New medical training facilities officially open at Warwick

The first of Griffith University’s Darling Downs medical training and accommodation facilities opened today in Warwick, featuring a 60-chair seminar room, 24-bed hostel and a 6-chair dental clinic.

The $4.39 million facility was officially opened by Health Minister Lawrence Springborg.

Mr Springborg said Griffith University received a total of $8.3 million from the Australian Government’s Increased Clinical Training Capacity scheme to construct a network of facilities that would support growth in clinical placements.

“The funding will also be used to construct similar facilities at Kingaroy and Stanthorpe hospitals, as well as minor works to support clinical placement capacity,” Mr Springborg said.

Mr Springborg said he is enormously supportive of the partnership between the Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service and Griffith University and believed great outcomes would result.

“Having access to this student population will allow Queensland Health to actively recruit future staff and should provide a significant boost to the future health workforce,” he said.

“This project will expand opportunities for health students to undertake clinical education in Warwick and we hope the students will choose to stay working in the Darling Downs region.

Griffith Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian O’Connor said the partnership to develop the new facilities was a strong beginning for a greater connection between the university and the region.

“Griffith University is really proud of the relationship we’re developing in the Darling Downs region. It is creating genuine bricks and mortar results, which will be of enormous benefit to the towns and our academics and students,” Professor O’Connor said.

“We want people in the Darling Downs to think of Griffith as their university and through our partnerships with Queensland Rural Medical Education (QRME) and the Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service we’re intent on growing the facilities and our identity in the region.”

Griffith Health Pro Vice Chancellor, Professor Allan Cripps was looking forward to an increase in training and clinical supervision capacity as well as broadening the scope for research into rural health concerns.

“Through providing education and clinical placement opportunities in the Darling Downs, it is anticipated that regional and rural students, including those from local Indigenous communities find health education more accessible,” Professor Cripps said.

“We’ll have places for students studying medicine, nursing, dentistry, physiotherapy, pharmacy, midwifery and psychology.

“Having clinical training in rural communities, boosts the health and economy of the communities and the educational outcomes for the students. People who take up rural placements are also more likely to stay in those towns to work after they graduate.”

Mr Springborg said building these facilities in rural and regional towns is helping to find long term solutions to the problem of rural and remote workforce retention.

“This is a constant battle for rural health services but if the education, training, help and support already exists in the rural areas then we have a much better chance of keeping health professionals out in the bush,” he said.

[ENDS] 23 November 2012

Media Contact: Clare Mildren 0417 255 284