Photo caption – From left: Danny Davis, vice president for administration and finance; N.C. Senator Buck Newton; Eric Sellers, Chair of the Barton College Board of Trustees, Barton student Karla Trejo Lopez; Rhine Sharp, Barton trustee; Dr. Sheri Browning, assistant professor of psychology in the School of Health Sciences; Dr. Douglas N. Searcy, Barton College president; N.C. Representative Ken Fontenot; and Kelly Taranto, vice president for institutional advancement.
WILSON, N.C. — March 27, 2024 — North Carolina Senator Buck Newton and North Carolina Representative Ken Fontenot visited Barton College on Friday, March 22, to celebrate the development of the School of Health Sciences on campus with a ceremonial check presentation of $3.7 million made to College leadership, Board of Trustee members, faculty, and students.
“We appreciate the partnership with our state legislators as we advance radical innovation of healthcare teaching and workforce development here in Wilson and Eastern North Carolina,” said Dr. Douglas N. Searcy, president of Barton College. “This is an exciting moment in the life of the College, and we are grateful for the ongoing support of our community partners as we accelerate new healthcare programs.”
State lawmakers have advocated for Barton College’s health sciences project by securing this funding with the bulk of the allocation going toward an innovative health science facility highlighting a simulation hospital and teaching facility. This effort by the College serves as a direct response to the community’s growing demand for greater access to healthcare and mental health professionals and resources.
Eastern North Carolina is facing shortages in nurses, nurse educators, and primary care providers, while the needs for access to care in this rural area, and for mental health and substance misuse professionals are increasing. Barton College, the only baccalaureate-master’s level institution offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees in Wilson County, is in a unique position to respond to these increasing challenges and help provide pathways to educate more students prepared to enter the workforce.
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