Healthcare alliance enters final stages of Cox North project

Donning hard hats and safety vests, Alliance for Healthcare Education board members toured a section of Cox North Hospital being transformed into classrooms and laboratory spaces for the future health professionals.

The pipes and steel beams are still exposed, the railing is missing from the stairway, and the ceilings, walls and flooring are unfinished.

The $15 million project – paid for by state funding – has entered its final stages. The alliance expects to move into most of the renovated spaces by the end of July. Students are expected to be able to learn in the alliance’s expanded footprint during the 2026-27 year.

“We’re looking to get all of our classrooms ready by July 31. There will be some areas of the building that will not be completely done at that time,” said Travis Shaw, deputy superintendent of operations for Springfield Public Schools, during a May 6 board meeting. “But it’s not going to affect the opening of the fall semester.”

Shaw, who retires June 30, provided oversight of the more than 40,000-square-foot project along with Rob Rector, executive vice chancellor of administrative services at Ozarks Technical Community College.

“We’ve still got a lot of work to do, but we’re hopeful … that we’re not going to see too many more surprises,” Shaw said. “We are past that point where things are getting uncovered.”

Formed in 2023, the alliance is a partnership between CoxHealth, Missouri State University, Ozarks Tech and SPS to address workforce shortages. The entities, and their educational and workforce affiliates, banded together to provide a streamlined, affordable pathway into a wide range of healthcare careers.

The project was designed by Paragon Architecture LLC, and DeWitt and Associates Inc. is the general contractor.

MSU and Ozarks Tech have been expanding their offerings and absorbing programs as Cox College, a private institution housed at the Cox North Hospital, prepares to close next year. Programs are open to a range of students, starting in high school.

Shaw said there have been unexpected expenses, including overtime for skilled trades, but they will not exceed the contingency fund set up for the project or increase the maximum price guaranteed in the contract.

“The contractor has been looking at what trades can we accelerate by putting money toward overtime,” he said.

Shaw described a recent flooring issue as the “biggest hiccup,” noting the material chosen for the flooring was not adhering properly because of residue left behind when the old flooring was removed.

He said the solution cost an additional $224,000, but the overage was absorbed by the furniture, fixtures and equipment or FFE budget, which is separate from the construction contingency. It did not impact the overall scope of the project, he said.

Rector said the solution included treating the surface of the concrete, putting a sealer down and then adhering the new flooring. He said anything less might have forfeited the warranty for the new floors.

“We didn’t take it lightly,” he said. “We went through our due diligence and wanted to make sure we could really find a solution that made sense.”

At the end of the meeting, the board briefly discussed adding signage to the entrances of the alliance campus at Cox North. The main entrance is located at 1423 N. Jefferson Ave.

Tina Pham-Morgan, operations director for the alliance, presented options for the organization’s logo to use either “The Alliance” or the “The Alliance for Healthcare Education” on entrance signage. Board members said they preferred spelling out the entire name.

She agreed to provide the board with cost estimates before moving forward, noting the amount will likely be covered by leftover funds from the construction contingency fund or interest that has been generated by the state funding.

“We will run with this one and get some final numbers and a timeline on when that can happen,” she said.