Ryerson receives funding from the City of Brampton for School of Medicine

Last week Brampton’s Committee of Council voted unanimously in favour of a $1 million planning grant to help fund a future School of Medicine in the city. The funding will support an official proposal to the Ontario government.

The funding from the City of Brampton matches the $1 million in funding granted by the Province of Ontario earlier this year to support Ryerson’s School of Medicine proposal. The proposal will detail the university’s approach to health education, with a focus on primary care, expanded use of technology to better meet patient needs, interprofessional practice and the provision of culturally sensitive care. 

A collaborative approach

The funding also enables Ryerson University and the city to take a collaborative approach to identifying potential locations for the medical school, including Brampton’s Innovation District. The university remains on track to deliver its proposal to the Province of Ontario within the 18-24 month timeline previously announced. 

“We are proud to have Brampton as our partner in expanding healthcare education in Ontario and we’re grateful for this show of support,” said Ryerson University President and Vice-Chancellor Mohamed Lachemi. “The new medical school will not only dramatically enhance the healthcare system in Brampton, it will also build a foundation for a diverse pool of talent to thrive in health care and healthcare-related sectors across our province.”

Expanding care in Ontario

A School of Medicine in Brampton will offer a new approach to medical education in Ontario - one that draws on the university’s commitment to community, diversity and inclusion, and innovation to address the changing needs for health care delivery and practice. This new approach will meet the current pain points in the healthcare system in Brampton and across the province, both of which have been exacerbated by the global pandemic. 

A shared vision for a School of Medicine in Brampton builds on existing partnerships between the university and the City of Brampton, including the Cybersecure Catalyst and the Brampton Ventures Zone.

“This opportunity to invest in the Ryerson School of Medicine has come at a significant time for the city, as COVID-19 has intensified our need for equitable health care services,” said Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown. 

“The Ryerson School of Medicine in Brampton will ensure that the next generation of health care practitioners can train locally in our city, in programs like disease prevention and health promotion; home care; and acute care hospital services. Historically, Brampton has not received its fair share of funding in health care services resulting in hospital overcrowding and hallway medicine. An investment in the Ryerson School of Medicine gives the City of Brampton an opportunity to change that.”

A School of Medicine at Ryerson University will be designed around five pillars:

• Focusing on community-centric primary care and the social determinants of health
• Providing culturally respectful care to communities
• Leveraging innovation and technology in practices to improve quality of care and patient outcomes
• Providing future physicians with the skills to develop interprofessional networks of health care to achieve better outcomes for patients 
• Focusing on the aging and supporting seniors as a growing portion of our society gets older 

Next steps

Ryerson’s School of Medicine planning committee has completed the first phase of community consultations with the Ryerson community and will now turn its attention to a robust plan to engage community stakeholders in Brampton, Peel and other regions. These consultations will engage leaders of community organizations, health care businesses, clinicians and clinical groups as well as connect with community groups, to understand their hopes and expectations for the school, and incorporate that feedback into planning. 

Visit the Ryerson University’s School of Medicine website for more information on the proposal. 

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• Ryerson University receives planning grant for medical school in Brampton