Shoppers Drug Mart donates $2.5 million to Dalhousie for diversity in health education and research

HALIFAX, NS – Shoppers Drug Mart is donating $2.5 million to Dalhousie University’s health faculty to support diversity and promote inclusion in health education and research.

“This donation will reinforce the important work the health faculty does to identify and fill gaps in the health care system, but more importantly, it will help fund future generations of health care professionals from diverse backgrounds,” said Jeff Leger, president of Shoppers. .

$1.5 million of the funding is for scholarships. The money will benefit students studying pharmacy, physiotherapy and occupational therapy who identify as Black Nova Scotians or Indigenous or are from New Glasgow and North Sydney.

There will also be scholarships to support students to complete rural clinical placements. The funding is intended to make those internships more accessible to students who can’t handle the added expense of moving to the communities.

The remaining $1 million will support research efforts to broaden the role of pharmacists, physical therapists and occupational therapists in the health system. The research aims to identify gaps in care that these health professionals can address and explore how they can work with clinical care teams.

The funding also goes to research into equity, diversity and inclusion in healthcare.

Brenda Merritt, dean of the faculty of health, said the funding will help spark new ideas in education, research and patient care.

“It also allows us to create exceptional learning opportunities for our students and strengthen our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion,” said Merritt. “That has the potential to improve the health and well-being of all Canadians.”