St. Mary’s Center for Education celebrates grand opening of new educational wing with ribbon-cutting ceremony

Leaders from Marshall Health Network, St. Mary's Medical Center, St. Mary's Schools of Nursing and Health Professions and Aetna Better Health of West Virginia, along with students from the St. Mary's School of Nursing, cut the ribbon to celebrate the opening of the Aetna Better Health of West Virginia Educational Wing in the St. Mary's Center for Education Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025.

The St. Mary’s Center for Education celebrated the grand opening of a new educational wing Wednesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The Aetna Better Health of West Virginia Educational Wing expands the 58,000 square-foot Center for Education (CFE) with an additional 7,000 square feet, housing two large classrooms with a 90-seat capacity and podium presentation capability. The additional space also creates laboratory and simulation learning spaces, as well as a fitness room for faculty and staff. The CFE is the home of the St. Mary’s Schools of Nursing, Respiratory Care, Medical Imaging, and Sonography. The expansion will enable an increase in enrollment of up to 95 students per cohort twice a year.

The expansion was made possible by gifts totaling more than $2.4 million from Aetna Better Health of West Virginia.

“This expansion represents more than just additional classroom space — it’s an investment in the future of nursing education and in the health of our community,” said Joey Trader, EdD, MSN, RN, vice president of the St. Mary’s Schools of Nursing and Health Professions and director of the St. Mary’s School of Nursing. “We are deeply grateful to Aetna Better Health of West Virginia for their generosity and belief in our mission. Because of their support, we can welcome more students who feel called to serve and strengthen the health care workforce for generations to come.”

Aetna Better Health of West Virginia is part of Aetna and the CVS Health family and has been serving West Virginians who use Medicaid services for more than 30 years — from kids, adults and seniors to people with disabilities or other serious health issues. 

As part of their gift in 2021, Aetna Better Health of West Virginia endowed a $100,000 scholarship for CFE nursing students, easing the financial burden for two students so far. The next recipient will be awarded in the spring.

The St. Mary’s School of Nursing was founded in 1926 and is the oldest nursing program of its kind still in operation in West Virginia.

“As the St. Mary’s School of Nursing prepares to celebrate 100 years of excellence in nursing education next year, we are grateful to Aetna for their generosity that allows us to continue preparing the next generation of nurses who provide the compassionate, skilled care that defines St. Mary’s,” said Angie Swearingen, president, St. Mary’s Medical Center.

To learn more about the Schools of Nursing and Health Professions at St. Mary’s, visit www.st-marys.org/careers-and-education.