Health Sciences Complex at Hinds to Add 480 Training Seats for Mississippi’s Healthcare Workforce
JACKSON, Miss. – AccelerateMS is supporting an expansion of Health Sciences training capacity at Hinds Community College that will add hundreds of new seats across high-demand healthcare programs and strengthen Mississippi’s healthcare workforce pipeline.
The initiative will allow Hinds to add 480 student seats in Health Sciences programs over the next three years, including 232 seats in traditional degree programs and 248 seats in short-term workforce training programs, creating additional pathways for Mississippians to enter critical healthcare careers.
To support this growth, AccelerateMS is investing nearly $3 million as part of a broader $53 million project at the college’s Rankin Campus. The new 160,000-square-foot, four-story Health Sciences facility, scheduled to open in fall 2026, will modernize training environments and provide the space needed to scale healthcare workforce programs.
“This expansion is about making sure training capacity exists where demand is greatest,” said Dr. Courtney Taylor, Executive Director of AccelerateMS. “Investments like this allow us to expand access to high-quality training and strengthen the talent pipeline for healthcare providers across the region.”
The project will increase training capacity across multiple high-demand healthcare programs, including Associate Degree Nursing, Practical Nursing, Health Care Assistant, Dental Assisting, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Emergency Medical Services (Paramedic Program), Physical Therapist Assistant, Respiratory Care Technology, Radiologic Technology, and Surgical Technology.
A key feature of the project is the development of a state-of-the-art Simulation Center designed to replicate real-world clinical environments and enhance hands-on training. The facility will also include four new Associate Degree Nursing Skills Labs equipped with hospital-grade infrastructure, advanced audiovisual technology for simulation review, and 48 hospital beds with hospital-style headwall units that mirror acute-care settings.
Additional classroom and laboratory space will allow Hinds to grow enrollment and train larger cohorts of healthcare professionals over the next three to five years.
“Mississippi continues to face shortages across critical healthcare fields,” said Dr. Ginger Robbins, Vice President of Workforce Development and Governmental Affairs at Hinds Community College. “This project increases training capacity and ensures students train on industry-standard equipment so they are prepared to enter the healthcare workforce.”
The project is supported through a braided funding strategy that combines state, institutional, and philanthropic resources to strengthen long-term healthcare training capacity in Mississippi.
Together, these investments will help ensure more Mississippians can access high-quality healthcare training while supporting employers working to meet the state’s growing demand for skilled healthcare professionals.
About AccelerateMS
AccelerateMS supports the people and businesses of Mississippi by creating and implementing workforce strategies that link individuals to transformative, high-paying careers. Through strong partnerships and effective grants management, the organization promotes sustained individual, community, and statewide economic growth.
