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The �㽶��Ƶ welcomed more than 200 community partners, faculty, staff and students to a groundbreaking Thursday, Sept. 21, for the CF Center for Nursing, held in partnership with the Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership.

“This is a great day for the college, our health care providers and the citizens of our community,” said Dr. Jim Henningsen, CF president. “Each of you here today has played a role in this project, because it truly takes partnerships to create success!”

Infrastructure is in place and construction has started on the $20 million capital expansion project, with funding provided by the Florida Legislature, Marion County Hospital District and Marion County Commission.

The two-story, 42,500-gross-square-foot building will include six classrooms, three skills labs, six simulation exam rooms and a testing lab. It will serve 325 Nursing students in associate and bachelor’s degree programs. The first classes are expected to be offered in the building in January 2025.

In spring 2023, CF received a $6.7 million Linking Industry to Nursing Education grant from the Florida Legislature to expand its nursing program. CF’s Associate Degree Nursing program was named the 2023 Best RN Program in Florida by RegisteredNursing.org.

To learn more about the CF Debbie Ressler Nursing program, visit .