The new $340 million specialist public health facility at Herston Quarter is taking shape with completion anticipated in late 2020.
Last month, the fifth floor slab of the front structure of the facility was poured and the built form continues to change the landscape along Herston Road.
Recently announced as the Surgical, Treatment and Rehabilitation Service (STARS), the facility is the centrepiece of the partnership between Metro North Hospital and Health Service (MNHHS) and UQ.
The 184-bed public health facility will be one of the largest tertiary specialist rehabilitation centres in the southern hemisphere, accommodating around 100 nursing and allied health students.
STARS will have seven operating theatres, three endoscopy procedure rooms and consultation spaces for a range of specialties.
UQ Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Peter Høj said a key feature of STARS was the innovative model of clinical care and embedded research.
“Research will be driven by the needs of the patients and clinicians, and will provide continual opportunities to improve clinical practices and procedures,” Professor Høj said.
“A broad range of clinical placements will be available for UQ students in nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech pathology, audiology, nutrition and dietetics, clinical psychology, social work and rehabilitation medicine.
“From 2021, 60 UQ nursing students will be placed within the facility each year, with an expected 1200 nurses to complete placements over the course of the partnership.”
MNHHS Chief Executive Shaun Drummond said STARS will provide a high level of care much needed in Queensland and the combination of specialist rehabilitation and elective surgery will complement the quality care for patients.
“STARS will have a positive impact on the healthcare system and achieving better outcomes for patients,” Mr Drummond said.
“STARS will provide a range of specialist surgical and complex rehabilitation services and will be delivered in a patient-centric model of care to put the patients’ needs first and foremost.
“One hundred of the 184 beds in STARS will be dedicated to specialist rehabilitation and more people will have access to quality specialist care.”
The state-of-the-art facility to be operated by MNHHS is being delivered as part of the $1.1 billion Herston Quarter redevelopment in partnership with master developer Australian Unity.
