New building will serve as a gateway facility for the health sciences campus
In recognition of the impact of the nursing profession on their family and the community, Gary and Jane Heminger have pledged a naming gift to the new building currently under construction for The Ohio State University College of Nursing.
Gary Heminger, chair of the Ohio State Board of Trustees, said during remarks at the building’s virtual groundbreaking ceremony on December 2, 2020, that he and his fellow trustees believe in the college’s vision of transforming health and improving lives. He also shared why academic medicine and the education of future healthcare professionals is so important to him and his family.
“My wife Jane is a nurse, and I am so proud of her many years of service, from the cardiac care unit, to the ICU, to the emergency room,” Heminger said. “I fully understand how important it is to ensure that new generations of inspired healthcare providers have everything they need to excel.
“[This new building] will be a physical representation of the unparalleled education, research and healthcare one can expect from Ohio State.”
Ohio State President Kristina M. Johnson, PhD, announced the naming gift at the Board of Trustees general meeting on Thursday.
“The Hemingers’ commitment to naming our new building will ensure our nursing faculty, staff and students – who have dedicated themselves to providing patients with the best evidence-based care – can teach, learn and grow in a new, state-of-the-art facility that will be a true home away from home,” Johnson said. “This is exciting news for the future of our health sciences campus, which will transform health and improve lives through this gateway facility, forever bearing the Heminger name.”
“We are honored to receive the Heminger family’s generous gift to our new Ohio State University College of Nursing building. This building will enhance the college’s goal to be the world’s leader in thinking and doing the impossible to transform health and improve lives,” says Harold L. Paz, MD, executive vice president and chancellor for health affairs at The Ohio State University and CEO of the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. “Countless students, faculty, and staff will benefit from Gary and Jane’s vision and investment.”
“We are so grateful to the Heminger family for supporting our college and believing in our ability to transform the future of health in so many different ways,” said Bernadette Melnyk, PhD, APRN-CNP, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN, vice president for health promotion, university chief wellness officer and dean of the College of Nursing. “When this building opens in the summer of 2022, it will revolutionize how we continue to inspire our students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners to dream, discover and deliver a healthier world.”
“This gift represents an investment in the future of healthcare and will help the College of Nursing propel innovation as it educates the next generation of nursing leaders,” said Bruce A. McPheron, PhD, executive vice president and provost. “We thank the Heminger family for their commitment to Ohio State.”
Construction crews have begun work on the new building at the intersection of Neil and 9th Avenues. The Heminger family said it looks forward to working with the College of Nursing in the naming and other details. The Board of Trustees is expected to consider the naming at a later date.
