In December 2008, JCCC and Olathe Medical Center signed a letter of intent for the development of a health education center on the OMC campus. The medical center donated to JCCC almost six acres of land on which to build such a center. Construction began in spring 2010, and the center will open for classes in fall 2011. Costs for the new center are $15 million.

The Olathe Health Education Center (OHEC) will feature a two-story atrium and floating staircase. The first floor will contain the main lobby, information desk and a 300-seat multipurpose conference room that can be divided into four areas for smaller meetings or classes. Also on the first floor are three general classrooms for courses such as anatomy and physiology; a medical computer lab and a general-use computer lab; a medical office technology suite with two classrooms and a record office room for medical billing, coding and transcription; another classroom for medical offices; common spaces, including a coffee bar and food care; and offices for faculty and staff, including security, counseling and student services.

The second floor is designed primarily for practical nursing, health occupations (certified nurse assistant, certified medication aide, rehabilitation aide, home health aide and IV therapy for LPNs) and dietary manager programs. Included are four health occupations classrooms with three patient care beds each; two skills labs with eight beds each (one of the two will accommodate four patient simulators), a practical nurse/health occupations student success center, two classrooms for practical nursing and other medical classes, common spaces for study and rest breaks, and offices for faculty and staff.

Students will have clinical education opportunities at Olathe Medical Center as well as the opportunity for professional relationships with OMC health care practitioners.

HMN Architects collaborated with JCCC's academic administrators to ensure the center meets the specific needs of health care programming. The building will meet LEED silver certification in recognition of environmentally responsible building practices.

"We are grateful to Olathe Medical Center for the opportunity to build a health care teaching campus," said Dr. Terry A. Calaway, JCCC president. "The medical center is a renowned medical facility, and we are proud to be partners with them."