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ECSU and HHC Launch State-of-the-Art Nursing Simulation Lab to Build the Future of Healthcare Workforce
September 24, 2025
Eastern Connecticut State University and Hartford HealthCare have officially opened the doors to the Eastern/HHC Center for Education, Simulation and Innovation (CESI) — a groundbreaking, hospital-based nursing simulation lab located inside Windham Hospital. This 6,500-square-foot facility is now the largest nurse-training center in eastern Connecticut and represents a bold step forward in addressing the region’s critical shortage of healthcare professionals.
This milestone marks the launch of a strategic pipeline to prepare the next generation of nurses with the skills, confidence and clinical readiness to meet the demands of modern healthcare.
“This is more than a lab — it’s a commitment to our communities,” said Donna Handley, President of Windham Hospital. “By embedding this simulation center within a hospital setting, we’re giving students a real-world environment to learn and grow. This partnership with Eastern Connecticut State University is about building a sustainable workforce that reflects the needs of our region and the values of compassionate care.”
The simulation lab is the final piece of Eastern’s new Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program, which has already enrolled its third cohort this fall. With high-fidelity medical mannequins, standardized patient rooms and specialized spaces for ICU, pediatric and geriatric care, the lab offers students immersive, hands-on training that bridges the gap between academic learning and clinical practice.
“This collaboration is a model for how health systems and universities can work together to solve workforce challenges,” said Jeffrey Flaks, President and CEO of Hartford HealthCare. “We are proud to partner with Eastern to create a learning environment that not only trains nurses but inspires them. Together, we are investing in the future of healthcare — one student, one simulation, one life-changing experience at a time.”
“With state-of-the-art manikins that simulate everything from basic nursing skills to complex medical emergencies, students are immersed in realistic, fast-paced scenarios that reflect the challenges of today’s healthcare environments,” said Stephen Donahue, System Director of Operations for the Center for Education, Simulation and Innovation (CESI) at Hartford HealthCare.
“This learning space is designed to build confidence, sharpen clinical judgment and ensure nursing students are fully prepared to deliver safe, compassionate care from day one.”
Response to growing demand for skilled nurses
Funded by a $1.2 million grant from the CT Health Horizons Initiative, the lab is a direct response to the growing demand for nurses across Connecticut. Hundreds of nursing positions remain unfilled each year, and the shortage of clinical placements and faculty has limited the capacity of nursing programs statewide.
“The opening of the nursing simulation lab at Windham Hospital marks an important step forward for Eastern’s nursing program,” said Eastern President Karim Ismaili. “In this space, our students will learn, practice and gain confidence in a setting that mirrors the realities of modern healthcare. Thanks to the partnership of Hartford HealthCare, this state-of-the-art training environment will prepare students with the technical skills, judgment and compassion needed to transform lives and address the urgent nursing shortage in Connecticut.”
The Eastern/HHC CESI will support instruction in psychiatric nursing, medical-surgical nursing, health assessment, maternity, pediatric, geriatric and community nursing. It also serves as a model for how academic institutions and healthcare systems can collaborate to create practice-ready graduates who are equipped to meet the evolving needs of patients and providers.
“I am extremely impressed with the amount of advanced equipment available in the new simulation lab,” said nursing student Miguel Torres. “While I knew the lab was coming, I didn’t expect anything of this scale. It is amazing to have this resource as part of our nursing education at Eastern, as it provides a true hospital-like experience that will prepare us for the real world.”
According to Eastern’s nursing clinicals director, Christina Nadeau, the partnership between Eastern and HHC is also meant to address the “clinical- and academic-practice gap” for new nurses by providing nursing students with more hands-on nursing practice before they graduate and enter the field.
“Today’s nursing workforce requires newly licensed nurses to graduate ready to practice in many different nursing specialties,” said Nadeau. “The Eastern/HHC Center for Education, Simulation and Innovation will immerse Eastern nursing students in an actual hospital unit environment, equipping them with knowledge, skills, and confidence to enter the nursing workforce, feeling well prepared to begin their nursing career as safe, newly licensed nurses.”
With 138 students enrolled since its inception, Eastern’s BSN program is one of the university’s fastest-growing majors — and now, with the simulation lab fully operational, it’s poised to become one of the most impactful.
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