Mennonite College of Nursing, Memorial Health partner for Springfield nursing education facility

Illinois State University’s Mennonite College of Nursing (MCN) and Memorial Health have partnered to establish a new Springfield location for nursing education. The facility, located at 206 North Grand Ave. West in Springfield, was formally opened at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on August 18.

The Springfield location helps address a critical need for more nurses, will increase MCN’s teaching capacity, and will create a pathway for more students to become nurses in Central Illinois. The center will host its first class of nursing students starting in August 2023.   

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Illinois State: Fall 2023

“MCN has a 100-plus year history, and we are grateful to open a new chapter in Springfield,” said Judy Neubrander, dean of Mennonite College of Nursing. “This vision is a jointly held view between our college and Memorial Health to better meet the health care needs of the central part of the state. Springfield students will experience the same rigorous curriculum, while fully immersed in the Memorial Health system, with the hope they stay and practice in Central Illinois.” 

The Springfield location is available exclusively for transfer students, with classes taught in a modern, freshly renovated facility. MCN nursing students will practice skills in Memorial Health’s state-of-the-art nursing simulation environment and will gain clinical experience at five hospitals within the Memorial Health network. Students in Springfield will work under the same curriculum as students at MCN’s main campus location at Illinois State.  

“Recent challenges in the field of health care have helped us focus on what’s really important – the care we provide to our patients and our communities,” said Ed Curtis, president and CEO of Memorial Health. “Now more than ever, it’s essential that we provide young people who are interested in a health care career with a pathway to success. We’re pleased to partner with ISU on this effort to increase the number of nurses in Central Illinois.”   

 “In my travels across rural Illinois, it has become abundantly clear that the shortage of nurses and health care professionals is no mere statistic; it’s a reality that touches lives, communities, and the very heart of our health care system,” said U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), who attended the ribbon cutting ceremony in Springfield. “Institutions like Illinois State University and Memorial Health, who understand that investing locally in nursing leaders is the path forward, exemplify the type of partnership that will shape the future of the health workforce.” 

Mennonite College of Nursing has a 100-plus-year history and joined Illinois State in 1999. With an NCLEX (nursing licensure exam) five-year average pass rate of 94 percent, beating both the state and national average, the program is highly sought after by prospective students. Memorial Health hospitals have received multiple Magnet and Pathway to Excellence designations, which recognize the highest standards of nursing quality. 

“MCN’s partnership with Memorial Health embodies Illinois State’s core values of collaboration and learning and scholarship,” said Acting Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Ani Yazedjian. “It opens up many new and exciting academic opportunities for our students and our faculty members. It will also provide a tremendous boost to the health care field in Central Illinois by preparing highly qualified nurses for the workforce.” 

“Mennonite College of Nursing’s reputation for excellence in nursing education stretches back to its origins a century ago,” said Illinois State University Interim President Aondover Tarhule. “It has steadily expanded its educational offerings to help meet the need for more nurses and nursing educators. The partnership with Memorial Health that made this facility possible is the latest development in a long and storied history.”