Medical Research Institute of New Zealand's new offices at Wellington Regional Hospital opened

This morning the new facilities of the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand (MRINZ) were officially opened by the Health Minister, the Hon Tony Ryall. MRINZ will now be based on Level 7 (G) of CSB and is a foundation partner, along with Victoria University, working with C&C DHB on a health education research collaboration.

MRINZ Director Professor Richard Beasley said he was delighted to be joining with Capital & Coast as a foundation partner based at the Wellington Hospital campus and thanked the personal commitment and leadership of C&C DHB COO Shaun Drummond. "As all of you who are here today are well aware, C&C DHB has now firmly established itself as a primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare provider of which we can all be proud.

"This is not just about a new regional hospital - it is about empowerment of staff to deliver first class health care and achieve the C&C DHB mission to improve, promote and protect the health, independence and wellbeing of our people. And core to achieving this mission is the recognition that the basis of clinical practice is evidence-based medicine, and that is crucial in a tertiary hospital such as Wellington where we have strong clinical research programmes closely linked with training and clinical practice.

"What I have admired about the senior management at C&C DHB is their commitment to make sure this is not just rhetoric, but to make sure that the research and education infrastructure of the organisation is developed and that there is a culture established to achieve these goals," he said.

Health Minister Tony Ryall thanked Professor Beasley and Shaun Drummond for their vision and personal drive to make this new collaboration a reality. "MRINZ is one of the leading research institutes of New Zealand. This relocation will help bring about a closer relationship with clinical colleagues and provide an opportunity for hospital-based clinicians to get more involved in research based projects.

"In New Zealand we have to be smarter in our approach to recruiting staff and retaining them. We know that by providing the opportunity for research and teaching this will help with staff retention and increase satisfaction."

Capital & Coast Chief Operating Officer Shaun Drummond thanked Richard for his personal dedication to the project. "This is a journey that started about a year ago and without people like Richard this would not have happened. One of the key things we know from staff is how much they enjoy the opportunity of professional development through research. MRINZ are a fantastic group that will help us develop these research possibilities.

"We thank Victoria University for allowing them to share their floor and we look forward to the many opportunities that lie ahead for us all."