Promise of positive health outcomes for community
UTAS students showed off their sparkling new learning facility at the Launceston Clinical School to the Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Premier Lara Giddings and a throng of politicians, health sector heads and national media at the official opening of the school and the Northern Integrated Care Service in Launceston on Wednesday (October 3).
In a welcoming address UTAS Vice Chancellor Professor Peter Rathjen spoke of the importance of the joint effort of Federal and State Governments and the University of Tasmania to achieve positive outcomes such as the Launceston Clinical School and he pointed out the benefit to the local community in terms of positive health outcomes as well as ongoing innovation through research.
Following a formal unveiling of the plaque by the PM, Launceston Clinical School deputy head Associate Professor Dr Jan Radford and UTAS School of Medicine head Prof James Vickers helped guide the PM through the school, which is located on level two of the stand-out building next to the Holman Clinic in Frankland St.
After being warmly welcomed by clinical school staff Ms Gillard visited the skills laboratory where students were practising plastering, stitching and taking blood samples.
She was then taken through to the bright and airy library with its impressive shelves of reference material, before sitting down with students in the computer laboratory where she spent considerable time chatting to them about their studies and the simulations they were working through on-screen.
The NICS building, which also boasts a three storey-high atrium in the centre, a café, consulting rooms and gymnasium, is part of an ongoing $109 million redevelopment of the LGH precinct.