PHSC Receives $850,000 in State Funding to Grow Nursing Programs at Wesley Chapel's Porter Campus
WESLEY CHAPEL / PASCO COUNTY, FL — Pasco-Hernando State College is getting another round of state support to help close the region's healthcare staffing gap. PHSC received an $850,000 appropriation from the Florida Legislature to expand nursing and allied health training at its Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel.
How the Funding Breaks Down
This marks the third consecutive year lawmakers have funded PHSC's Institute for Nursing & Allied Health Advancement, bringing the state's total investment to roughly $3.1 million since the institute's creation in 2024. This year's $850,000 is allocated as follows:
$800,000 to expand the college's simulation center, giving students realistic clinical training using advanced manikins, virtual reality and actors, without risking real patient safety
$300,000 to increase enrollment capacity in nursing programs
$150,000 to fund 12 additional seats in a planned dental hygiene cohort
Why the State Keeps Investing
PHSC President Eric Hall said the continued investment allows the college to respond directly to one of the region's most pressing workforce needs. The funding follows a $500,000 gift from Orlando Health in August 2025 supporting the same institute, and comes as area hospitals compete for nurses, surgical techs and dental hygienists.
Why It Matters for Wesley Chapel
With Pasco County Schools separately building an $80 million medical magnet high school in Wesley Chapel, and Superintendent John Legg citing a need for 30,000 new medical jobs regionally within five years, this PHSC funding lines up with a broader local push to build out the area's healthcare workforce pipeline from high school straight through to a nursing degree, without students needing to leave the region.
📍 PHSC Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch — 2727 Mansfield Blvd., Wesley Chapel, FL
📅 Appropriation announced: September 2026
