First dedicated cardiac hospital in the Southern Hemisphere to commence clinical services

MedTech News: Australia’s first dedicated heart hospital has opened at Monash University’s Clayton campus. Cardiovascular care, world-class research and a significant healthcare workforce have combined in one place with the official opening of the Victorian Heart Hospital (VHH).

The $564 million facility operated by Monash Health accommodates 196 beds, seven catheterisation laboratories and one whole floor dedicated to heart research.

Monash President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Gardner AC joined Victorian Premier the Hon Daniel Andrews, Minister for Health the Hon Mary-Anne Thomas, and Monash Health Chief Executive Professor Andrew Stripp to celebrate the opening of the hospital. The first clinical services will commence from 23 February.

“The Victorian Heart Hospital is Australia’s first hospital dedicated to heart health in the Southern Hemisphere, where medical researchers, innovators, clinicians and health professionals of the future will work collaboratively to benefit patients and improve the heart health of communities throughout Australia,” Professor Gardner said.

“This means we can address the problem of heart disease in this country from all angles – from research-informed patient care and community-wide initiatives aimed at reducing risk factors, to educating and training students in cardiovascular care, providing placements and job opportunities.”

VIC Premier Daniel Andrews said “We are delivering the largest pipeline of health projects in our history – and the Victorian Heart Hospital will set new standards for cardiac care in Australia. The hospital will foster research that will benefit Victorians for generations to come, and help to train the amazing doctors, nurses and other professionals who work each day with such dedication.”

Operated by Victoria’s Monash Health, the VHH hosts the Monash Victorian Heart Institute (VHI) on a dedicated floor of the building. The Institute brings together world-leading cardiovascular experts, researchers, students and entrepreneurs who are focused on taking discoveries, techniques and therapies out of the lab and into practice.

“Hospital patients are able to access world-class cardiac care, delivered by Monash Health, and ground-breaking Monash University research all under one roof,” said Professor Stephen Nicholls, who is director of both the VHI and the VHH.

Professor Christina Mitchell AO, Monash University’s Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, said that through the VHI, cardiovascular undergraduate and postgraduate training courses in medicine, nursing and allied health are now located within the Heart Hospital, close to clinicians, practitioners and patients.

“Our students are able to apply their learning to real world challenges within the Heart Hospital, utilising simulation suites and learning spaces while working with the brightest researchers and clinical teams to improve clinical practice,” Professor Mitchell said.

The VHH is the latest addition to the expanding Monash Technology Precinct – Victoria’s largest employment hub outside of the CBD that hosts an innovation ecosystem of world-leading research facilities, companies and start-ups located in and around Monash University’s Clayton campus in Melbourne’s south east. The VHH is located across the road from the Australian Synchrotron, the Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication, and Moderna’s new mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility, which is now under construction.

Other members of the Monash Technology Precinct include Biobanking Victoria, the CSIRO and Pfizer.

“The Monash Technology Precinct is a catalyst for collaboration and innovation, combining expertise, scale and research capability with the talent, enterprise and industry-backing that is needed to translate research and development into start-ups and commercial applications that can make a difference both locally and globally,” said Professor Gardner.

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