Bluefield State University awarded federal grant

Bluefield State University has received a significant boost in funding for its medical education program, with a $7.145 million Congressionally Directed Spending award to support the creation of a state-of-the-art health-care training facility. This grant, submitted by U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin, along with U.S. Rep. Carol Miller, will help prepare future medical professionals in southern West Virginia.

The new Medical Education Center, located in the former Bluefield Regional Medical Center, will provide expanded classrooms, laboratory space, and offices for the BSU College of Health Sciences. This facility will offer programs in health care administration, education, imaging science, radiologic technology, sonography, and nursing, with the potential to add more healthcare programs in the future.

Dr. Darrin Martin, BSU’s Interim President, expressed gratitude for the support from West Virginia’s Congressional delegation, highlighting the university’s role in addressing the healthcare access gap in the region. With a shortage of healthcare professionals and limited access to healthcare facilities, the new training facility will help train more professionals to serve the community.

As a Historically Black University and a STEM University, Bluefield State is uniquely positioned to provide essential educational training and postgraduate employment opportunities for West Virginians. The award will not only benefit the university but also bring new life to a major facility that may have otherwise remained vacant, contributing to the growth and development of Mercer County and southern West Virginia as a whole.