SEMO Board Approves Roy Blunt Health Professions Hall Project

Dearmont Hall will be removed to make way for the state-of-the-art, approximately 55,000-square-foot, three-story Roy Blunt Health Professions Hall. The project marks a major step forward in SEMO's efforts to expand and modernize its healthcare and allied health education offerings.

"This is an investment in our students and in the future of Missouri's healthcare workforce," said Dr. Carlos Vargas, president of Southeast Missouri State University. "The Roy Blunt Health Professions Hall will help ensure our students graduate ready to serve in high-need areas across the region and state."

The facility will house the Department of Allied Health, Kinesiology, and Sport Sciences and include classrooms, laboratories, a gymnasium, offices, and meeting spaces designed to support growing demand in STEM, health, life sciences, and allied health professions. Students will benefit from hands-on learning experiences in modern, purpose-built environments that reflect real-world healthcare settings.

According to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC), many of the fields that will be served by the new facility are projected to experience strong job growth in Missouri by 2030. These include:

• Athletic trainers - 23.63% growth
• Physical therapists - 16.62%
• Food scientists and technologists - 14.01%
• Exercise physiologists - 11.07%
• Dietitians and nutritionists - 8.72%

Overall, MERIC forecasts a growth of 11.60% in healthcare support occupations and 8.70% in healthcare practitioner and technical occupations across the state by 2030. Similar trends are projected nationally by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The total estimated cost for the Roy Blunt Health Professions Hall project is $28,478,400. Funding will come from a combination of federal and state sources. This includes a $10 million award from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with the remaining $18.4 million funded by capital appropriations from the State of Missouri through SEMO's Modern Campus Transformational Project.

"This project reflects SEMO's deep commitment to student success, workforce development, and service to the region," said Dr. Vargas. "We are proud to honor Senator Roy Blunt's legacy of championing health and education through this investment in our future."

Site preparation is anticipated to begin later this year, with the demolition of Dearmont Complex to follow. Construction of the Roy Blunt Health Professions Hall is expected to be completed by late 2027.

This project is supported by Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $10,000,000 with 65% ($18.4 million) financed with non-federal governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visitgov.