A “ground-breaking” partnership between La Trobe University and Albury Wodonga Health will enable researchers better insight into the Border health sector than ever before.
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In the first research-driven memorandum of understanding to be signed between any La Trobe university campus and a non-metropolitan health service, researchers will be able to draw on the experience of health practitioners.
AWH chief executive Leigh McJames said it built on the health service’s training of university graduates.
“We’ve had a partnership with La Trobe since the university was established in one form or another,” he said.
“It’s very much been focused on the training and education aspect, rather than research and development.
“By having a strong research and development agenda, it strengthens your graduate programs.
“It moves the relationship to a new level.”
Mr McJames said his team and university representatives had been working to develop the MOU over the past six months.
“AWH is a large regional health service – as it develops its capability, it’s critical it’s active in the research and development space,” he said.
“We’re an organisation of 2200 people in a lot of different services, so there’s opportunity in a range of areas that marry up with La Trobe.
“From our point of view, it will be individuals with a particular passion for an area that will drive the topics.”
The focus of the research partnership will be “rural health and sustainable communities”.
The scope fits into La Trobe University’s John Richards Research Initiative – recent projects have looked at the relationship between rural living and wellness in a joint effort involving La Trobe, Queensland universities and a Canadian university.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Keith Nugent said the MOU would open up opportunities for JRI.
“JRI is looking at what is best practise for rural ageing and it’s the only such centre based outside of a major city in Australia,” he said.
“It has a unique capacity – this is about connecting activities such as JRI with the health service providers.
“What we would like to see is collaboration between clinical practitioners in the hospital with the researchers in the university system to bring together theory and practise.”
Professor Nugent said there was collaboration across other campuses with major health services, such as in Bendigo, but a partnership of this kind was a first.
“This is where we’re really forging new ground and we want to replicate this kind of arrangement across the state,” he said.