Clarksville, TN – The Clarksville-Montgomery County Community Health Foundation (CMCCHF) recently committed to a gift of $3 million to the Austin Peay State University Foundation. The gift will be used exclusively to establish the CMC Community Health Foundation Equipment & Building Fund with the APSU Foundation, to support the Health Professions Building and additional equipment needs.
“This financial support will be the foundation for long-lasting effects on the prosperity and health of our community,” said Joey Smith, chair of the CMCCHF and director of the Montgomery County Health Department.
The mission of the CMCCHF is to promote the general health of the residents of Clarksville, Montgomery County, the five contiguous counties of Northern Middle Tennessee and Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Since 2009, the CMCCHF has helped hundreds of non-profits who give back to the local community. For information on the CMCCHF, visit communityhealthfoundation.org.
“This partnership will be beneficial for both this University and the surrounding community,” APSU Interim President Dannelle Whiteside said. “We are proud to have the faithful support of the CMCCHF and Clarksville Volunteer Health, Inc. They are helping us to continue producing graduates who will go on to make a difference in the communities in which they will serve.”
The Health Professions Building will consolidate the APSU School of Nursing and the departments of allied health sciences, psychological science and counseling, health and human performance and social work into one facility. The building will also provide active-learning classrooms and collaborative-learning spaces for student use. It will house clinical spaces, which will be accessible to the community.
“We envision the APSU Health Professions Building as a transformative force in contributing to positive educational and health outcomes for the greater Clarksville Region,” Dr. Tucker Brown, dean of the APSU College of Behavioral and Health Sciences said. “The generous support of the Clarksville Montgomery County Health Foundation forwards this vision and further cements our commitment to the health and wellness of the community.”
If the project is approved by the Tennessee General Assembly, the design phase is expected to begin in fall 2021, with construction commencing in 2022. Construction is expected to last approximately 18 months, and the building is projected to open before the fall 2024 semester.
“I am very pleased with the decision to provide these funds to further the expertise and options for those who choose to work in healthcare,” Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett said. “This investment is a valuable and crucial step in the future health of our growing community, and one that will have a positive long- term impact for Clarksville-Montgomery County.”
“The Health Professions Building at APSU is exactly the kind of project that the Community Health Foundation was set up to support,” Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts said. “It’s a great use of these resources to improve our future health education and health outcomes across the entire Clarksville-Montgomery County community. I think it’s symbolic that this plan came together while we’re all focused on public health and battling the coronavirus pandemic.”
“To date, Clarksville Volunteer Health, Inc. has given the Foundation some $24 million,” Volunteer Health Board Chair Bill Wyatt said. “The money that the Foundation gives away in grants promotes healthcare in our community. Our board is pleased that the Foundation used some of this money to help fund the new Health Professions Building at Austin Peay, as it will be a much needed building to teach and train health professionals in our area.”
To support APSU fundraising initiatives, contact the Office of University Advancement at 931.221.7127.
