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A new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed by the Department of Health and the University of Tasmania, renewing a joint commitment to continued collaboration to improve health outcomes for Tasmanians.
The new MoU will bring together all of the previous agreements and activities between the two organisations into a single governance arrangement.
This strategic partnership is underpinned by a shared vision to build upon existing strengths in healthcare, health research and health education to enhance outcomes for patients in Tasmania.
Under the MoU, the parties have agreed to work together on joint initiatives across the following focus areas:
Workforce development and planning – including training, recruitment and retention of staff, with a particular focus on rural and remote areas.
Research and innovation – including leveraging collective research capability to inform the development of health policy and health service planning.
Human resources, including to identify and foster connections of people across both organisations to share and generate knowledge.
Infrastructure, including to identify common and shared infrastructure opportunities to foster collaboration and maximise the use of buildings, space, equipment and expertise.
Separate working groups will be established in order to progress all four objectives and will be comprised of relevant key staff from across the Department of Health and University of Tasmania.
Department of Health Secretary, Dale Webster, said the Department of Health already has a very positive working relationship across a range of areas of common interest, such as research projects.
“By joining together and leveraging the existing base of knowledge and expertise across the two organisations, the new MoU will ensure a collective approach to strong and cohesive healthcare, workforce, education and research collaborations,” Mr Webster said.
“Following the signing of the MoU in recent weeks, I look forward to the formation of the respective working groups in the coming months as we work to achieve the intent of the formalised partnership.”
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Tasmania, Professor Rufus Black, said the deeper collaboration between the Department of Health and the University would help improve health care for all Tasmanians.
“A core part of our mission as a University is to educate the great future doctors, nurses, paramedics or allied health professionals who can provide Tasmanians with the best possible expert care when they need it.
“Our renewed partnership with the Department means we are all working together with a single focus to create the best possible health workforce for Tasmania and to expand the medical research that will improve the lives of Tasmanians.”