Sudbury hospital's Learners' Centre receives provincial green light.

Health Sciences North (HSN) in Sudbury has received the green light from the Ontario government to build a Learners' Centre, the hospital said in an Aug. 24 press release.

The new 28,000-square-foot facility will be built at the Ramsey Lake Health Centre and will include classrooms, lecture space, work stations and on-call rooms.

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.

The hospital expects to have a contractor selected by the fall. Construction is slated to begin later this fall and be completed by December 2018.

"The construction of the Learners' Centre is an important investment in our hospital and our city," said board chair Nicole Everest in the release.

"These learners become our future care providers. It is a vital component to quality patient care."

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 in the city's south end. 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.

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