(1/1) During his regular December podcast, Mayor Don Briggs welcomed Mount Saint Mary’s President Timothy Trainor to present updates regarding campus initiatives.

Development is well underway for the university’s new health care facility in partnership with Frederick Regional Health system and is expected to be completed by the summer.

Officials are excited for it to provide an enhanced level of availability of health care services to students as well as be available for the public’s needs.

Recently breaking ground on a new health care facility, the Mount is moving onward and upwards to bring care to the community.

Something that was emphasized during the pandemic was the strain put upon the healthcare system and inequities regarding the distribution and availability of quality health care, Trainor said.

Addressing the need for more healthcare workers, partnering with the Seton Shrine Daughters of Charity, the Mount plans to open a graduate school of health professions in August of 2023 on the Seton Daughters Complex.

"We decided to be part of the solution," Trainor said.

Officials are in the process of designing a renovation of the Daughters’ 42,000 square feet E-Wing facility to house the graduate school of health professions.

The primary focus of the program will be for a Master of Science degree in physician assistant studies as physician assistants are expected to have some of the highest level of growth of any particular employment in the next ten years.

The graduate program is also expected to cover nursing, as well as athletic training and applied behavior analysis.

"I think it will really make a difference and it will also bring a much-needed academic program here," he said.

Visitors to the Mount can also expect to see construction to campus’s business building for expansion and renovation.

The campus’s largest academic building, the school of business is currently 50,000 square feet, but due to strong enrollment, expansion is necessary to add 15,000 feet, he said.

Renovation is expected to be completed by August 2022.

"So by the start of next academic year we will be in the new space and renovated building," he said.

As 33 percent of undergraduates are student athletes, sports are an important aspect of the Mount, and this season promises to be no different.

Even through the pandemic, Mount athletes made appearances in postseason tournaments.

Fans back in the stands this season are asked to mask up, but otherwise Mount sports are back in full swing.

Trainor is excited to see what the season holds and invites everyone to continue to be part of the season.

Regarding COVID-19, "We’ve been doing very well," Trainor said, remarking that 91% of the Mount community including students, seminarians, and employees are vaccinated.

Virus testing as well as vaccinations and booster shots are continually offered by the university

The Mount is the largest private employer in northern Frederick County and is continuously committed to keeping the doors open for students and staff.

During unprecedented times, the Mount never had to fire or furlough any staff.

"We’re committed to them because they are committed to us and helping make us successful," he said.

Both Briggs and Trainor were grateful for the opportunities to partner, collaborate, and engage together throughout the community.

"We look forward to continuing to work together to not only make the university better and make our students successful, but also to help grow this entire area and make it a wonderful place for people to live and work," Trainor said.

Mayor Don Briggs welcomed the Mount’s initiatives to provide hands-on experiences and the skills necessary to flourish.

"Day in and day out the students have been wonderful for the town and the economy, and we really appreciate that," Briggs said.