Horry-Georgetown Technical College breaks ground on $15M Nursing and Health Sciences Institute
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — On Monday, Horry-Georgetown Technical College held a groundbreaking ceremony at for a $15 million Nursing and Health Sciences Institute.
The facility will be an expansion of Building 100 on HGTC’s Grand Strand campus. School officials said its purpose is to help advance the growing needs of nurses and emergency medicals.
HGTC President, Dr. Marilyn Fore, said it marked a milestone of their commitment to excellence in healthcare education and community service.
“Our vision for the Nursing and Health Institute is ambitious, yet it is attainable,” she said. “We aim to create a world-class learning environment — not only for our students, but also for the professional healthcare providers in the area.”
Fore said HGTC’s nursing program is the third in the state.
“With the growing population, there’s always going to be a need for more resources and it’s really important that we have as many hands on deck because we want to give the best care to our patients that we can and the more the merrier,” senior nursing student Brenna Comer said.
Fore said there’s about 300 enrolled nursing students, but they’re hoping to grow that number to 600 by 2030.
“This building is a 24,000 square foot building, one and a half stories,” she said. “It’ll have classrooms and technology and it’s going to be the very best. It’s for our senior nursing students.”
Fore said the institute will have 8 simulation centers along with an EMT prototype to help with clinical rotations and internship opportunities.
South Carolina Lieutenant Gov. Pamela Evette was also in attendance.
“To our nursing students, thank you so much for your dedication,” Evette said. “As South Carolina continues to grow, we need to keep South Carolinians healthy.”
During the ceremony, Conway Medical Center President and CEO Brain Argo also thanked the current nursing students.
“Your community hospitals need your help and you’re stepping up to the plate, thank you,” he said.
This state-of-the-art facility will also provide inter-professional training for 18 healthcare programs and community partners.
“When we first heard this plan, CMC was excited to contribute over a million dollars to this project,” Argo said. “Not just in infrastructure, but $150,000 for being spent as a permanent endowment that will go towards scholarships to nursing students and other healthcare professionals coming out of this institution.”
Comer said the facility will be an amazing addition to the community and school.
“A lot of us have started applying to the local hospitals, our school is very supportive of us, and they make a lot of connections with all of the recruiters in the area, so we feel super supported,” she said.
No date has been set for when construction will start, but they’re hoping to have the institution completed by 2025.
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Jackie LiBrizzi is a multimedia journalist at News13. Jackie is originally from Hamilton, New Jersey, and was raised in Piedmont, South Carolina. Jackie joined the News13 team in June 2023 after she graduated as a student-athlete from the University of South Carolina in May 2023. Follow Jackie on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, and read more of her work here.
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