New MSU Nursing School Opens in Great Falls

Montana State University officially opened the Mark and Robyn Jones College of Nursing in Great Falls on Monday, Oct. 6.

The school is between The Grandview at Benefis and Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine Montana. It's a major leap forward in medical education in Montana, with technology and design supporting teaching the next generations of nurses.

MSU surprised Benefis leadership by naming the entrance gallery for Benefis. Benefis contributed the land that the school is built upon and is a longtime supporter of nursing education.

During the crush of COVID cases in 2021, the nation's nursing shortage, which had developed over time, was clear, and it "had to change," Benefis CEO John Goodnow said at the grand opening.

"We were very concerned about having enough nurses to move forward when we got the call from MSU. It took me a nanosecond to know we wanted to support this," he added. With Touro, Great Falls has an "incredible new campus for education."

The building is named for Mark and Robyn Jones, who gave $101 million to MSU for nursing education. The money is expanding MSU's nursing programs on five campuses, with the Great Falls location the first to open. Locations in Bozeman, Billings, Kalispell, and Missoula will open in 2026 and 2027.

An advanced simulation center is designed to give Bobcat student nurses real-world experience before they step into the workforce. Sarah Shannon, dean of the school, pledged "the very best education."

"John Goodnow continued the Great Falls tradition of being first with Benefis being the first of our clinical partners to step forward with a contribution," she added. "We could not be more grateful."