The establishment of a senior academic position for Emergency Medicine at Gosford and Wyong Hospitals is expected to play a key role in attracting talented emergency medicine staff to the emergency departments of these two busy hospitals.
The new position was recently announced by NSW Minister for Health, the Honourable John Della Bosca MLC, who has committed more than $1.5 million in government funding over the next five years for the position.
Northern Sydney Central Coast Health (NSCCH) Chief Executive Matthew Daly said the new position would be an added incentive for talented clinicians seeking to develop and enhance their skills to work on the Central Coast.
"As teaching hospitals for the University of Newcastle, Gosford and Wyong already have an experienced, highly skilled and committed team who work in two of the busiest Emergency Departments in the state.
"The addition of a senior academic position for Emergency Medicine will significantly enhance our teaching credentials and we intend using this to attract new staff to this challenging area of medicine," he said.
In 2007/08 Gosford and Wyong Emergency Departments had close to 50,000 presentations each, consistently ranking them among the 10 busiest in the state.
The continued high growth of the Wyong Shire is expected to see Wyong ED overtake Gosford ED in terms of the number of presentations in 2008/09, Mr Daly added.
In addition to the expected boost it will give to the health service's recruitment efforts, the new position will provide a significant leadership role in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and research through the University of Newcastle's School of Medicine and Public Health.
The University's Dean of Medicine, Professor Michael Hensley, said the position was an exciting collaboration between the University and Northern Sydney Central Coast Health.
"Based in the University's Central Coast Clinical School, the new position will provide an important link between the classroom and the emergency room," Professor Hensley said.
"Our students will benefit from the addition of a highly qualified practitioner who is research-driven and at the cutting edge of emergency care. The general public will also benefit from this important boost to health resources.
"This unique role builds on the increasing presence of the University on the Central Coast and will add significant strength to the research profile within the local health system."
Recruitment for the position will begin shortly.
