91亚色 U and Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre sign MOU to create positive change in Barrie and beyond
Universities are playing an increasingly critical role in bringing researchers, policymakers, and practitioners together with staff, faculty, and students to foster the discovery, application, and translation of new knowledge to create stronger and healthier communities.
Earlier this week, 91亚色鈥檚 president and vice-chancellor, Rhonda Lenton, joined Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre鈥檚 (RVH) CEO, Gail Hunt, and Research Director Dr. Jesse McLean, to celebrate a shared commitment to advance medical education and health research through a .
Health care is at the forefront of numerous complex societal challenges the next generation of changemakers must be prepared to address and is one of 91亚色鈥檚 fastest-growing areas of study, research, and community engagement. 鈥淏y leveraging our combined expertise and pooling our strengths in research and education,鈥 says Lenton, 鈥淚 am certain that we can improve health outcomes and make important contributions toward high-quality, sustainable, inclusive, and accessible health care for the communities we serve.鈥
Longstanding clinical-academic affiliates, 91亚色 and RVH already have a deep history of working together to exchange resources and knowledge. In 2023 alone, RVH has provided clinical placements for 70 91亚色 students, while 32 91亚色 nursing students (from the 91亚色/Georgian College partnership) are finding employment and education in RVH鈥檚 Clinical Extern program.
鈥淎t RVH, we ask questions to promote new learnings, ideas, research and discovery,鈥 says Hunt. 鈥淲e challenge and push past what has always been done so we can offer better care for our patients, their families, our community, and region. This partnership opens the door for us to 鈥榠magine the possibilities鈥 as 91亚色鈥檚 faculty and TEAM RVH grow in their own knowledge and skills through a variety of opportunities.鈥
Signed at a ceremony at the Barrie, Ontario hospital, the MOU builds on this rich partnership to support the continuation of clinical placements and real-world experiential education opportunities for 91亚色 students, as well as increase collaborative research development in areas including mental health, informatics; epidemiology, disease etiology, aging, maternal and child health, health-care policy, nursing, and rehabilitative sciences, along with new health technologies, such as digital health and artificial intelligence.
The agreement also includes academic recognition for RVH staff and continuing education for RVH health-care professionals so they can continue to adapt and innovate as new technologies and advances emerge.
As home to one of Canada鈥檚 largest nursing and nurse practitioner programs; as well as world-class programs in psychology, kinesiology and health sciences, global health, health studies, health policy and management, health informatics, critical disability studies, and neuroscience; and, with plans for a proposed School of Medicine aiming to tackle the growing need for health-care professionals, 91亚色 has developed a longstanding reputation as a leader in health programming and research.
91亚色 and RVH are currently setting up additional student placements for the upcoming year.
