The Health Sciences Academy is a partnership between the University of Limerick, the UL Hospitals Group and the Midwest Community Healthcare Organisation.

These three partners share the primary aim, through the Health Sciences Academy, of improving health and wellbeing for people in the Midwest.

The Health Sciences Academy will achieve this by:

  • delivering transformative education and training, and
  • driving innovation in healthcare delivery and technologies through research,

which all address the needs of the health services and the people in the Midwest.

Based at the Clinical Education and Research Centre (CERC) at the University Hospital Limerick, the Health Sciences Academy’s philosophy is based on the importance of equality and inclusion through the pursuit of excellence in healthcare service, education and research. 

The Health Sciences Academy aims to provide an excellent, transformative student experience with a focus on interdisciplinary training and innovative technologiescitizenship and leadership, developing future-ready healthcare professionals. The suite of training programmes is designed to meet the needs of healthcare professionals, both pre- and post-qualification, and to ensure that the training is as accessible and flexible as possible.

Ireland’s Midwest Health Sciences Academy’s partners, University of Limerick and UL Hospitals Group with the Midwest Community Healthcare & Midwest Public Health held the 1st Midwest Academic Health Science System Conference on 8th December 2023 at CERC, UHL.

Featuring two University Presidents and regional HSE healthcare leaders, the conference demonstrated the value of an academic culture of teaching, research and innovation, in providing opportunities for all health professionals and improved patient outcomes.

Keynote speaker Professor David Burn shared the academic health science structure in Newcastle, England, its development impact on their surrounding communities.

Finally, the next steps for stakeholders in the Midwest were highlighted by Professor Whelton, to include development of a Memorandum of Understanding between the institutions, resources and greater collaboration to facilitate greater engagement.

The Power of Collaboration: Building an Academic Health Science System in the Midwest - Conference December 2023

About HSE Mid West 
The HSE Mid West health region is divided into 2 healthcare areas: 

  • HSE Limerick City and Tipperary North 
  • HSE Clare and Limerick County

HSE Mid West will manage and deliver all public health and social care services in: 

  • Clare 
  • Limerick 
  • North Tipperary 

More than 400,000 people are living in this region. 

Services in the HSE Mid West health region 
HSE Services that work together to provide healthcare services within this region include: 

  • Acute hospitals 
    • 6 hospital sites in the Midwest. 
      • University Hospital Limerick
      • University Maternity Hospital Limerick
      • Nenagh Hospital
      • Ennis Hospital
      • Croom Orthopaedic Hospital
      • St. John's Hospital (Voluntary)
  • Primary care services 
  • Community services 
  • Social care services 
  • Public and private providers
  • Health and social care professionals 
  • Voluntary sector services
  • National ambulance services

The Faculty of Education and Health Sciences (EHS) consists of three Departments, Nursing & Midwifery, Physical Education & Sport Sciences and Psychology and three Schools, the School of Allied Health, the Graduate Entry Medical School and the School of Education. Those interested in post-primary teaching as well as those interested in working in the health sector will find some of the most progressive programmes in these fields as well as dedicated supervision from faculty members committed to the highest standards of teaching and quality research.  Discover more @ University of Limerick, Faculty of Education and Health Sciences