24 Jan 2011
The event marked a milestone for SingHealth’s journey to pursue Academic Medicine as the building located on College Road entered its next phase of construction with a contract signing ceremony between the Ministry of Health and construction company, Kajima Overseas Asia Pte Ltd.
The contract was signed by Professor Tan Ser Kiat, SingHealth Group Chief Executive Officer, on behalf of the Ministry of Health, and Mr Shinoda Masanobu, Vice Managing Director of Kajima Overseas Asia Pte Ltd, and witnessed by Mr Khaw Boon Wan, Minister for Health, and Mr Koizumi Hiroyoshi, Managing Director of Kajima Overseas Asia Pte Ltd.
Aptly named The Academia, the 13-storey twin-tower building, to be ready in 2013, will house SGH pathology services as well as SingHealth research laboratories and education and training facilities, to boost SingHealth’s pursuit of Academic Medicine. It is strategically located close to clinical services at SGH and the national centres, and across the road from the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School. It is hoped that the facility’s proximity to Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School will foster greater synergies in research and education for both institutions.
Unveiling the name of the building at the event today, Professor Tan said, “The convergence of pathology, research and education in The Academia will encourage doctors, clinician scientists, researchers and medical students to interact and collaborate. This meeting of minds will spawn new ideas and create a robust and vibrant campus at SGH. Ultimately, this will ensure that we continually boost our standards of clinical service, and further enhance the quality of care for our patients.”
Artist Impression of The Academia
Twin Towers – Diagnostics and Discovery
The tower within The Academia housing SGH Pathology, called Diagnostics, will be 75% larger than the current Pathology Department premises. It will integrate the latest technology into laboratory processes to further enhance test and diagnostic accuracy and reliability, translating into faster test results for patients.
The other tower, called Discovery, will house SingHealth research and education facilities. It aims to reinvent education for healthcare professionals by encouraging team-based learning in simulated environments such as wet surgical skills laboratories. The new research infrastructure will complement the existing research facilities at Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School and leverage on the School’s basic research capabilities to support translational medicine and clinical trials on SGH campus.
With both the “software” and “hardware” capabilities in research, education and clinical in place, SingHealth is poised to meet Singapore’s future healthcare needs and define tomorrow’s medicine.
Fact Sheet on The Academia
To be completed in 2013, The Academia will house research, education and pathology services – to reflect SingHealth’s 3 pillars.
Features of The Academia
- 13-storey twin towers – Diagnostics and Discovery
- Located on College Road within SGH campus, site chosen for strategic location between SGH and the national specialty centres and the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School
- 75,000 sqm in gross floor area
Diagnostics – SGH Pathology
- Approximately 30% of The Academia is dedicated for SGH Pathology Department
- SGH’s 106 year old Department of Pathology, widely recognised as a distinguished centre of pathology services in Asia will be housed in the new building
- 75% larger than current Pathology Department premises, which was built in 1958
- 50% larger in capacity for pathology services
- The building will have built-in sample delivery systems that speed up transportation of specimens to the lab, translating to faster test results for patients
Discovery - SingHealth Research & Education facilities
- The Academia will also house SingHealth research laboratories and state-of-the-art core facilities, as well as education and training facilities
- The building will have conferencing capacity for up to 900 pax, including a 490-seat auditorium
- It will house clinical skills and simulation facilities including wet surgical skills laboratories
- The expanded training facilities are expected to provide 26,000 training places for staff and up to 9,500 training places for external organisations
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