Construction work has begun on two of three new clinical training facilities in the Canberra region.
A joint initiative between the University of Canberra (UC) and the Australian National University (ANU) will see the facilities operating as part of the South East NSW Health Collaborative project.
Executive Dean of the UC Faculty of Health, Michelle Lincoln said that the $8 million federally funded project was a significant investment in rural healthcare, addressing important issues of accessibility to healthcare in regional areas.
“These facilities will also create huge potential for collaboration, meaningful exchange and professional development, and help to grow the involvement of our UC Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health students in the hospital and broader community,” Professor Lincoln said.
Director of the ANU Medical School, Imogen Mitchell said the partnership would see ANU medical students learn from high-quality frontline health services in Cooma and create a cohort of graduates who understand the importance and value of working in rural, remote and regional communities.
“We are looking forward to a new and exciting chapter working with UC and the Cooma community to deliver excellence in student teaching and experience,” Professor Mitchell said.
A sod-turning ceremony at Cooma Hospital and Health Services in early August was followed a week later by a groundbreaking ceremony at the South East Regional Hospital in Bega.
A groundbreaking event at the third facility in Moruya is planned for the future.
The South East NSW Health Collaborative facilities are expected to see completion in late March 2020.
