Insider Report: NKU Health Innovation Center looks to educate next generation on opioid crisis

Northern Kentucky University Provost Sue Ott Rowlands said she knows graduates working in the region will have to be equipped to deal with the opioid crisis and the slew of problems addiction creates, which is why she has supported curriculum like a proposed micro-credential in Substance Use Disorder and a Bachelor’s degree in Human Services and Addictions. Ott Rowlands said she expects those programs to expand, especially with the opening of the $105 million Health Innovation Center in the summer. The facility boasts 125,000 square feet that includes 21 classrooms, 3,000 square feet of simulation labs, space for up to 50 hospital beds and imaging suites -- all furnished with state-of-the-art technology. A $97 million state allocation and an $8 million gift from St. Elizabeth Healthcare funded the building.