Herzing University recently celebrated the opening of its new 23,000-square-foot Brookfield campus, which includes expanded nursing labs and a physical therapy assisting clinic.
Classes at the new campus, located in the redeveloped former Fresh Market grocery store building at 15895 West Bluemound Road near Brookfield Square Mall, began in September. The former Fresh Market building had been vacant since mid-2018.
Herzing’s former Brookfield campus was located about a mile away at 555 S. Executive Drive.
Jarvis Racine, president of the Brookfield campus, said Herzing leaders looked at several communities, including Menomonee Falls and Milwaukee, during its search for a new location. The former Fresh Market’s proximity to Brookfield Square was a major asset, he said.
“The visibility of this location is amazing,” he said. “Brookfield has been our market for over 10 years so we’re very committed to this community. Visibility, freeway access and there’s a bus stop right here as well, so all of those things came together.”
The private nonprofit university operator offers degree programs in nursing, health care, business, information technology and criminal justice. The majority of Herzing’s students are adult learners, with an average student age of 28.
The Brookfield campus offers licensed practical nurse, Bachelor of Science in Nursing and physical therapy assistant programs. Herzing also partners with Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and Advocate Aurora Health on a medical assisting program that offers the health system’s employees to receive patient care certifications.
The new campus includes three simulation labs to train health care students, including a pediatric simulation, adult simulation and OB/birthing simulation.
It also includes an expanded CARE Clinic, a pro bono clinic that provides therapeutic services to community members through the physical therapist assistant program.
Racine said the campus plays an important role in filling the pipeline to meet health care worker shortages in the region.
“Job readiness is so important today,” Racine said. “And getting our population ready for these positions that are open today is really critical. So we’re focused in on that and being creative and collaborative in driving opportunity for students to be successful.”
Herzing has 45 full-time staff and instructors and about 250 students at its Brookfield campus.
