McGill University and l’Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO) today announced the signing of an agreement to develop training programs in the region, specifically related to health care. The agreement complements the Government of Quebec’s announcement today to move forward with the investment needed to create a satellite campus for McGill’s Faculty of Medicine in Outaouais.
The two institutions will collaborate on the development of training programs for health care professionals that respond to the needs of the Outaouais population. Priorities identified include ratifying an agreement to train nurse practitioners specialized in primary care, as well as establishing a working group to develop a cohort of nurse practitioners specialized in mental health and pediatrics. The two universities will also explore student service needs for McGill University students in Outaouais, to comply with accreditation requirements.
“We are pleased to formalize our collaboration with UQO, which will lead to the development of new training programs that will help strengthen health care capacity in the region,” said Dr. David Eidelman, Vice-Principal (Health Affairs) and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at McGill. “The Outaouais region is within the territory for which McGill is responsible as part of RUIS McGill. This is a priority region for us and this agreement supports our social commitment to Outaouais and the province.”
Mandated by the Government of Quebec, the Réseau universitaire intégré de santé (RUIS) McGill, aims, among other things, to improve access to health care services in the province in order to better serve the population. For the Faculty of Medicine at McGill, community engagement and social responsibility are two core principles within its tripartite mission of education, research and health care.
Denis Harrisson, Rector of l’UQO is hopeful that this new announcement will contribute to accelerating future investment in higher education in the region: “We are happy for the population of Outaouais and we hope that the health care training in Outaouais will contribute to improving health care and access to family physicians. On our end, we continue to work on developing our programs in health care on UQO’s campus, and we will conduct opportunity studies to ensure that what we develop responds to the needs of our region.”
September 6, 2016