LSU and FMOL Health Open Premier Learning & Laboratory Wing in LSU's Huey P. Long Field House to Advance the Future of Healthcare in Louisiana

Baton Rouge - LSU and FMOL Health celebrated today the opening of the FMOL Health Learning & Laboratory Wing, a philanthropically funded, state-of-the-art academic, research and workforce development hub that will expand educational opportunities for students, accelerate interdisciplinary innovation and strengthen the healthcare workforce serving Louisiana communities for generations to come.

Located within the historic Huey P. Long Field House - home to LSU's College of Human Sciences & Education - and developed through a $6 million investment from FMOL Health, LSU's Championship Health Partner, the renovation and expansion bring together world-class learning environments, advanced simulation technology and collaborative research spaces designed to prepare students for the evolving demands of modern healthcare.

The FMOL Health Learning & Laboratory Wing features a 15-bed hospital skills laboratory; 4-bed, high-fidelity clinical simulation environments; a 20-workstation nursing faculty office suite; dedicated debriefing spaces for small-group clinical learning; and a human anatomy laboratory unique to the state. The space will support students and faculty from the College of Human Sciences & Education's Schools of Kinesiology and Social Work, as well as the College of Science. Importantly, the new space will enable the continued growth of the new LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing's Baton Rouge instructional site, which welcomed its inaugural cohort in fall 2025 and is expected to support cohorts of up to 120 students each beginning in spring 2027.

"At FMOL Health, we believe the future of healthcare depends on strong partnerships that unite education, research and compassionate care," said E.J. Kuiper, FMOL Health President and CEO. "The new Learning & Laboratory Wing embodies that vision by giving students the tools to learn and discover their future in healthcare. It's an investment not only in academic excellence, but in healthier communities and a stronger healthcare workforce for Louisiana."

As demand for healthcare professionals grows, the newly renovated space will build on LSU's existing strengths in health education and workforce development, expanding pathways for students to pursue health-related careers close to home.

"The future of our state depends on talent," said LSU President Wade Rousse. "Communities need access to care. Healthcare systems need skilled professionals. Louisiana needs workforce solutions. This new space will deliver results in all three areas. Through strong partnerships with industry leaders like FMOL Health and a shared commitment to excellence, we are creating opportunity, strengthening healthcare and preparing the workforce that will support a healthy Louisiana."

The wing also strengthens LSU's capacity for health-focused research by giving faculty and students access to environments where their explorations can move from observation to application, while supporting the kind of interdisciplinary collaboration that reflects modern healthcare delivery.

"The FMOL Health Learning & Laboratory Wing creates a dynamic environment where discovery and learning happen side by side," said LSU Chancellor Jim Dalton. "By immersing students in an environment where new knowledge is being created and applied, they develop the curiosity, judgment and problem-solving mindset needed to advance healthcare and improve lives across Louisiana."

"At the LSU College of Human Sciences & Education, we don't measure success by the ideas we generate - we measure it by the lives we change," said Dean Roland Mitchell. "Our research doesn't simply study problems; it solves them. The FMOL Health Learning & Laboratory Wing takes that mission to the next level, creating a place where students, faculty and practitioners learn, discover and innovate together."

LSU Foundation President & CEO Krista Raney said, "FMOL Health and LSU identified an opportunity for shared impact, and this gift catalyzed that opportunity in a way that will benefit LSU students and Louisiana year after year. This new space is a powerful example of FMOL Health's leadership as LSU's Championship Health Partner."

In April, LSU and FMOL Health celebrated the completion of the new Our Lady of the Lake Health Interdisciplinary Science Building, an epicenter for academics, research and industry collaboration. Both spaces further build upon the landmark, multi-year investment announced in February 2022, which is strengthening Louisiana's healthcare infrastructure and pipeline of future professionals through major transformational initiatives in academic programs, workforce development, student-centered healthcare services and research and innovation initiatives aimed at addressing critical health challenges.