Planned medical simulation lab to serve as training hub in Lebanon

A medical simulation lab in the works in Lebanon is designed to serve as a training hub and help shore up the area's health care workforce.

Ozarks Technical Community College is partnering with the city of Lebanon and the Lebanon R-3 School District on the lab to be built at the Robert W. Plaster Center for Student Success, according to a news release.

“This collaborative effort really encourages medical professionals to stay and train locally. Students will gain early exposure to medical careers, while Mercy, CoxHealth, Lake Regional and Jordan Valley will use the facility for onboarding, certifications and continuing education,” said Dusty Childress, Ozarks Tech president for education centers, in the release. “It will be a transformative resource for medical education, professional development and health care workforce retention in Lebanon and beyond.”

The 3,500-square-foot lab is slated for completion in fall 2025, with a grand opening currently planned for September. The lab would have four simulation rooms, two control rooms, two conference rooms, new equipment and high-fidelity simulators.

The projected cost of the lab was not disclosed in the release, and officials could not be reached for comment by deadline.

The medical simulation lab in Lebanon is designed to mirror existing facilities at Ozarks Tech's Springfield and Table Rock campuses, according to the release. Those labs conduct some 8,000 simulations per year.

The partnership calls on the city to construct the lab in the Robert W. Plaster Center for Student Success, which is owned by Lebanon R-3 Schools. The Center of Excellence for Medical Simulation at Ozarks Tech will oversee its operations.