These treatments were only made possible because of the development of new medical treatments and cures discovered and mastered by medical research. Many things that we now take for granted are the result of medical studies that have been done in the past. For instance, blood pressure pills, vaccines to prevent infectious diseases, transplant surgery and chemotherapy are all the result of research.

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Medical research can be likened to undertaking a giant jigsaw puzzle. Each area of research represents another piece of a puzzle that when completed realises increased knowledge and the potential for a future cure, prevention or treatment. As each researcher builds upon the work of others, another piece of the puzzle has fallen into place and the full picture becomes clearer.

The jigsaw analogy is very relevant to the Calvary Healthcare co-location hospital conversation with the overall puzzle in this case being "how can research, training and education be key elements of the transformational project at the Launceston General Hospital site?" Importantly, the successful completion of this puzzle will provide a huge step to enabling better health outcomes for our community. So, what are the jigsaw pieces?

Research: Clinical research is a core competency of all clinicians (doctors, nurses and allied health professionals). Throughout their careers, clinicians continually develop their professional skills relevant to clinical research activities, which contributes to improved treatment of patients.

Training: Teaching is an essential part of the clinical pathway and to enable the conduct of high-quality medical research within our hospitals, clinicians require appropriate training. Teaching provided in Tasmanian hospitals is one way of ensuring that health professionals are appropriately trained and skilled. Clinical research is incorporated into undergraduate and postgraduate training for clinicians.

A culture of research and training excellence: A genuine commitment to research and training will enable the LGH-Calvary model to be recognised nationally as a centre where clinical services are informed and improved by clinical research, thus enabling clinician researchers to contribute broadly to the collective understanding of disease management and health care. This will positively position the Launceston co-located hospital model as a leading regional research hospital precinct that effectively and efficiently translates research into clinical practice, greatly supporting the recruitment and retention of clinical staff.

Clinical workforce recruitment: The recruitment of medical staff to regional areas is a significant challenge Australia wide, which Northern Tasmania is not immune. A well-coordinated clinical research program that passionately supports medical professionals would greatly assist Launceston's reputation as a recognised research and training hospital precinct, thus providing incentive for clinicians to relocate to the region for training and career reasons.

Bring the elements together: Bringing the partner organisations together is vital to ensure the research and training opportunities at the proposed hospital precinct are maximised. The key elements are already in place with the LGH and Calvary Hospital, University of Tasmania's Launceston Medical School and the Clifford Craig Research Foundation.

Ultimately, improving health outcomes for the people of our region is the desired goal, and putting together the pieces of the research and training puzzle will provide many answers to delivering better healthcare across Northern Tasmania. The Clifford Craig Foundation has long recognised the benefits to the region through the strategic alignment of clinical research activity at the LGH and other public/private hospitals across the North of the state.

In 2016, the foundation facilitated the preparation of the Northern Tasmanian Strategic Framework for Clinical Research, a report prepared by KP Health. The in-depth framework articulated the aims and objectives of clinical research at the LGH and other Northern Tasmanian public hospitals, priorities for improving clinical research at the LGH and roles of partner organisations involved in clinical research in the region.

With the growing discussion of the co-located hospital model in Launceston, it would be opportune and timely to revisit the recommendations of the framework and commit to a shared strategic direction for clinical research and training. This would enable the establishment of a transformational model that would be nationally recognised for its leadership in research and training that addresses the healthcare challenges faced by regional and rural Australia.