DURANGO, Colo.— Fort Lewis College celebrated a historic milestone Sunday with the grand opening of Nursing Hall and welcoming the inaugural cohort in the CU Nursing Fort Lewis College Collaborative.
The Call to Care & Nursing Hall Celebration brought together students, families, regional health care leaders, and donors to mark the launch of a program designed to expand access to quality health care in the Four Corners.
The event honored the first cohort of University of Colorado College of Nursing students at FLC with a call to care program and pinning ceremony—a longstanding nursing tradition symbolizing the transition. Students also recited the Nursing Student Pledge, committing themselves to practice with compassion, cultural humility, and excellence.
“These students took a leap of faith when they applied two years ago to a brand-new program,” said Dean for Faculty & Students at CU Nursing Amy Barton, PhD, RN, FAAN, ANEF. “Today we honor their trust, their courage, and their commitment to answering the call to care.”
Fort Lewis College Collaborative Director of Nursing Maggie LaRose, RN, MSN, echoed that sentiment.
“This first cohort represents the heart of why we created this program—to prepare nurses who understand the realities of rural and Indigenous health care and are committed to serving right here in the Four Corners. Their success is already proof of what is possible when our institutions and our community come together.”
A State-of-the-Art Training Facility
The 5,000-square-foot Nursing Hall features three distinct teaching environments—a home-like setting, a clinical education space, and a simulation lab with three high-fidelity manikins, including pediatric, adult, and maternal patients. Students will also gain telehealth experience, preparing them to serve patients whether in hospitals, homes without running water, or remote communities.
The facility mirrors cutting-edge training environments at CU Anschutz Medical Campus, home to the College of Nursing, and will anchor FLC’s growing “health care quad” alongside Schlessman Family Hall for Health Sciences and the CommonSpirit Sports Performance Center.
“This is the power of partnership,” said FLC President Heather Shotton, PhD. “Through the CU–FLC Nursing Collaborative, we have combined CU’s nationally recognized nursing curriculum with FLC’s deep commitment to community, place, and rural-informed education. Together, we are training the next generation of nurses who will serve and stay in the Four Corners.”
Community-Powered
The Nursing Hall was made possible through philanthropy and federal support, including $1.3 million in congressionally directed spending through the U.S. Department of Education, championed by Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper. Additional funding came from The Colorado Health Foundation, the Anschutz Foundation, Rocky Mountain Health Foundation, Roy & Gloria Dinsdale Foundation and additional partners like Animas Surgical Hospital, Bank of Colorado, and numerous generous individual donors.
Much of the celebration traced back to Durango nurse practitioner and CU alumna Karen Zink, a trailblazer in women’s health and rural access to care, who spent decades expanding opportunities for nurse practitioners and advocating for underserved communities. In 2022, she and her husband, Jerry, made the first $1 million gift to launch the collaborative.
“I’ve always said my role might just be to be the spark,” Zink told the crowd in her keynote remarks. “I've watched you, students, for the last two years. I am in awe, amazed, so proud, and I love you so much. You have had to climb some pretty high mountains with a lot of rocks in the way and swift-moving streams that you had to figure out how to negotiate. It took all you had. And one of the most beautiful things I have observed among you over the last couple of years is how well you have taken care of one another. It's remarkable. I'm just so proud of everything that you have done.”
Melissa Mount, vice president of Advancement at FLC and CEO of the FLC Foundation, said: “One of the most exciting aspects of this project is that it was built by our community through philanthropy and partnership. It reflects what is possible when we invest in the future health of the Four Corners.”
A Collaborative Model for Rural Nursing
The CU Nursing Fort Lewis College Collaborative was launched in 2022 to address the nationwide nursing shortage and provide a four-year degree combining CU’s expertise in nursing education with FLC’s strengths in serving rural and Indigenous communities. Students complete general education at FLC before applying to the CU Nursing program, taught by CU faculty on the Durango campus.
“This collaborative is designed to train nurses where they live, so they can stay and serve their communities,” said CU College of Nursing Dean Elias Provencio-Vasquez, PhD, FAAN, FAANP. “It is a model for how we can expand access to health care in rural and underserved regions.”
Following the Call to Care program in the Student Union Ballroom, guests toured Nursing Hall, where students led demonstrations in simulation labs and classrooms.
