Allied health clinic 'a great first step'
Published on 21 June, 2012
State Member for Keppel Bruce Young MP praised CQUniversity's under-construction community Allied Health clinic as a 'great first step' to alleviating the local area's shortage of allied health professionals...
Mr. Young was on campus at Rockhampton on Friday to tour the new facility, lending his support for the project and for CQUniversity's vision of become Queensland's first dual sector university.
"We really lack a comprehensive Allied Health facility in Central Queensland" he said.
"The merger makes complete sense for the region, and this Public Allied Health Clinic is just one of the many benefits that will flow to the community when we see a dual-sector university operating here in Central Queensland."
Stage 1 of the facility, which is being built with Commonwealth funding from Health Workforce Australia, is due for completion in July this year. The facility will work very closely with the State Government to deliver critical Allied Health services to the community, such as Oral Health, Speech Pathology, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and Podiatry, and will be able to service up to 160 patients per day.
Stage 2 works will begin following the merger between the University and the Central Queensland Institute of TAFE (CQIT), with the Commonwealth committing an additional $16 million toward the next stage of clinic.
Mr Young was confident that the decision to come from the Commonwealth Government would be favourable.
"It would be a major boost to regional Queensland if our next generation of health professionals are going to graduate work ready, from a regional dual sector university that is in touch with the needs of its community." he said.
Dean of CQUniversity's School of Medical and Applied Sciences Professor Grant Stanley accompanied Mr Young on his tour of the facility, and emphasised the benefits for students also.
"The clinic will be great for on-campus students, but it will also provide our regional and remote students as well as the general public with access to quality, practical facilities in a regional setting" he said.
"Real-life simulation labs and an additional 6 dental chairs for our oral health students will be just some of the new resources becoming available when Stage 2 commences."
