The USF Health Sciences Center is in the process of finalizing a partnership that will give students more medical training opportunities. This month, HSC will begin discussing goals for educational programs students can participate in the BayCare Health System.

The agreement states that the colleges of medicine, nursing and public health will work together to promote practical learning and research with BayCare Health System.

“(The agreement) is a memorandum, or understanding, that says that we are going to do planning together,” said Robert M. Daugherty, vice president for HSC.

BayCare Health System is a community health care system that consists of partnerships between area hospitals. Hospitals that are part of BayCare Health System include: St. Joseph’s Hospital, St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital, Tampa Children’s Hospital, South Florida Baptist Hospital and Morton Plant North Bay Hospital.

Daugherty said HSC has been discussing a collaboration between the medical schools for the past six months. Daugherty said BayCare has expressed its interest in strengthening a partnership with USF.

“(The students) benefit because they get to work with real doctors and nurses,” Daugherty said.

Some specific plans for the partnership, such as educational programs and procedures, are still pending. Daugherty said the partnership does not currently require any additional funding or grants.

The growing partnership with BayCare will include all three medical colleges at USF to receive training opportunities that benefit the students at the five Pinellas County BayCare facilities. Daugherty said one of the HSC’s goals is to have student nurses and doctors work in teams.

Daugherty said the teamwork skills students develop in area hospitals can connect them with future jobs. Community ties with Tampa area hospitals will strengthen the health care system in the future.

HSC also has teaching affiliations with Tampa Bay hospitals,0 such as Tampa General, All Children’s Hospital, Moffitt Cancer Center, Bay Pines VA Hospital and Shriner’s Hospital.

“We will continue to be working at Tampa General and All Children’s as our main teaching hosts, and that will not change,” Daugherty said