PRINCESS ANNE — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore will open its new Pharmacy and Health Sciences Complex on Friday, April 28 at 11 a.m.

The University System of Maryland chancellor Jay Perman and representatives from the local, state, and federal government are anticipated to be in attendance.

The event officially christens the cornerstone of its plan for advancing health care on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It will consist of a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tours of the $90 million, 130,000 square-foot facility.

A reception with light refreshments will follow the ceremony. The new building will also play host to an opening banquet later that evening recognizing the contributions of members of the School of Pharmacy as well as members of the community.

The opening of the Pharmacy and Health Professions Building is the next step in concentrating the university’s nine health programs and six academic departments — kinesiology, physical therapy, physician assistant, rehabilitation services, pharmaceutical sciences, and pharmacy practice & administration — in one location.

In all, UMES has the most health professions programs among all Historically Black Colleges and Universities nationally.

“As a pharmacist myself, this new facility has very special meaning for me,” UMES President Heidi M. Anderson said. “This new complex will foster collaboration and better prepare our students to address the most pressing health issues of our time – particularly for our rural communities.”

The new Pharmacy and Health Professions Building is comprised of two phases.

Phase one of the complex features a state-of-the-art facility containing classrooms, offices, research laboratories, a community and hospital Pharmacy practice space, and simulation laboratories. This learning environment will house the pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences programs while accommodating interprofessional activities with UMES’s allied health programs.

The second phase of the project, which will follow after funds are secured, will consist of the construction of a facility that will include simulation laboratories, classrooms, and collaborative spaces for the university’s physical therapy, physician assistant, rehabilitation, and kinesiology programs while fostering interdisciplinary study.

Located in an area of the campus that has seen significant development in the past decade with the construction of the nearby Engineering and Aviation Sciences Complex in 2016, this new investment allows UMES to consolidate all of the disciplines into one complex and helps steer the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions toward fulfilling its mission of preparing health care professionals and advocates to lead change in the field through interprofessional education, research, and service on the local, state, national and global levels.

Students in SPHP programs are actively involved with faculty and community initiatives to improve the health and well-being of citizens.

Some of those initiatives include helping distribute COVID-19 vaccines through clinics for Somerset County citizens as well as collaborations with TidalHealth and other community organizations.

All visitors are reminded to stop by the Campus Police Station on south side of campus to obtain a temporary parking permit when visiting.