Press Release – DGH Foundation Healthcare Bursary for African Nova Scotians
FeaturedDartmouth, NS: The Dartmouth General Hospital (DGH) values diversity, inclusion and a workforce that is representative of the people we serve. We recognize that African Nova Scotian people are essential for our workforce and our Dartmouth General Hospital community. It is in this spirit that the Dartmouth General Hospital Foundation has established the DGH Foundation Healthcare Bursary for African Nova Scotians to recognize one student from each of the six Dartmouth High Schools (Auburn High, Cole Harbour High, Dartmouth High, Island View High, Woodlawn High School, and École secondaire Mosaïque) with a $2,000 award.
It is our hope that encouraging African Nova Scotian students to pursue careers in healthcare will inspire a more diverse workforce at the Dartmouth General Hospital that is more culturally representative of the community we serve.
About DGHF: A trusted community anchor, the Dartmouth General Hospital is a 24-hour emergency, inpatient medical, surgical and critical care facility providing services to approximately 120,000 people in Dartmouth and surrounding areas. In the future, once the redevelopment is complete, the Dartmouth General will play an even more critical role in the delivery of hip and knee replacements in Dartmouth and beyond.
Today and since its inception in 1975, the Dartmouth General Hospital Foundation (DGHF) has been a driving force in connecting community and hospital. Through the tremendous generosity of community, friends and partners, the DGHF has positively impacted and supported the delivery of exceptional patient care at the Dartmouth General Hospital through more than $42 million dollars invested in equipment, facilities and programs.
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“We are so excited to be able to bring bursaries to the six High Schools in Dartmouth. We are investing in our community and in the future to help increase the number of healthcare professionals from the African NS community, and working at the Dartmouth General, now and in the years to come” – Stephen Harding, DGHF President and CEO
“We know that the institution of medicine is as affected by systemic racism as any other. We also know that the reasons why we have such low numbers of Black people working in healthcare (despite our large Black community, going back 400 years) has nothing to do with lack of interest, lack of drive, or lack of ability. It has everything to do with a systemic lack of representation, academic streaming and biases. This bursary is a step toward improving diversity and representation in our healthcare system. Everyone benefits from this – everyone. The entire system works better when it is more diverse and representative of the public it serves.” -Dr. Chadwick Williams, Gastroenterologist and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Specialist at the Dartmouth General Hospital
Contacts:
Kiana Pace
Manager, Marketing and Communications – Dartmouth General Hospital Foundation
902-266-6428 | kiana.pace@dghfoundation.ca
Stephen Harding
President & CEO – Dartmouth General Hospital Foundation
Stephen.harding@dghfoundation.ca
