Everybody's Business: Jersey College expands

After offering nursing education for adult professionals in east Tampa for the past five years, Jersey College has expanded into a newly designed campus featuring a hands-on simulation center.

The college opened a 40,000-square-foot facility in July at 3625 Queen Palm Drive in Sabal Park, featuring observation rooms, computer labs, classrooms, a library and a cafeteria.

The Goforth Learning Center is dedicated in memory of Cheryl Goforth, who died last year after serving as a registered nurse and former chief nursing officer at Brandon Regional Hospital and Northside Hospital. Jersey College campus administrator Maggie Garberg said Goforth was "instrumental" in bringing the New Jersey-based college to Florida, opening its first campus in Tampa in 2009.

Formerly the Center for Allied Health and Nursing Education, Jersey College is a private post-secondary institution accredited by the Council on Occupational Education, licensed by the Florida Commission for Independent Education and approved by the Florida Board of Nursing.

In 2003, the school began in Teterboro, N.J. It has campuses in Ewing, N.J., as well as Jacksonville and Fort Lauderdale.

"Health care is strong right now," Garberg said. "Everyone has an interest. We've got a lot of things coming."

The school has an enrollment of about 400, largely nontraditional students, Garberg said. Although some are recent high school graduates, the median age is 30.

A 15-member staff teaches two programs: a licensed practical nurse course for those who want to become nurses and a registered nurse bridge curriculum for those who are nurses already. Day and evening classes are available to those who are looking for a career change or need advanced certifications.

Garberg said most graduates end up working in the local community in the home health care or long-term health care fields, or at local medical centers, including Brandon Regional Hospital and Lakeland Regional Medical Center.

Garberg said a third program that takes students straight to their registered nurse certification is in the works.

To learn more about Jersey College, visit jerseycollege.edu.

Catch Twenty Three comes to FishHawk

FishHawk Ranch residents recently discovered that the restaurant at 16132 Churchview Drive in Park Square has a new tenant for the third time in less than a year.

Catch Twenty Three, a sushi, seafood and live music destination, has opened in the venue formerly known as 2K & Co. Before that, it was the long-standing Park Square Cellar.

Catch Twenty Three is a spinoff of the original Westchase location, which Tampa residents have frequented since 2002. In addition to its sushi happy hour all day on Tuesdays, the restaurant offers $4.99 burger Mondays and $12 New York strip steaks on Thursday nights.

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For those who came for the wine during the previous two incarnations, rest assured that Catch Twenty Three has plenty of spirits as well. There is a full bar and a patio.

The restaurant opens at 4:30 p.m. daily. Call (813) 681-4989.

If you know of something that should be Everybody's Business, email Eric Vician at ericvician@yahoo.com.