PORTLAND, Maine, Dec. 5, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- As part of its philanthropic focus on helping
people access the care and coverage they need, Sun Life U.S. has
renewed its support of Northeastern
University's Roux Institute Gap Year program with a
donation of $50,000. The program
places recent college graduates from schools around the country in
clinical support positions throughout Maine. The graduates fill frontline roles,
helping to address staff shortages in care delivery settings,
including dental. Nearly all Gap Year program participants enter
careers in healthcare, and many of them remain in Maine. Since the Gap Year program began in
2023, 54 graduates have been placed in seven healthcare systems
around the state.
"As part of Maine's academic
community, we believe strongly in working with our partners to
support the state's economy and its citizens," said Aileen Huang-Saad, director of Life Sciences,
Health & Engineering and associate professor of bioengineering
at Northeastern University's Roux
Institute. "We launched the Gap Year program to address the issue
of access to healthcare in Maine
while attracting and retaining more health professionals. Sun
Life's commitment to helping people access the care and coverage
they need aligns so well with our mission, and we're thrilled to
have their continued support. Our generous donors play such an
important role in our ability to grow this program."
The Gap Year program provides support to clinical teams,
enabling them to increase the number of appointments available and
treat more patients in the community. Of the participants who have
completed the program, 80% have stayed in Maine, and all of them confirmed in an exit
survey they would be seeking employment in healthcare or engaging
post graduate studies in health.
"Sun Life has a large presence in Maine, and we are committed to partnering with
organizations like the Roux Institute to help Mainers live
healthier lives," said Dan Fishbein,
M.D., president, Sun Life U.S. "With the growing workforce shortage
crisis in the U.S. healthcare system, supporting programs like the
Roux's Gap Year is an innovative way to address this issue in
Maine. We are proud to support
this program as it expands patient access across the state and
steers recent graduates into careers in healthcare."
Based in Portland, Maine, the
Roux Institute at Northeastern
University offers graduate degrees in data analytics, life
and health sciences, and other fields. Sun Life first partnered
with the Roux Institute in 2020 to deliver an actuarial training
program for employees. Sun Life has also participated in the Roux
Institute's research on artificial intelligence (AI) and its 2023
conference, "The State of AI in Maine."
Sun Life partners with many organizations in Maine to support healthy communities and help
people access care, including the Boys and Girls Club of
Southern Maine and Spurwink
Services. The Roux Institute works with corporate and individual
donors around Maine to support the
Gap Year program.
About Sun Life
Sun Life is a leading international
financial services organization providing asset management, wealth,
insurance and health solutions to individual and institutional
Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide,
including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong
Kong, the Philippines,
Japan, Indonesia, India, China,
Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of September 30, 2024, Sun Life had total assets
under management of C$1.51 trillion.
For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com.
Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New
York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the
ticker symbol SLF.
Sun Life U.S. is one of the largest providers of employee and
government benefits, helping approximately 50 million Americans
access the healthcare and coverage they need. Through employers,
industry partners and government programs, Sun Life U.S. offers a
portfolio of benefits and services, including dental, vision,
disability, absence management, life, supplemental health, medical
stop-loss insurance, and healthcare navigation. Sun Life employs
more than 8,500 people in the U.S., including associates in our
partner dental practices and affiliated companies in asset
management. Group insurance policies are issued by Sun Life
Assurance Company of Canada
(Wellesley Hills, Mass.), except
in New York, where policies are
issued by Sun Life and Health Insurance Company (U.S.)
(Lansing, Mich.). For more
information visit our website and newsroom.
About Northeastern
University
Founded in 1898, Northeastern University is a global research
university with an R1 Carnegie classification, and the recognized
leader in experiential lifelong learning. Northeastern's global university system includes 13
campuses across the U.S., U.K., and Canada, and serves as a platform for scaling
ideas, talent, and solutions. Students study, conduct research, and
work on co-op in 149 countries and on all continents. The
university has 300,000-plus alumni and more than 3,500 industry
partners worldwide.
Media contacts
Devon Fernald
Sun Life U.S.
Devon.Portney.Fernald@sunlife.com
781-800-3609
Connect with Sun Life U.S.
https://www.facebook.com/SLFUnitedStates
https://www.linkedin.com/company/sun-life-financial
Northeastern Media Relations
media@northeastern.edu
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SOURCE Sun Life U.S.