Stan State makes ‘A $54 million commitment’ opening Willow Hall

Stan State’s Stockton campus has officially opened Willow Hall, a new $54 million academic building designed to expand access to higher education and strengthen the region’s healthcare workforce.

The opening of Willow Hall marks a major step forward in the university’s Stockton Campus Master Plan, which aims to grow enrollment from 1,000 full-time equivalent students to 2,000.

Willow Hall features classrooms, student support spaces, offices and event space. More than a dozen of its classrooms are designed for team-based learning, which supports group work and hands-on care practice.

One of the building’s standout features is the Health Plan of San Joaquin Health and Human Services (HHS) training center, located on the second floor.

The training center was funded through a $2.5 million capital grant from the Health Plan of San Joaquin, which supported the redesign of the building’s east wing.

The center includes a physical diagnosis lab with 12 beds and a simulated doctor’s office, a clinical skills lab with 16 hospital beds and mannequins and a high-fidelity simulation lab with two rooms equipped with advanced mannequins that mimic real patients.

Lizeth Granados, CEO of Health Plan of San Joaquin, emphasized the importance of developing a strong health care workforce in the region.

“We serve roughly 28% of the community. We recognize the importance of ensuring that we have a workforce that is able to support the clinical care for our members,” Granados said. “As such, we contributed $2.5 million towards the establishment of the Health Plan of San Joaquin Health and Human Services training center.”

She also highlighted the organization’s ongoing partnership with the university.

“We have a strong partnership with Cal State Stanislaus, and we’re very proud of that,” she said.

The HHS training center also features the Health Net high-fidelity simulation suite. Health Net donated $817,141 to fund equipment for the facility.

The simulation suite includes two lab rooms that serve as an advanced training space, allowing students to practice complex patient-care scenarios and strengthen their clinical judgment, teamwork and decision-making skills.

Amber Kemp, vice president of Health Net, emphasized the importance and excitement of investing in workforce development in this region.

“Health Net was so pleased to be able to provide over $800,000 in critical funding to support the Health Net high-fidelity simulation lab,” Kemp said. “It’s really exciting to be able to invest in workforce development in the community in this region, ensuring that nurses can train here and they can stay local and serve residents in Stanislaus and San Joaquin County.”

Edmundo Zaragoza (ASBSN) highlighted how the facility bridges the gap between technology and hands-on learning.

“It’s really a place where the convergence of technology and the practice of nursing comes together; that’s really essential to be able to fully prepare ourselves for the transition from becoming student nurses to professional nurses,” Zaragoza said.

Teda Saron (ASBSN) emphasized the impact Willow Hall will have on accessibility and future students.

“This building will contribute to my education and those who follow because it allows local accessible resources with affordable resources for students to participate in,” Saron said.

Hunter Baron (ASBSN) reflected that the new building will provide a strong foundation for students beginning their nursing journey.

“For someone that didn’t have a lot of medical experience before coming here, it’s going to serve as a fundamental beginning,” said Baron. “There’s a lot to see and new experiences that, now that the school has created this space, other students are going to be able to capitalize on.”

Sarah Sweitzer, dean of the Stockton campus, described Willow Hall not just as a new building but as a commitment to the region.

“It’s a $54 million commitment to San Joaquin County to provide accessible higher education access and it’s a commitment from the state of California, and it’s a commitment from the CSU and from Stanislaus State,” Sweitzer said. “It’s also partnered with a commitment from our local health care, managed care plans, Health Net, Health Plan of San Joaquin and another commitment, $3.3 million. So this is a commitment to our region.”