Province gives HSN Green Light for Learners Centre

A state of the art, 28-thousand square foot facility has received government approval to be built at Health Sciences North main campus on Ramsey Lake road.  The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care notified HSN that the Learners’ Centre has met the Ministry’s requirements and could now proceed to tender for construction. HSN expects to have a contractor selected by the Fall. Construction is slated to begin later this fall and be completed by December 2018.

The new Learners’ Centre will accommodate 2,000 learners each year. It will be used by medical students and other learners such as nursing students. It will also allow existing staff and physicians to advance their skills.   The focal point of the Learners’ Centre will be the Simulation Lab which is now temporarily housed at the Sudbury Outpatient Centre on Regent St. The Simulation Lab is designed to replicate medical settings such as an Emergency or Operating Room. It provides training for procedures such as intubation, suturing, and medical scoping.

The Health Sciences North Foundation has been working to raise funds for the project. The community has shown its support through generous donations. Just this past week, the Foundation announced over one million dollars in donations in support of the Learners’ Centre. In addition, the popular annual Taste Street event has raised a total of $260,000 to date.

“The approval to proceed to tender is a great boost to our fundraising,” says Alex Patterson, Chair of the HSN Foundation. “Our community and our donors have long recognized the importance of teaching our future doctors and care givers. It’s great to know that the government supports this too.”