Michael R. Bloomberg, WHO Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases, three-term mayor of New York City, and founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies, will today speak at the official opening of Europe’s most advanced healthcare education facility, based at RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland).

The opening of 26 York Street puts Ireland at the global forefront of pioneering developments in the delivery of medical education. This €80m revolutionary building enables RCSI to promote innovation in learning to educate healthcare professionals who will lead the world to better health.  

Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton TD and Mike Bloomberg will unveil a plaque commemorating the official opening of 26 York Street. Bloomberg will then address Global Health 2030: The Urgency of Action in an on-stage conversation with broadcaster Pat Kenny. 

Marking the occasion of the official opening of 26 York Street, Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton TD said, “I am delighted to be here today to celebrate the opening of a major new building 26 York Street which show cases the latest in modern urban campus design.  RCSI has been a constant presence in St Stephens Green for 234 years now and this building demonstrates the ongoing commitment of RCSI to deliver not only world class medical and healthcare education, but also the innovative social environment which promotes the importance of a balanced approach to student life and their future professional careers.” 

Speaking ahead of today’s official opening, Mike Bloomberg said: “Tackling the most urgent healthcare challenge of our time -- decreasing preventable deaths -- requires the kind of changes to medical education that this new healthcare education facility will help usher in. By equipping healthcare professionals with the skills necessary to take on this challenge, 26 York Street will help raise the bar for teaching institutions around the world, which can save millions of lives."

Professor Cathal Kelly, RCSI CEO said: “We are delighted to welcome the Minister for Education and Skills Richard Bruton TD and Mike Bloomberg to RCSI to celebrate this very significant milestone in our history.” 

“Every day RCSI strives to make a long lasting impact on global health. We drive change through innovative educational practices, ground-breaking research and a commitment to the improvement of surgical care worldwide. Solving healthcare problems may take more than a lifespan to achieve but RCSI’s work today will improve patient outcomes tomorrow.”

“For more than 230 years, RCSI has pursued an education and research mission in support of better patient care and we are committed to reimaging the delivery of that mission over the decades ahead. We are transforming both what we teach our future healthcare professionals and how we teach them. Our distinctive education will focus on simulation, allowing students to achieve the highest clinical skill standards before they work directly with patients. It will also focus on character development, building resilience and leadership”, added Professor Kelly.

26 York Street provides hands-on practical, professional healthcare training in multiple learning and study environments. It is the largest and most modern facility of its kind in Europe. The centrepiece of this spectacular 10-storey building is the 12,000sq.ft. Simulation Centre, laid out over three full floors. Here, students and healthcare professionals have access to a world class surgical and training suite with clinical skills laboratories, a mock operating theatre and clinical training wards. 

Bloomberg Philanthropies’ public health programme aims to reduce the number of deaths from preventable causes such as tobacco use, road traffic crashes and limited access to obstetric care by spreading proven solutions to protect more people and save more lives. Bloomberg Philanthropies forms partnerships with the world’s leading organisations to scale up proven interventions, and rigorously analyse data to create significant results.

RCSI is ranked among the top 250 (top 2%) of universities worldwide in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings (2018) and its research is ranked first in Ireland for citations. It is an international not-for-profit health sciences institution, with its headquarters in Dublin, focused on education and research to drive improvements in human health worldwide. RCSI is a signatory of the Athena SWAN Charter.

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