The Virginia Commonwealth University School of Allied Health Professions on Monday “topped out” its new building, marking the placement of the highest steel beam on the building’s eight-story structural frame.

“It has been a long road to get here and it is finally happening, so it’s a joyous time,” said Cecil B. Drain, Ph.D., dean of the School of Allied Health Professions. In his 20 years as dean, Drain has made it a personal mission to unite the school’s programs, which have occupied as many as 13 buildings in the past 45 years and are currently scattered among five buildings on two campuses.

The new 154,000-square-foot facility will, for the first time, centralize all 11 of the school’s academic units.

“Now you have a building that reflects the quality of work that you do, and that has been a long time coming,” said Marsha Rappley, M.D., CEO of VCU Health System and VCU vice president of health sciences. Rappley commended the more than 60 faculty, staff, alumni and community members in attendance for their contributions to the school’s successful national rankings.

Programs housed in the School of Allied Health Professions consistently rank among the best in the country. In March, U.S. News & World Report named the Department of Nurse Anesthesia’s graduate program as No. 1 in the country. The publication also ranked the school’s Department of Health Administration in the top three among its peers. Overall, five programs in the school are ranked by the publication in the top 20.

“This building will be state-of-the-art, as it should be because the academic programs are state-of-the-art,” said Michael Rao, Ph.D., president of VCU and VCU Health System.

The LEED Silver-designed building will be L-shaped, with a west-facing eight-story wing and a south-facing four-story wing. Each of the building’s eight floors will feature formal and informal spaces designed to promote interprofessional education and collaboration. The building will also feature cutting-edge learning laboratories for human simulation, diagnostic technology, rehabilitation and counseling education. Flexible classrooms will promote student engagement and foster distance-learning opportunities.

“This new building will be an amazing learning lab for VCU’s skilled faculty and staff,” said Harry Thalhimer, chair of the MCV Foundation’s board of trustees. “The new facilities will add to the improved footprint of VCU Health, putting us on the path to becoming the premier academic health center on the East Coast and beyond.”