Sophisticated anatomy lab crowns regional university collaboration

The Virginia Intercollegiate Anatomy Laboratory (VIAL), the result of an innovative public-private, intercollegiate partnership, will be opened in a ribbon cutting ceremony in Roanoke at the Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital campus on Friday.

The laboratory is a collaboration of Radford University with the Jefferson College of Health Sciences at Carilion Clinic and the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. Friday’s ceremony will occur at 2 p.m. on the 8th floor of the hospital and feature Delegate Joseph Yost '06, M.A. '08 as the guest speaker. Joining Radford University President Penelope W. Kyle for the ceremony will be JCHS President Nathaniel L. Bishop and Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (VTCSOM) President Dr. Cynda Johnson.

VIAL is the result of a joint venture between Radford University, JCHS and VTCSOM for a shared space where students from the partners' health care-related disciplines will learn in a 15-table, 2,800-square foot anatomy laboratory.

"The Virginia Intercollegiate Anatomy Lab represents a collaborative advancement in the way Radford University has partnered with other medical education programs to collectively enhance our students' educational opportunities," said President Kyle. "Achieving together what we likely would not have been able to accomplish as individual institutions, our three institutions have achieved an excellent example of the prudent use of our fiscal resources, while giving the next generation of clinicians and healthcare professionals an excellent, state-of-the-art facility that will help them serve, heal, strengthen and help so many others in our communities."

VIAL will provide immediate benefit to students in Radford University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, which is also located on the 8th floor of the Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital campus. Radford University DPT students will study and research anatomy and physiology in the VIAL as part of their curriculum. The DPT program is one of three doctoral programs offered by the University and it includes instruction, anatomy coursework, clinical laboratory experiences and clinical internships. DPT students also develop original, evidence-based research with faculty to advance physical therapy practice.

More than 1,000 students from the partner schools are projected to use the VIAL on which construction began last fall.

The laboratory can be utilized to teach large anatomy laboratory sections or multiple small sections. It is equipped with large-screen monitors, a portable, high resolution camera, image and video storage and iPads located permanently in the lab so that required images can be viewed at each station during dissection. Another prime feature of the VIAL is an Anatomage table, which will be connected to large-screen monitors strategically located throughout the classroom. Students will be able to connect their laptops or tablets to the monitors to form localized study groups within the classroom.


May 21, 2015