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Hinds CC Dedicates New $64 Million Health Sciences Complex on Rankin Campus

by Michael A. White Jr.

Pearl, Miss. (10/07/2026) — Hinds Community College officially dedicated its new Health Sciences Complex Oct. 7 on the Rankin Campus in Pearl. The event celebrated the completion and opening of the college's new flagship facility for training the region's nursing and allied health professionals.

The $64 million, 160,000-square-foot Health Sciences Complex represents a major investment in the future of health care education and workforce development in Mississippi. The facility is expected to serve generations of students while helping address the growing demand for skilled health care professionals throughout the state and region.

"This is not just a teaching facility. This is an economic engine," said Dr. Stephen Vacik, president of Hinds Community College. "Central Mississippi and Rankin County rely on health care to help drive this economy, and we want to be the ones who put the professionals to work in those facilities."

The facility, which features a soaring, three-story glass atrium and brings Hinds' Nursing and Allied Health programs together under one roof, features modern classrooms, specialized laboratories, high-fidelity simulation labs and mock hospital rooms designed to prepare students for careers in health care.

"This facility will help train more than 650 people annually for health care-related careers, and the graduates of this program will impact communities across Mississippi," said U.S. Rep. Michael Guest, who attended Rankin Campus in the mid-1980s. "May God use the graduates of this program to provide better healthcare opportunities to all Mississippians."

The complex opened in August for the fall semester, providing expanded educational opportunities and advanced training environments for future nurses and allied health professionals. The facility was designed to support hands-on learning through simulation-based instruction and collaborative healthcare education.

"This is a wonderful facility. It's a great day not just for Rankin County, but for our state," said state Sen. President Pro Tem Dean Kirby. "We're not only helping students get an education, but we're making lives better every day those students come into this building."

The new Health Sciences Complex represents a major investment in the future of health care education and workforce development in Mississippi. The facility is expected to serve generations of students while helping address the growing demand for skilled health care professionals throughout the state and region. Hinds trains students for careers as registered nurses, dental assistants, paramedics, EMTs, health care assistants, physical therapist assistants and more.

Students have opportunities to practice skills, work through realistic patient scenarios, collaborate with students from under health care disciplines, solve problems make decision, communicate as members of a healthcare team, and develop confidence before they ever encounter those situations with an actual patient, said Katharine Elliott, Hinds Dean of Health Sciences.

"Today we celebrate a beautiful new building but, more importantly, we celebrate what will happen inside this building for generations to come," said Elliott. "What we have created here will have an impact far beyond this campus."

Elliott said when she talks to health care partners, they tell her how much they value Hinds graduates because they come to work with the skills and knowledge needed in today's fast-paced clinical environment.

Employers want graduates who can enter the workplace with both the technical skills and professional confidence to contribute to the health care team, Elliott said. The Health Sciences Complex allows Hinds to take that preparation to an entirely new level, she said.

"As impressive as the technology is in this building, technology is not what makes excellent healthcare professionals. Health care is ultimately about people," Elliott said. "It is about the patient who is frightened and needs reassurance. It is about the family member who needs someone to explain what is happening. It is about communicating with coworkers during a stressful situation. And it is about the knowledge and clinical judgment required to provide safe care, while never losing sight of the person receiving that care."

From an economic standpoint, the new facility puts Rankin County in the driver's seat when it comes to luring new healthcare business to the region.

"We now have a direct pipeline of talent going to those companies within our sector," said Garrett Wright, president and CEO of Rankin First Economic Development Authority. "When we talk with health care companies, the answer is now a resounding, 'yes'. We can supply that workforce right here from Rankin County."

After touring the facility, Beverly Brown of Clinton reflected on the transformation of health sciences education since graduating from Hinds more than four decades ago.

"I was excited to see the remarkable progress that Hinds Community College has made since I graduated from the Medical Laboratory Program in 1984. This program will definitely help lead the way for quality health care in the entire state of Mississippi and beyond." Brown said.

With five campuses in central Mississippi, Hinds Community College is a comprehensive institution offering quality, affordable educational opportunities with academic programs of study leading to seamless university transfer and career and technical programs teaching job-ready skills.

Our Mission: Hinds Community College is committed to moving people and communities forward by helping develop their purpose, passion and profession.

Our Vision: Hinds Community College will be a catalyst to create a competitive economy and a compelling culture for Mississippi.

Our Values: Hinds Community College aspires to the following IDEALS: Integrity, Diversity, Excellence, Accountability, Leadership, Stewardship.

To learn more, visit www.hindscc.edu or call 1.800.HindsCC.

Media Attachments

U.S. Congressman Michael Guest, spoke at the grand opening of the Hinds CC Health Sciences Complex on Oct. 7, 2026. He attended college on the Rankin Campus in the mid-1980s and said the facility will mean better health care for all Mississippians through Hinds CC graduates.

Hinds Community College Health Sciences Dean Katharine Elliott speaks to guests at the grand opening of the Hinds Community College-Rankin Campus Health Sciences Complex.

Speakers at the Oct. 7 Hinds Community College - Rankin Campus grand opening of the new Health Sciences Complex include Dr. Keith Grubbs of Park Place Baptist Church, Mississippi state Sen. President and Pro Tempore Dean Kirby, Hinds CC Health Sciences Dean Kathy Elliott, Hinds CC President Dr. Stephen Vacik, U.S. Congressman Michael Guest, Rankin County Board of Supervisors member Craig Slay, President and CEO of Rankin First Economic Development Authority Garrett Wright.

The grand opening of Hinds Community College's new Health Sciences Complex was Oct. 7, 2026.

Video of the new classrooms and laboratories at Hinds Community College-Rankin Campus Health Sciences Complex.

Hinds Community College President Dr. Stephen Vacik’s vision to build a game-changing health care technology complex to train the region’s health care professionals came to life this fall.

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