Hawkeye to Get 'Virtual Hospital' Room, Transportation Center

WATERLOO, Iowa --- Contracts were awarded June 28 to create a "virtual hospital" room at Hawkeye Community College and construct a building at the new transportation training center south of campus.

The board of trustees approved a $206,000 contract with Matt Construction of Sumner to remodel part of Grundy Hall for the hospital simulation and other uses. Trustees also awarded a $1.38 million contract to Don Gardner Construction of Waterloo for the building at the Regional Transportation Training Center.

One classroom in Grundy Hall will be remodeled as the hospital simulation. It will include a number of mannequin-like patients programmed to respond as students practice techniques they're learning in nurse training. The simulation will include equipment used in hospitals, as well.

"We will be the second community college in the state to have a virtual hospital," said Hawkeye President Linda Allen. The first is Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids.

Another Grundy classroom will be remodeled to better serve the emergency medical service program. Three existing offices also will be remodeled.

Three other construction firms bid on the project. Proposals ranged from $3,300 to $33,000 more than the winning bid. The project, to be completed by mid-August, will be paid for with proceeds from the plant fund levy.

A 10,000-square-foot metal building will be the final component of the transportation center, being built south of Hawkeye on Hammond Avenue. The center includes roads and parking lots that will be used in driver training for trucks, motorcycles, police cars, buses and other vehicles.

Dan Channer of Struxture Architects, which designed the project, said the building will house four truck driving simulators, an office and a small conference room in half of the space. The other half will include two bays where trucks can be parked for training work.

"We thought we got some pretty good bids on this," Channer said. Six other firms bid on the project. Base bids ranged from $13,500 to $137,400 more than the winning contract.

Channer said the project is expected to be done by Feb. 15.

Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier