Valparaiso University’s bold vision for a new health professions building is on its path to becoming a reality. Joyce Hagen ’79 and her husband, fellow Valpo alumnus Donald Fites ’56, have generously committed $4 million to this project and the future of the College of Nursing and Health Professions. As a Valpo alumna and a retired healthcare executive with over 30 years of C-suite-level experience, Hagen is passionate about the current state of healthcare. She believes in the College’s mission to graduate future values-based healthcare leaders and that Valpo is uniquely prepared to lead healthcare preparation at the state and national levels through this bold project.
Hagen explains, “We operate in an ever-evolving marketplace and a rapidly changing world. This building will provide healthcare graduates with a broader perspective of the world by leveraging cutting-edge technologies and fostering a more comprehensive team approach, which is crucial in tomorrow’s healthcare landscape. With this building, Valpo has a significant opportunity to lead the way and have a footprint in the future of healthcare, not just in Indiana or the Chicagoland area, but well beyond.”
As communities across the country grapple with an unprecedented healthcare workforce shortage, with 4,300 empty nursing positions in Indiana, and 5,000 more needed by 2031, Hagen’s gift will enhance the University’s capacity, allowing it to graduate more than 100 additional healthcare professionals annually. To further prepare these graduates for the realities of modern healthcare, Valpo is in discussions with a nationally recognized hospital system to bring a provider presence into the building, ensuring students gain experience in a clinical setting while serving community needs.
The new building will offer state-of-the-art clinical spaces and collaborative learning environments. Features of the building include:
- Proposed 92,000 sq ft of purpose-built space
- State-of-the-art simulation labs with emerging technologies spanning 19,000 sq ft
- Integrated medical office suite to bring a healthcare provider partner on-site
- 17,000 sq ft of flexible learning environments to host a growing number of students
- Strategic campus location for enhanced collaboration between academic programs
- Advanced physician assistant skills labs and exam room suites to meet the demands of the field
At Valpo, Hagen gained the hands-on skills and extensive knowledge to rise to the top of her field, then further enhanced her career by becoming a healthcare administrator after earning her MBA. This experience allowed her to see the value in a Valpo healthcare degree, later inspiring her to help others achieve a similar dream. She says, “I am grateful to be able to give back. This is an investment in the future that is both realistic and progressive. I am confident that the future of healthcare will be led by people of empathy, which sets the Valpo degree apart from other universities.”
Hagen encourages others, especially fellow alumni and healthcare leaders, to join her in supporting the development of this transformative building and investing in its future. She says, “Now is not the time for us to shy away from any of our endeavors, especially healthcare. Now is the time to invest in the future.”
