Emmetsburg, IA (northwestiowanow) — Iowa Lakes Community College has reached a $500,000 agreement with the Palo Alto County Health System aimed at supporting healthcare growth and education.
Under the partnership, PACHS will purchase just over five acres of land from Iowa Lakes for $109,000 and donate an additional $391,000 toward the development of an Emergency Room Simulation Lab on the college’s Emmetsburg campus.
ILCC President Scott Stokes says discussions with PACHS began last fall.
Stokes says the new lab will simulate situations healthcare workers could encounter in a real emergency department.
The land being purchased by PACHS is located north of the hospital and will provide additional space for future growth.
Stokes says the partnership ultimately benefits both organizations and the community long-term.
Iowa Lakes is now working on specifications and a timeline for the lab. Stokes says the college hopes to bring those details back to its board this winter before putting the project out for bids.
Groundbreaking is targeted for spring 2027, and the lab could potentially be ready for students by the following fall.
