BATON ROUGE — Our Lady of the Lake Hospital is expanding its partnership with Southern University’s School of Nursing to help fill critical workforce gaps and address representation in healthcare.

The expansion focuses on increasing educational resources, providing job opportunities and retaining nurses within the Capital Region.

This investment includes funding for scholarships and a new state-of-the-art building at Southern University in the near future.

Dean Sandra Brown said that, in the past, the school had to turn away qualified students due to limited space, but the partnership's new building will provide them will advanced technology and more space.

“We're going to have a new school of nursing. It's going to be housed right adjacent to our existing school of nursing. It’s going to have a state-of-the-art simulation lab, high tech, high touch classrooms, a simulation center like none other,” Brown said.

The collaboration also aims to address representation within the healthcare field. Southern University’s nursing school recently welcomed its largest class of Black male nursing students.

Jamar Kenner is a first-generation college student and he said he's grateful for the many opportunities to come.

"This really breaks barriers along the way for me. It’s easier for me to get internships, job opportunities – I’m graduating May 9, so it’s going to be easy because they know my face,” Kenner said.

Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer of Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System Tina Schaffer said the partnership is part of a long-term goal to build and diversify a healthcare workforce in the Capital region and throughout the state.

“As we work together to make sure that we diversify. We’re not there yet but we are striving to do that and we don’t always get it right, but we are committed to it and we know that they’re an essential partner to help us get there," Schaffer said.