New hi-tech training facility for next-gen health workers

A new state-of-the-art clinical education centre at the Sydney Adventist Hospital was officially opened by the Federal Minister for Health, the Hon Peter Dutton at the beginning of November.

The $17.7 million facility was funded by the public and private sector and is home to the Sydney Adventist Hospital Clinical School of The University of Sydney (SAHCS), the first fully-fledged private hospital clinical school in NSW.

It is also home to the Avondale College of Higher Education Faculty of Nursing and Health.

The Centre aims to help address shortages in the health workforce caused by limited training opportunities and will provide education and training for health professionals, including medical, nursing, midwifery, pharmacy, radiation science, orthoptics, occupational therapy, dietetics, and physiotherapy.

“The facility will enable an integrated approach to clinical training, with students from a range of diverse disciplines training together at the one purpose-built site,” Mr Dutton said.

The Centre’s design and information and technology services maximise learning, information sharing, inter-institution document access, inter-disciplinary teaching and simulation opportunities.

AARNet is providing the high capacity network connections linking the Centre and the Sydney University and Avondale College campuses, and network connections for eligible traffic at the Seventh Day Adventist Hospital.

“Australia is facing a critical shortage of doctors, nurses and other health professions and attracting new people into the health system is crucial. To do this we must continue to find new and innovative ways to train and retain health care professionals and this Centre at Adventist Hospital is a great example of best practice.

“The Centre, with its many partners working together will present more diverse opportunities for students, and give the clinicians working outside the public system an opportunity to teach. And we know that health services that teach, deliver better patient outcomes,” Mr Dutton said.

Here’s a video from the opening  day: