MGH Institute Expands Again in Charlestown

MGH Institute of Health Professions has expanded into a fourth building in Charlestown, a milestone celebrated during a ribbon cutting ceremony on January 11.

The 21,000 square feet in 2 Constitution Center,  located a short distance away from the school’s main campus in the Charlestown Navy Yard, was acquired to accommodate the school’s sharp growth in which the student population at the Boston health sciences graduate school has almost doubled in the past seven years to just under 1,200 students.

“This expansion marks an historic event for the Institute,” President Janis P. Bellack told the audience comprised of trustees, faculty, staff, students, alumni, neighborhood residents, and Partners HealthCare officials. “Our space now exceeds 100,000 square feet—a 50% increase in the past decade. This additional space offers our students a cutting-edge learning environment, and eases crowding in our main academic building.”

The new space includes an interactive classroom with state-of-the-art technology designed to provide a small group experience where students in nursing, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology can easily share information.

“It’s a commitment by the Institute to ensure our students have the greatest learning resources available,” declared Board of Trustees Chair George E. Thibault, MD, President of the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation. “It creates an environment that fosters interprofessional education that will make them better health care professionals.”

Two new physical therapy labs include a wireless microphones system for flexible faculty instruction, six cameras that can simultaneously broadcast on several large display screens, and improved exam tables.

Part of the new space includes the Institute’s first dedicated research space, signaling  the school’s commitment to advancing its scientific mission. The new space also includes lounge and study space overlooking the USS Constitution, better known as “Old Ironsides,” designed to encourage student interaction between and after classes.

“While the heart and soul of the Institute is its people, having this space will help to facilitate collaboration, learning, and investigation,” said Board of Trustee member Debra Weinstein, MD, Vice President for Graduate Medical Education for Partners HealthCare and chair of the Board’s Academic and Student Affairs Committee. “This space offers a glimpse into the state of health professions edu

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