Winona State University and the Greater Rochester Advocates for Universities and Colleges (GRAUC) are proud to announce that the Collaborative Healthcare Simulation and Learning Center has a new home on the third floor of Winona State’s Broadway Building in downtown Rochester.
After years of planning and a successful round of grant funding from the State of Minnesota, the Collaborative Healthcare Simulation and Learning Center (SIM Center) launched in early 2025 in the Massey Building. The initiative brought together key community stakeholders, including GRAUC, Winona State University, Olmsted Medical Center, and Rochester Community and Technical College, to create a shared space for healthcare education and workforce development.
Designed as a dynamic learning lab, the SIM Center provides students and professionals from area colleges, universities, and healthcare organizations with access to advanced simulation technologies — including virtual reality (VR), standardized participants, and immersive medical scenarios — to enhance clinical training and career exploration.
“The Collaborative Healthcare Simulation and Learning Center represents a vision that GRAUC championed for many years,” said Jinny Reitmann, GRAUC Board Chair. “Its relocation to Winona State-Rochester ensures that this collaborative resource will continue to serve the region’s healthcare education needs for years to come.”
Following the February 2025 announcement of GRAUC’s planned dissolution, the organization worked closely with partners to ensure the simulation center’s sustainability. In May 2025, the GRAUC Board accepted a proposal for HealthForce Minnesota/Winona State University to assume ownership of the center’s assets, paving the way for its new chapter at Winona State-Rochester.
“We’re pleased to partner with HealthForce Minnesota to secure the future of this vital resource,” said Lori Rhudy, Interim Chief Nurse Administrator and Executive Director, Winona State-Rochester. “This collaboration ensures the SIM Center will continue to serve as a cornerstone for healthcare education in our region.”
Valerie DeFor, Executive Director of the Minnesota State HealthForce Center of Excellence, echoed the enthusiasm for the center’s future.
“HealthForce is excited to utilize the SIM Center for healthcare career exploration using the virtual reality technology,” she said. “Incorporating this equipment into events like our Scrubs Camps and other high school career exploration events offers students an innovative way to experience healthcare careers firsthand.”
Though the Collaborative Healthcare Simulation and Learning Center has relocated, its mission remains unchanged. It will continue to serve as a collaborative hub for all healthcare-related stakeholders in the Rochester area.
“This simulation center has been many years in the making and is an essential learning space for the future healthcare workers in our region,” said Rhudy. “Maintaining its collaborative nature is central to our goals as we transition the center to the Winona State-Rochester Broadway Building.”
More information on scheduling, fees, and access for the Collaborative Healthcare Simulation and Learning Center will be available in the coming weeks. Inquiries can be directed to Lori Rhudy lori.rhudy@winona.edu.
