Sussex, New Brunswick – Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc. (PotashCorp) today announced a $500,000 commitment over five years to support a local medical education program in southern New Brunswick and Canada’s first endowed Research Chair in Occupational Medicine. An initiative of Dalhousie University in collaboration with the government of New Brunswick, the University of New Brunswick and Horizon Health, the program enables students from New Brunswick to stay and train in the province, serving local people during their undergraduate medical education program and increasing the likelihood that they will stay in New Brunswick after graduation.

“At PotashCorp, we know that quality of life in our local communities depends on access to quality healthcare,” said Stewart Brown, General Manager of PotashCorp New Brunswick. “We hope that this investment helps to provide better care across southern New Brunswick and supports our province’s efforts to retain more young physicians going forward.”

The program was created in 2008 with the signing of a formal agreement between Dalhousie University, the Government of New Brunswick and the University of New Brunswick and welcomed its first students in September 2010. It admits only residents from New Brunswick and is delivered through four teaching sites in Saint John, Miramichi, Fredericton and Moncton.

The newly established Research Chair in Occupational Medicine will not only work toward a national impact on the prevention and treatment of workplace injury and disease but also enhance the quality of the school and the province’s research abilities. Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick is searching for a candidate to fill the research chair position.

“We have an opportunity to make New Brunswick a centre of excellence in occupational health research and education. Private sector investment, like the one today from PotashCorp, helps support our entire research program. Our goal is to build stronger health capacity across Dalhousie Medical School’s Maritime community,” said Dr. Tom Marrie, Dean, Dalhousie Medical School.

According to Dr. Marrie, a decentralized model for medical education is gaining popularity across the country with medical schools delivering their MD programs at different campuses. In 2003, there were 16 medical schools on 16 campuses in Canada. By the end of 2012, it is estimated that there will be 17 medical schools on 28 campuses.

For New Brunswick, the program promises to bring needed capacity in medical training and research and improve the quality and level of service available to communities across the southern region.

“Today we are welcoming Sussex-based Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan’s New Brunswick operations as a partner in improving healthcare in our province,” said Dr. John Steeves, Associate Dean of Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick. “Education and research are the tools we need to achieve our common goal; education is for today and research is for tomorrow.”

Headquartered in Saskatchewan, Canada, PotashCorp is the world’s largest fertilizer company by capacity, producing the three primary crop nutrients – potash, phosphate and nitrogen. With five potash operations in Saskatchewan, and one in New Brunswick, it is responsible for about 20 percent of global capacity. Its operations and business interests span seven countries, making PotashCorp an international enterprise and a key player in meeting the growing challenge of feeding the world.

For more information contact:
Stewart Brown
General Manager, PCS News Brunswick
Phone: (506) 432-8100
E-mail Corporate Philanthropy