Sun Life U.S. donates $50,000 to Northeastern University's Roux Institute to help improve access to healthcare throughout Maine

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.

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Northeastern Media Relations

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SOURCE Sun Life U.S.