Jones College recently celebrated a major milestone in healthcare education with the grand opening of the Robert C. “Bobby” Robbins, M.D. Hospital Simulation Center. This 10,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art training facility brings real-world hospital experiences to students on the campus where Dr. Robbins grew up.
The new, five-million-dollar facility features more than $2.5 million in advanced technology, including an eight-bed emergency department, eight-bed intensive care unit, operating and maternal–child suites, a simulated pharmacy with a pneumatic tube system, and a “Sim Apartment” for home health and disaster-response scenarios. More than 36 cameras and three control rooms allow faculty to monitor, record, and review student performance in lifelike situations.
“This Simulation Center is more than a building. This is an investment in our students, in the future of healthcare, and in the communities we serve,” said Dr. Tessa Flowers, Jones College Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer. “We are so proud to see this vision come to life.”
The center honors Dr. Robert C. “Bobby” Robbins, a Jones County native, 1977 Jones College graduate, a cardiothoracic surgeon, and university president whose leadership has shaped global healthcare and higher education. Robbins, now a visiting fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, called the dedication the greatest honor of his career.
“It’s overwhelming and incredibly humbling,” Robbins said. “I literally grew up on this campus. The chemistry building sits where my grandparents’ home once stood and where I lived. Jones made me who I am, and this center will make future generations ready for day-one in the hospital or clinic.”
Jones College President, Dr. Jesse Smith said the new facility marks “a new era of excellence in healthcare education.”
“This is a vital part of what is needed in our community, not only economically, but also for the health and safety of our people,” Smith said. “Our students are graduating ready to serve, and this Center ensures they will be confident, competent, and collaborative healthcare professionals.”
Dean of Health Sciences at Jones College, Dr. Benji Sessums helped lead the two-year development of the facility. He said the center bridges classroom learning and real-life experience.
“Students can make critical decisions, lead teams, and see patient responses in real time,” Sessums explained. “Our simulators breathe, blink, cry, even deliver babies. The ‘Sim Apartment’ allows students to practice home health and telemedicine scenarios that reflect where healthcare is headed.”
For Jones College students, the opportunity to train in such a realistic environment is a game-changer.
“This is going to be awesome,” said Julie Harvey, a sophomore nursing student from Petal. “We’ll be able to experience things here that we wouldn’t get to do until we reach the hospital. It’s a safe setting where we can learn, make mistakes, and gain confidence.”
Alexis Knight, a radiology student from Seminary, said the new surgical suite’s C-arm X-ray machine will give students a head start in operating-room procedures.
“Previous classes didn’t get to use one until they went into surgery,” Knight said. “Now we get to practice positioning and imaging before we ever step into a hospital.”
Radiology students are also using state-of-the-art pediatric and infant mannikins to help them work with placing infants properly for X-rays and nursing students are able to work with infants in the NICU lab. Dr. Flowers noted that the Center not only supports Jones College’s nursing, EMS, and allied health students, but also regional hospitals, emergency responders, and community programs such as CPR and disaster-preparedness training.
“This facility will serve the entire region,” Flowers said. “It’s a place where learning meets leadership, and where Mississippi’s healthcare future begins.”
The Robert C. Robbins, M.D. Hospital Simulation Center aligns with national standards for simulation excellence and positions Jones College as a regional hub for healthcare workforce development. For more information, contact Dr. Sessums by email at: benji.sessums@jcjc.edu or check out the website, https://www.jcjc.edu/
