LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — With a quick blessing, the Frank and Carolyn Kowalski Center for Advanced Health Care Education on the King's College campus is up and running. Carolyn is a retired registered nurse.
"If you're going to be in the medical profession, you have to love what you do and be good at what you do. This gives them the opportunity to be good at what they do," said Carolyn.
After it was purchased in 2018, more than $8 million was poured into transforming the old Times Leader newspaper building in Wilkes-Barre.
"It jumped up and left, right? And they left a lot behind. Paper on the floor, computers, and desks are no longer used. It looked like, what could you possibly do with this space," Father Thomas Looney, King's College President.
With a little bit of work, it's now home to the college's new doctorate in occupational therapy program. In some of its rooms, students will be able to work with pediatric patients, sparking excitement.
"The first thing Dr. Desoy told us is that we could actually climb on this stuff, and we'll be fine. So I'm like, honestly, this is cool. I'm like, 'I could have a good time here'. But this is just one of the many rooms that are super super cool," said Gunhvir Singh, a fifth-year occupational therapy student.
It will also house several other labs, such as a daily living and augmented reality simulation room. Together, the building connects multiple majors across campus and even into the Wilkes-Barre community.
"Look through some things in a book or on a screen and then go actually do it, and go back and forth and do those things. We're able to give them simulations and that real-world experience to help them be the best physicians they can be," said Christopher O'Brien, dean of health services.
Students are already utilizing the building as part of the fall semester in Luzerne County.