Province of Nova Scotia Invests $58.9 Million for CBU Med Campus

The Government of Nova Scotia is investing $58.9 million to develop the new medical campus at Cape Breton University. As part of the province’s plan to educate, recruit and retain more doctors, the campus will train 30 new doctors every year with plans to open, in collaboration with Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Medicine, by fall of 2025.

“Families across Cape Breton and our rural communities need more family doctors and we know the best way to meet that need is to train more of them here and do more to ensure that the ones who graduate here, practice here,” says Premier Tim Houston. “Nova Scotians deserve to have more healthcare workers practicing in their communities, and with a strong focus on rural care training, we expect better patient care happening across the province.” 

A new medical sciences building will be the cornerstone of the Cape Breton medical campus, housing educational and research space to train the next generation of family doctors. Their education will include special training in rural health needs such as aging, frailty and disease prevention, as well as Indigenous health and African Nova Scotian health. 

In addition, the campus will include a new collaborative care clinic at the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) Marconi campus as well as an expansion of CBU’s current Nancy Dingwall Health and Counselling Centre. The health and counselling centre will become a key clinical training facility and its expansion will address the increased demand for healthcare among the student population. The investment includes $49 million for infrastructure, $6.2 million for the new clinic and $3.7 million to expand the health and counselling centre.

“We know that healthy communities are thriving communities and today, with this investment, we take a major step forward in improving the collective health of our citizens,” says David C.Dingwall, CBU President and Vice-Chancellor. “We are deeply grateful to the Province of Nova Scotia for their faith in us, and for investing in a healthier future for our community. Simply put, this investment will change the face of healthcare in Cape Breton, in rural Nova Scotia, and the entire province.

These projects will advance Action for Health, the Province’s plan to improve and transform healthcare in Nova Scotia, by investing in education and training opportunities to ensure the health needs of communities are met.