New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins has awarded Pace University $2.175 million to support capital improvements and technology upgrades at the university’s Center of Excellence in Healthcare Simulation, located in Pleasantville.
The Center, part of Pace University’s College of Health Professions, provides hands-on training for students in health programs. The funding is intended to help address the growing demand for nurses and clinicians by increasing training capacity.
“The need for healthcare professionals is surging, and the shortage we face is compounded by limited training facilities and lack of faculty. Pace is a regional and national leader in health education simulation, and this investment will enable it to increase its capacity and train more nurses. The better we prepare them, the better our healthcare will be for all New Yorkers. These simulation suites allow students to learn in spaces that are modeled after emergency departments, labor and delivery rooms and clinics. They are videoed to receive playback and debriefings by their professors. I was pleased to lead the Senate when we passed legislation to encourage simulation, and I am delighted to support such high-impact learning in Westchester,” said Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins.
In 2021, over 91,000 qualified applicants were turned away from U.S. nursing schools due to shortages of faculty, facilities, and clinical placement opportunities.
To help alleviate these challenges, New York State passed legislation permitting nursing students to complete part of their required clinical training through simulation-based experiences. Upgrades at Pace’s simulation labs are expected to expand enrollment capacity so more practice-ready nurses can be trained.
The university estimates that with these modernized labs it will be able to graduate more nurses who can fill positions at hospitals throughout the Hudson Valley region. Leading health systems such as New York-Presbyterian and Mount Sinai have expressed support for this expansion due to employer demand for graduates from Pace’s nursing programs.
State funding will go toward upgrading simulation suites, purchasing enhanced equipment, and expanding digital infrastructure at the Pleasantville campus so students have access to advanced immersive technologies that reflect real-world clinical environments.
Pace conducts over 20,000 hours of simulated healthcare scenarios annually across a range of settings including pediatrics, maternity care, medical-surgical units, and critical care.
“This investment reflects the Majority Leader’s extraordinary commitment to both education and public health,” said Pace President Marvin Krislov. “As part of our growth strategy and forward-looking transformation, we are investing in high-demand healthcare education that supports student success, strengthens our programs, and builds a pipeline of skilled professionals for the communities we serve.”
With expanded simulation facilities Pace aims to prepare more nurses as well as physician assistants and allied health professionals.
Pace University’s College of Health Professions ranks among the top institutions in New York State with nationally recognized programs including a nurse practitioner program ranked among the state’s top five by Nurse Journal and a physician assistant program ranked third in New York City by BestValueSchools.org.
Founded in 1906 with campuses in New York City and Westchester County, Pace University serves approximately 13,600 students across various academic disciplines as it approaches its 120th anniversary.
