Chisholms Berwick Centre for Health is operational

The $15 million Berwick Centre for Health project has been officially opened by the Minister for Training and Skills, and Minister for Higher Education, Gayle Tierney.

The purpose built Centre for Health is a dedicated teaching and simulation facility for students in Nursing, Community Services and Allied Health courses.

Incorporated into the State Government’s vision for the Berwick Health and Education Precinct, it complements the training partnership that Chisholm has with the nearby St John of God Hospital, Specialist Centre and Casey Hospital.

Chisholm CEO, Dr Rick Ede said the facility enhances Chisholm’s reputation for excellence in vocational education and training in Health.

CEO Chisholm Institute, Dr Rick Ede; Minister for Training and Skills, and Higher Education, Hon. Gayle Tierney MP; Chair, Chisholm Institute Board, Mr Stephen Marks.

“Students and staff now have access to the latest technology and learning spaces to support careers in a range of health services, and being located just a couple of hundred metres from the local hospitals will also benefit our students,” Dr Ede said.

“For our staff, it is a different way of teaching and working – it’s very collaborative. It provides the students with a much more engaging and immersive experience, so that when they transition to the workplace, they’re already very familiar with the environment.”

General Manager, Health, Chisholm Institute, Dr Susan Maastricht said students and staff had embraced the newfacility.

“From our first day of teaching in our new location, students were amazed with the technology, life-like patients and training rooms which are designed to replicate hospital wards, counselling services and home care. We have two simulated laboratories with observation rooms, which allows students to discuss a training procedure or to review the activity of their peers,” Dr Maastricht said.

CEO, St John of God Hospital, Lisa Norman said the new facility presents benefits for both students and nursing staff.

“It’s an opportunity for us and the students to develop a more predictable relationship, where we understand the classes and education delivery, and how industry-ready the students are. Equally for the students to become more familiar with how we operate. When I walk through the facilities, I see unlimited potential,” Ms Norman said.

Four replica hospital wards, each with six patient beds create a true-to-life simulated environment. 13 Specialised Laerdal Simulation Mannequins can be programmed to respond to treatment and medication, explain their symptoms and use AI technology to engage in a real-time conversation.

The facility has a total of 30 beds throughout four model health wards, a simulated apartment, counselling suites, and two separate laboratories that connect to observation rooms. Other areas include 12 collaborative classrooms, informal learning commons, group study pods, and open plan staff workspaces.

The collaborative classrooms are furnished with fully flexible mobile furniture and mobile interactive Audio Visual screens, and are Chisholm’s first learning spaces to enable active and blended learning. The Berwick Centre for Health is the first of two developments redefining health delivery at Chisholm, with a second facility nearing completion at Chisholm’s Frankston campus.