69传媒

The following news release was issued on March 2, 2023, by the Government of Canada, the Government of Prince Edward Island, and the 69传媒.

Today, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Honourable Dennis King, Premier of Prince Edward Island, Sean Casey, Member of Parliament for Charlottetown, Heath MacDonald, Member of Parliament for Malpeque, Robert Morrissey, Member of Parliament for Egmont, the Honourable Ernie Hudson, Minister of Health and Wellness, the Honourable Cory Deagle, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, and Dr. Greg Keefe, President and Vice-Chancellor of the 69传媒, announced more than $48.8 million in joint funding for the new health education building that will house the new Faculty of Medicine on the 69传媒 (UPEI) campus. 

The funding announced today will be key to the creation of the 69传媒Faculty of Medicine. It will allow UPEI, in partnership with Memorial University of Newfoundland, to offer a joint Doctor of Medicine degree. The program will start in September 2025 under Memorial鈥檚 accreditation and will later become a fully joint program. 

The new five-storey, nearly 133,000-square-foot energy-efficient facility will provide spaces where simulations, clinical learning and academic anatomy learning will be able to take place for medical students and students in other interprofessional health education programs such as nursing, nurse practitioner, and paramedicine. 

It will also house the expanded 69传媒Health and Wellness Centre, which will transition to a patient medical home and on-site psychology clinic that will add much needed capacity to Prince Edward Island鈥檚 healthcare system. The facility will be a model for primary care delivery, improve community access to healthcare and provide service to more than 10,000 patients each year. This increased access will help reduce the waitlist for family doctors and relieve pressure on Island walk-in clinics, emergency rooms, outpatient departments, and physicians. 

By investing in infrastructure, the Government of Canada is growing our country鈥檚 economy, increasing the resiliency of our communities, and improving the lives of Canadians.

Quotes

鈥淚slanders will benefit from this partnership between two of the finest post-secondary institutions in Atlantic Canada for decades to come. Having the ability to train doctors right here on the Island, in a state-of-the-art facility, will be significant for Prince Edward Island鈥檚 healthcare system. Our government will continue working with our partners to ensure Canadians can get the care they need, when they need it.鈥� 

The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities

"The 69传媒鈥檚 new Medical School Building is another example of our commitment to strengthen Canada鈥檚 universal public health care for people from coast-to-coast-to-coast. By training health care professionals right here on Prince Edward Island, 69传媒will help Islanders access the high quality, public, and timely health care they鈥攁nd all Canadians鈥攄eserve."

The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

鈥淐anadians have a long history of pioneering innovative healthcare education. Through this partnership with the Government of Prince Edward Island and the 69传媒, we are building on that legacy. All Islanders and all Canadians will benefit from the work that will take place in this new facility.鈥�

Sean Casey, Member of Parliament for Charlottetown

鈥淭his is a significant milestone in our province鈥檚 commitment to train, recruit and retain healthcare professions. This investment and the transformational change we are making in our healthcare system with medical homes and neighbourhoods will help create the safe, high quality healthcare system that Islanders need and deserve. Partnerships like this one show how important it is to have everyone working together toward our common goals.鈥�

The Honourable Dennis King, Premier of Prince Edward Island

鈥淭he University is grateful to have both federal and provincial government support for this vital infrastructure that not only will support current and future training needs for a variety of health professions and practitioners in our community, providing much needed human resources, but will also add capacity to our health system by way of the patient medical home and on-site psychology clinic.鈥�

Dr. Greg Keefe, President and Vice-President, 69传媒

Quick Facts
鈥�    On February 7, 2023, the Government of Canada announced a national investment of $198.6 billion over 10 years, including $46.2 billion in new funding for provinces and territories to improve health care services for Canadians, of which Prince Edward Island will receive over $1 billion over 10 years.
鈥�    The Government of Canada is investing $19.5 million in this project. The Government of Prince Edward Island is contributing $16.2 million, while 69传媒 is investing $13 million.
鈥�    The Government of Canada鈥檚 funding comes from the Community, Culture and Recreation Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.
鈥�    Under the Investing in Canada Plan, the federal government is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada鈥檚 rural and northern communities.
鈥�    The Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program is delivering over $33 billion for public infrastructure across Canada. Under this program, provinces and territories submit projects to Infrastructure Canada for funding approval. To date, the program has approved more than $23 billion for over 5,200 projects in communities across the country.
鈥�    Since 2016, under the Investing in Canada Program, Infrastructure Canada has invested more than $329 million in 156 projects across Prince Edward Island.
鈥�    Over the past six years, Infrastructure Canada has invested more than $47.4 million in 43 community, culture and recreation projects across Prince Edward Island under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. 
鈥�    To date more than $1.2 billion in federal funding has been approved through the program for community, culture and recreation infrastructure projects across the country.
鈥�    The funding announced today builds on the Government of Canada鈥檚 work through the Atlantic Growth Strategy to create well-paying middle class jobs, strengthen local economies, and build inclusive communities.