App State Hickory’s new Nursing Simulation Lab gives students a realistic setting to practice patient care and clinical skills. Jennifer White, director of healthcare simulation and innovative learning in the Beaver College of Health Sciences’ Department of Nursing, right, is pictured with App State Doctor of Nursing Practice-Family Nurse Practitioner (DNP-FNP) students Alexandra Piazza, left, and Emilee Dockery, center, in the new lab. White is holding a high-fidelity infant manikin simulator called Newborn Tory, which is used by DNP-FNP students to practice infant simulation education in the nursing simulation lab. Photo by Chase Reynolds
HICKORY, N.C. — During its Oct. 12 Celebration of Community Partnerships event at the Hickory campus, Appalachian State University recognized five community partners for helping the university expand clinical services, strengthen rural healthcare outreach and launch a new Doctor of Nursing Practice-Family Nurse Practitioner (DNP) program in the Catawba Valley region.
The partners include three regional health care systems — Catawba Valley Health System, UNC Health Blue Ridge and UNC Health Caldwell — along with the Caldwell Memorial Hospital Foundation and Golden LEAF Foundation.
“The incredible support and partnerships we’ve developed with the region’s healthcare systems and the Golden LEAF Foundation have been key to our success in expanding clinical outreach services in the region, and launching new academic programs to ensure we are poised to meet the healthcare workforce needs of the region,” said Dr. Marie Huff, dean of the Beaver College of Health Sciences.
App State Doctor of Nursing Practice-Family Nurse Practitioner (DNP-FNP) students Jennifer Gibson, left, and Mary Bigelow, right, are pictured in the new Nursing Simulation Lab at App State Hickory, practicing suture and skin biopsy techniques using simulated skin pads under the guidance of DNP-FNP program director Dr. Anna S. Hamrick. Photo by Chase Reynolds
The university honored donors with signage across several clinical, academic and community spaces on the campus’s second floor:
- Catawba Valley Health System — Appalachian Institute for Health and Wellness (App Well) Interprofessional Clinic
- Caldwell Memorial Hospital Foundation — Community Education Group Room
- UNC Health Blue Ridge — Nursing Simulation Lab and classroom space
- UNC Health Caldwell — High-Fidelity Simulation Room and Breakout Debrief Conference Room
- Golden LEAF Foundation — DNP-FNP program and equipment
“Thanks to these organizations, we were able to enhance the new Nursing Simulation Lab and academic space for the DNP-FNP program, including a high-fidelity patient simulator used for student instruction, and provide additional clinical and educational outreach services for children and older adults through App Well’s Aging Well and Growing Well programs, both housed in the Interprofessional Clinic,” Huff said.
Pictured at the entrance of the new Nursing Simulation Lab at App State’s Hickory campus are UNC Health Blue Ridge President and CEO Gary Paxson, left, and UNC Health Blue Ridge Vice President and Chief External Affairs Officer Danette Brackett. UNC Health Blue Ridge served as a donor supporting the new space. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Pictured is the new Nursing Simulation Lab at App State’s Hickory campus, created as part of second-floor renovations to the facility. The new space serves students in the university’s hybrid Doctor of Nursing Practice-Family Nurse Practitioner program, which launched this fall. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Supporting the DNP-FNP program
This fall, the college’s cohort of 24 DNP-FNP students began the hybrid program, which includes one week of intensive instruction at the Hickory campus each semester. While at Hickory, students work with nursing faculty to refine their skills using the state-of-the-art simulation lab. The lab features realistic examination spaces, advanced patient simulators, wearable medical technology and an electronic health record system.
Dr. Anna S. Hamrick, director of the DNP-FNP program, said students bring an average of seven years of registered nursing experience to the program, and that approximately half of the cohort lives in a rural county in North Carolina.
“Our students told us they were drawn to App State’s program due to its flexibility, the reputation of the Mountaineer nursing program and the faculty’s emphasis on preparing competent and caring health providers to serve in rural and underserved communities,” she said.
The Nursing Simulation Lab features eight examination spaces designed to replicate an outpatient clinic setting as well as the high-fidelity simulation space, equipped with technology and equipment commonly used in a hospital or intensive care setting. The space also includes dedicated space for academic instruction.
Visit App State Online to learn more about the university’s DNP-FNP program. The application deadline for admission to the program’s fall 2027 cohort is Feb. 1, 2027.
Pictured at App State’s Hickory campus, in front of the new, second-floor space for the Appalachian Institute for Health and Wellness Interprofessional Clinic, are Catawba Valley Health System representatives, including, from left to right: Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President Michelle Lusk; Chief Medical Officer Dr. Phillip Greene; Director of Wellness Services and App State alumnus Marcus Osborne ’02, who also serves on the Beaver College of Health Sciences Advisory Board; President and CEO Dennis Johnson; Assistant Vice President of Nursing Jackie Miller; and Catawba Medical Foundation Director of Development Tracey Bolick. The Catawba Valley Health System served as a donor supporting the new space. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Enhancing healthcare services and outreach
The new space for the Interprofessional Clinic on the campus’s second floor has a streamlined layout designed with the needs of patients in mind, including patient privacy, said Bryan Belcher, App Well Interprofessional Clinic director. The original clinic, on the first floor of the building, was one of the first programs established when the Hickory campus opened and utilized a retrofitted space.
“With the new space, we are better equipped to serve children and adult patients with high resource needs,” said Belcher. “I love the fact that we are able to deliver a high-quality clinical experience to our patients and families while training App State students who are part of the care team to provide services and interact with patients and families.”
Belcher added that, through the clinic’s Growing Well and Aging Well programs, “App State is offering specialized services in the area that no one else is providing, and we receive an incredible amount of positive feedback from our clients every day.”
The Growing Well clinic is available for patients on Thursdays. Aging Well health screenings and educational services are offered on an ongoing basis. Later this year, the clinic plans to begin offering audiology services.
“Older adults have embraced the Aging Well services here, and we frequently provide gait and balance assessments, nutrition consultations and education to groups,” said Belcher. “Our Growing Well clinic is another example of strong community partnerships. We appreciate the referrals we receive from the local neonatal intensive care unit and pediatric practices to connect us with infants and children who may be experiencing a developmental delay and need an assessment or diagnosis.”
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The program, launching in fall 2026, will develop the next generation of rural health care leaders
$2M Vaya Health grant supports clinic’s expansion this spring
About the Beaver College of Health Sciences
Appalachian State University’s Beaver College of Health Sciences (BCHS), opened in 2010, is transforming the health and quality of life for the communities it serves through interprofessional collaboration and innovation in teaching, scholarship, service and clinical outreach. The college enrolls more than 3,600 students and offers 10 undergraduate degree programs, nine graduate degree programs and four certificates across seven departments: Kinesiology, Nursing, Nutrition and Health Care Management, Public Health, Recreation Management and Physical Education, Rehabilitation Sciences, and Social Work. The college’s academic programs are located in the Holmes Convocation Center on App State’s main campus and the Levine Hall of Health Sciences, a state-of-the-art, 203,000-square-foot facility that is the cornerstone of Boone’s Wellness District. In addition, the college supports the Appalachian Institute for Health and Wellness and has collaborative partnerships with the Wake Forest University School of Medicine’s Physician Assistant Program, UNC Health Appalachian and numerous other health agencies. Learn more at https://healthsciences.appstate.edu.
About the Department of Nursing
The Department of Nursing in Appalachian State University’s Beaver College of Health Sciences provides an evidence-based nursing education in an intellectually stimulating and challenging environment that is designed to prepare the beginning nursing professional with the knowledge and skills to practice in diverse settings in a highly complex health care system. The department offers two accredited Bachelor of Science programs: the nursing pre-licensure program and the online RN to BSN program, designed for current registered nurses seeking the bachelor’s degree. The department also offers a Master of Science in nursing program that prepares registered nurses for leadership roles as educators. Learn more at https://nursing.appstate.edu.
About the Appalachian Institute for Health and Wellness
The Appalachian Institute for Health and Wellness (App Well) connects Appalachian State University to the community by supporting health and wellness research, interprofessional clinics and community outreach programs. The institute partners with the community to better prepare students to become exceptional practitioners who will continue to address health issues and disparities throughout the region and beyond. Learn more at https://appwell.appstate.edu.
About Appalachian State University
As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.
The program, launching in fall 2026, will develop the next generation of rural health care leaders
$2M Vaya Health grant supports clinic’s expansion this spring
![The Catawba Valley has a healthcare provider shortage. App State has a program to help [faculty featured]](/_images/_posts/2026/10/healthcare-provider-shortage-600x400.jpg)
