement opportunities are often limited, the centers will allow students to complete up to one-third of their required clinical training through high-quality simulations.
Part of a broader healthcare workforce strategy
Governor Hochul’s new investment builds on her larger goal to grow New York’s healthcare workforce by 20%. It complements scholarships for nursing students, free associate degree programs, and partnerships with employers to expand healthcare education access.
In addition, SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. praised the effort, calling it “a transformative step toward addressing New York’s healthcare workforce shortage.”
SUNY leaders emphasized that the centers will modernize nurse training while expanding education to rural and underserved regions through simulcast technology.
A strong future for New York nursing
The simulation centers are expected to add hundreds of new nursing students annually. By modernizing training and expanding enrollment, SUNY aims to ensure New York communities have the skilled nurses they need.
Looking ahead, SUNY plans to announce a new System-Wide Nursing Simulation Center focused on faculty training and professional development in simulation education.nd professional development in nursing simulation.
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