McMaster University and Halton Healthcare have recommitted to their educational partnership, providing health professional education to McMaster undergraduate, postgraduate, and graduate learners at Halton Healthcare’s three hospital sites and several community clinics in the region.
The renewed partnership means the Halton Healthcare Clinical Education Campus — which includes the main hospital teaching sites in Georgetown, Milton and Oakville, as well as several clinics in Georgetown, Halton Hills, Milton and Oakville — will continue to host learners from McMaster’s medical, physician assistant, nursing, and other health professional programs.
The Nov. 21 affiliation agreement expands the educational footprint of Halton Healthcare and provides valuable exposure to community care for McMaster learners.
“This renewed agreement reflects our deep commitment to community-based medical education and the value we place on our partnership with Halton Healthcare,” said Paul O’Byrne, dean and vice-president of McMaster’s Faculty of Health Sciences.
“Each year, more than 375 clinical placements take place across Halton Healthcare sites, offering our learners rich, hands-on experiences in diverse Halton community settings. These opportunities not only enhance their training but also strengthen the health-care system across the region.”
Halton physicians (preceptors) who are part of this program support the next generation of health-care professionals by providing high-quality, community-based clinical education. In addition to the valuable hands-on learning experience for students, the partnership has the potential to boost the health-care workforce in the Halton region.
The partnership between the two organizations was formally established in 2011 when Halton Healthcare joined the McMaster Community and Rural Education (Mac-CARE) program.
Mac-CARE is the gateway to core and elective clinical rotations in family and specialty medicine programs in Hamilton, Niagara, Waterloo, Burlington, Grand Erie Six Nations, Halton and Osler.
“We are thrilled to be coming together in partnership with McMaster University. At its core, this collaboration enhances the patient experience by bringing fresh perspectives, evidence-based practices, and a spirit of curiosity into our hospitals and clinics,” said Melissa Farrell, president & CEO of Halton Healthcare.
“Each year, Halton Healthcare provides hundreds of clinical placements that give learners meaningful, hands-on experience in real-world settings, while strengthening our culture of continuous learning. We are grateful to our preceptors for their leadership and proud to help develop the next generation of skilled, compassionate healthcare professionals—many of whom may choose to stay and serve our region.”