Columbus State University News
Miracle Riders, Columbus State leaders dedicate School of Nursing NICU simulation lab
November 14, 2025
Scott Ressmeyer, the Miracle Riders and Columbus State University leaders celebrated the opening of a new neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) simulation lab today at Frank D. Brown Hall on Columbus State’s RiverPark Campus. The NICU sim lab is the third funded by the Miracle Riders to benefit nursing education and career readiness in the university’s School of Nursing.
The lab is named in honor of Dr. David H. Levine, a neonatologist who has cared for hundreds of infants in the Columbus area throughout his long career with Neonatology Associates P.C.
“Dr. David Levine has served the families of our region for years,” said Ressmeyer, co-owner of Country’s Barbecue and founder of the Miracle Ride. “He has been an enthusiastic supporter of the Miracle Ride since that first ride back in 2009, and he provided his guidance and expertise as Columbus State University nursing leaders planned this lab. Last year, when we decided proceeds from the 2024 and 2025 rides would be used to develop the new NICU lab, honoring Dr. Levine in this way immediately came to mind.”
“The generosity of the Miracle Riders and our entire community will provide for the
CSU School of Nursing a neonatal simulation laboratory that will be one of a handful
in Georgia and will have the very latest state-of-the-art equipment,” Levine (pictured
speaking at the ribbon-cutting) said. “This is a great gift to the entire community,
as it will allow us to train not only nurses, but also medical students and residents,
NICU nurses and other staff, as well as first responders in the region. It will make
it possible for them to learn what to do for newborns in emergency situations before
they are ever faced with a real-life emergency. The vision of Scott Ressmeyer and
others on the team will produce an impact far beyond Columbus, Georgia, for years
to come.”
During their 21-day, 34-state trek in May, the Miracle Riders covered more than 9,500 miles delivering letters from Columbus-area residents as part of their inaugural Pony Express ride. They presented CSU President Stuart Rayfield with a ceremonial check representing $227,950 at the riders’ return celebration in Uptown Columbus on May 23.
The Miracle Riders have supported the Columbus State School of Nursing since 2021, when they established a multi-year fundraising goal of $1 million to enhance the school’s pediatric nursing program. The most recent ride brought them more than 80 percent of the way toward that goal.
“We’re committed to providing our Columbus State nursing students a world-class education. Thanks to the Miracle Riders’ partnership, our students have access to learning technology that rivals schools of nursing in Georgia and throughout the United States,” said Dr. Margie Yates, dean of the College of Education & Health Professions.
The 2022 ride funded life-like robotic mannequins, technology and other enhancements for a new pediatric simulation lab. Funds raised in 2023 provided similar technology and enhancements for the school’s mother-baby simulation lab. The 2024 ride provided initial funding for the new NICU simulation lab, and proceeds from this year’s ride provided the remaining funds required to make it a reality.
The new lab will provide opportunities for Columbus State student nurses, area NICU nurses and other local healthcare providers to train together in their care of premature infants.
President Stuart Rayfield, wearing her honorary Miracle Rider vest, speaking at the
ribbon-cutting.
“These sim labs and the Miracle Riders’ support have become integral to preparing
our nursing students for the specialized skills required of pediatric nursing and
neonatal care,” Rayfield said. “In addition to broadening our ability to provide students with hands-on experience,
I’m most excited about how opening our sim labs to practicing nurses will give our
students additional opportunities to learn alongside experienced healthcare professionals.”
Columbus State University nursing students care for the infant "patients" in the NICU
simulation lab.
The NICU sim lab will feature a premature baby mannequin from Laerdal, a world leader
in medical simulation technology and education. The mannequin’s name is Paul, derived
from the Latin word for “little one.” It will also include a simulation radiant warmer
bed designed to keep the infant’s temperature regulated, and routine and emergency
equipment scaled to the premature infant. There will also be “skill trainers” scaled
to the premature infant for practice in procedures such as inserting intravenous needles
in scalp veins and completing heel sticks for lab blood draws.
About the Miracle Ride
The Miracle Ride began in 2009 when Scott Ressmeyer (pictured) set out alone on a ride through the
48 contiguous states to celebrate his 50th birthday and raise funds for the Children’s
Hospital at Midtown Medical Center in Columbus. An additional 29 motorcyclists joined
the ride over the next six years, raising $1.2 million for the hospital’s pediatric
services.
After meeting their initial goal, the riders broadened their fundraising efforts to include other local services for children, and in 2015, they established the Miracle Ride Fund in the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley. Since that inaugural ride in 2009, generous individual donors and corporate sponsors have gifted nearly $3 million to support services for children. The riders pay all their own expenses on their annual cross-country trips. Collectively, they have spent more than $825,000 of their own money to participate in the rides.
Donations to support the Miracle Riders’ partnership with the School of Nursing can be made online through the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley’s website. Visit the university's Flickr account for more photos from the ribbon-cutting.
Media contacts:
Columbus State University: Michael Tullier, APR, Executive Director of Strategic Communication + Marketing, 706.507.8729, mtullier@columbusstate.edu
Miracle Riders: Marion Scott, marion.scott120@gmail.com
