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Rural health institute coming to St. F.X. University

AARON BESWICK SALTWIRE NETWORK abeswick@herald.ca

Premier Tim Houston unveiled the latest plank to address the health-care crisis over the long term in Antigonish on March 9.

The province is contributing $37.4 million to the $61-million price tag for a new Institute for Innovation in Health at St. Francis Xavier University. The institute will bring together health-care researchers from across disciplines with a new headquarters for the National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health under one roof.

The research conducted in it will have a rural focus, looking at ways of promoting health and wellness, chronic disease prevention and management, rehabilitation, aging in place and outreach to train health-care providers where they work.

“I think what you’ve seen in what (Health) Minister (Michelle) Thompson has been leading and the government is supporting, there’s a lot of things for the here and now,” said Houston during a ceremony at the Brian Mulroney Institute of Government, which stands across the street from where the institute will be built.

“But we can’t go through a health-care crisis every 20 years, so we’re looking to the long term and saying ‘How do we make sure that we have a sustainable health-care system that is there for all Nova Scotians who need it today, tomorrow and well into the future.’”

The Institute for Innovation in Health is the latest in a string of announcements to bring the province’s universities to bear on finding long-term solutions to Nova Scotia’s health-care woes.

On Tuesday, Houston announced $59 million for a new medical school at Cape Breton University and, on Wednesday, Advanced Education Minister Brian Wong announced $25 million to expand training in healthcare data analysis at St. Mary’s University.

Houston recommitted to running deficits and “spending what it takes” to “fix health care."

Andy Hakin, the university’s president and vice chancellor, said the university will raise the remaining $24 million to build the institute largely from donors and will not have to take on any debt as part of it.

Construction will begin once designs are finished, with a target grand opening in 2026.

Britney Benoit will be moving her office into it.

Beyond teaching, the nursing professor researches ways to optimize the care of infants, children and families during times of pain, stress and transition.

“As a registered nurse and clinician scientist, I view this as the most exciting aspect of this institute,” said Benoit. “The opportunity to bring together expertise in a wide variety of health disciplines at St. F.X. and work in direct partnership with health systems in order to advance interdisciplinary education and collaborative health research to meet the health-care needs of rural Nova Scotians, particularly those who’ve been traditionally underserved.”

New Glasgow News

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2023-03-16T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-03-16T07:00:00.0000000Z

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