The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) Albert A. Sheen Campus on St. Croix has a major construction project underway, viewable from the main entrance off Queen Mary Highway. Across from the Research and Technology (RT) Park, a Simulation Center for the Medical School is being built. While the official groundbreaking ceremony took place March 3, 2016, the development is now making noticeable progress.
The overarching goals of adding the School of Medicine to the University of the Virgin Islands are to improve health for residents territory-wide, as well as stimulate the economies of both St. Croix and St. Thomas. Per a mid-2015 Economic Impact Study, the positive stimulus from the Medical School Simulation Center could be $30 million annually.
In terms of the national impact of the medical school, it has the potential to become the first new med school at a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in more than 30 years. Among the 106 HBCUs in the United States, only three of them include medical schools.
The UVI Medical School Simulation Center is a project of springboard construction and springline architects out of St. Thomas. They are partnering with BECK Architecture out of Tampa.