Renovations to Mabee Hall provide functionality for PA program

(ABILENE, Texas)–On campus, plenty of construction and maintenance is underway to prepare Hardin-Simmons for the upcoming school year. Amidst the road construction and building renovations, the physician assistant (PA) program’s space underwent a major facelift.

Mabee Hall houses the HSU PA program.

The PA program resides in Mabee Hall, which once housed the ROTC program on campus. When HSU’s ROTC shut down, the physical therapy department occupied the space until the university acquired PT’s new location, formerly AbLabs.

Renovation for Education

Most of the renovations in Mabee Hall are cosmetic; they brightened the building and made it exponentially more functional to meet the PA program’s needs. The baby blue carpet that spanned the offices made way for new laminate wood flooring throughout the entire building. A fresh coat of paint helped unify the building’s many rooms.

“This renovation has taken our program to the next level. The students love the new space and find it incredibly more functional. It really has become their home away from home. This puts HSU in the top programs in the country, regarding our space,” says PA Program Director, Dr. Jennifer Eames.

The main lecture hall in the PA building now holds up to fifty students, thanks to the new risers.

New doors and a keycard system at the building’s entry provide ease of access to the PA students, who have 24/7 access to the several study spaces. The trophy case and external windows feature an etched version of the program’s new seal, and new furniture provides comfortable and aesthetically pleasing seating areas throughout the main hallway.

The PA classrooms also underwent remodels, and feature state of the art technology. An accordion wall now separates the largest room into two workable spaces. Each classroom is equipped with at least one flat-screen television, a point tilt zoom (PTZ) camera system to view and record lectures and student feedback to provide playback of all lectures and labs, and upgraded wireless throughout the building to increase the WIFI speed and quality.

“The building was completely down to the bricks. We took everything down,” Eames explains.

Professional Development

Some of the rooms also include surgical sinks, where students push levers with their knees to control the faucet, which allows them to hone their surgical scrubbing skills.

The anatomy lab recieved a technological face lift. Students now have access to state of the art tech throughout the building.

In the old clinic, new walls create simulation lab rooms that mimic a doctor’s office. VALT system cameras and two-way mirrors allow instructors to evaluate student’s progress and allow students to watch and learn from their footage.

Among the more extensive renovations are an entirely remodeled lecture space and a fully functional kitchen. The main lecture space in the building once held 25 individual desks, but now accommodates 50 student stations, each with a power outlet and charging station. What was once a flat room has been transformed into a multilevel tiered classroom that provides students with ample space and an improved line of sight to the front podium.

Home Away From Home

PA students hone their skills in two simulation rooms.

The building’s kitchen space includes multiple microwaves, two long countertops lined with power outlets and cushioned bar stools, and full-size stainless-steel appliances. During the lunch hour, upwards of 30 students gather in this shared space to cook, eat, socialize, and study, creating a homier environment for the students, who spend countless hours in the building.

The problem-based learning (PBL) lab and a new testing center computer lab provide students with plenty of common areas to discuss and study within their cohorts.

For more information on HSU’s PA program, click here.