Congressman Dan Boren

WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Congressman Dan Boren announced today that $300,000 has been included in the Labor, HHS, and Education Appropriations Act of FY2011 for the purchase of science laboratory, medical, and safety equipment for the Harmon Science Nursing Lab at Bacone College.  

The funds, which were approved late last week in a hearing before the House Appropriation Subcommittee for Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, will be specifically used for the purchase of: new biology, chemistry, and physics laboratory equipment for nursing training; HVAC and plumbing equipment for the nursing and training facility; exterior safety equipment; nursing laboratory fire, safety and security equipment; digital and audio medical equipment.

“These funds will ensure that Bacone health science students are prepared to meet the demands of an increasingly complex profession.  It will also help train nursing students to enter a workforce today that is facing highly problematic shortages of qualified health practitioners, especially in underserved rural areas like Eastern Oklahoma.  Furthermore, this training leads to much-needed quality jobs right here in Oklahoma.  I am honored to work with Bacone on this important effort, and I pledge to continue working to make certain this funding is included in the legislation throughout the appropriations process,” said Boren.

“I want to thank Congressman Boren for his leadership and efforts to secure this request for Bacone College.  These funds are vital to Bacone and Muskogee as we continue to make critical improvements to our facilities and will have a direct impact on the community by creating jobs for our citizens.  I will continue to work with Congressman Boren to ensure Bacone’s request is in the final bill,” said Dr. Robert Duncan, President of Bacone College.

According to the American Health Care Association, Oklahoma’s nursing facilities suffer from nursing vacancy rates of more than 15 percent.  Perhaps more alarmingly, current healthcare worker shortages impact many aspects of healthcare delivery, continuity, and quality in Oklahoma, and are compounded in medically underserved rural areas where access to healthcare is often severely limited.  As healthcare institutions and educators struggle to keep pace with increased demand for services, the nation’s population is experiencing an increase in aging longevity and is requiring a substantially greater number and diversity of services.  

The improvements to the Harmon Science Building that this funding provides will help Bacone College train its students to address this.  The project will directly serve the more than 150 nursing students and staff in Bacone's School of Health Science, as well as many future generations of students.  But indirectly, the project will serve the entire health science field in Oklahoma, including the nursing industry, by providing much needed health practitioners and nurses.

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