With its state-of-the-art training facility, Dalhousie Medical New Brunswick (DMNB) has already changed the regional landscape by enabling students from New Brunswick to attend medical school in their home province. Now, with a newly announced $500,000 gift from PotashCorp to the Bold Ambitions campaign, the Saint John campus of Dalhousie Medical School is poised to make a significant contribution to research in the specialty of occupational medicine.
“One of the key determinants of the health of Maritimers is directly related to their employment and working conditions,” says John Steeves, Associate Dean, Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick.
“The Research Chair in Occupational Medicine, to which the PotashCorp donation is targeted, will focus on improved worker health, and safe, timely return to work through best medical practices. The Chair will be an enabler for the development of effective workplace policies through education, research and support.”
As Steeves points out, the new Chair in Occupational Medicine – the only one of its kind in Canada – will help put the province of New Brunswick on the map as a leader in medicine. “We have an unprecedented opportunity to make New Brunswick a centre of excellence in occupational health research and education. Private-sector investment like the one from PotashCorp helps us achieve our common goal of improving the health outcomes of our Maritime communities.”
According to Stewart Brown, General Manager of PotashCorp New Brunswick, the decision to support DMNB’s efforts was an easy one. “At PotashCorp we know that quality of life in our local communities depends on access to quality healthcare,” he says. “DMNB is a world-class facility right here in New Brunswick and a great testament to the collaboration that exists among Dalhousie University, the government of New Brunswick, the University of New Brunswick and other key stakeholders. You’d be hard pressed not to be impressed by what has been achieved here and we’re proud to be a part of it.”
The search for a candidate to fill the research chair position is currently underway, with an announcement expected in the coming months.
This article is part of the Dalhousie Difference series, exploring what the power of philantrophy means to the university and introducing and showcasing some of the 50 innovative projects in development. Learn more at boldambitions.dal.ca.