TORONTO, March 12, 2019 /CNW/ - Scotiabank, in collaboration with MD Financial Management (MD) and the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), today announced a contribution of $1.6 million to Well Doc Alberta, an Alberta-based initiative aimed at shaping the future of physician wellness.

Led by the University of Calgary's Dr. Jane Lemaire, Well Doc Alberta offers a pan-provincial approach to physician wellness, with a stated mission of connecting relevant people, programs and organizations at the provincial and national levels. Under Lemaire's guidance, and with the support of the Alberta Medical Association (AMA) and the University of Calgary's W21C Research and Innovation Centre, Well Doc Alberta aims to develop, pilot and refine resources that could be leveraged to help physicians across Canada.

"Scotiabank's contribution to Well Doc Alberta is ultimately an investment in the wellbeing of all Canadian physicians," said Glen Gowland, Executive Vice President, Global Wealth Management at Scotiabank. "We are proud to support Dr. Jane Lemaire and her partners at the AMA and University of Calgary, and to help support the CMA's strategic vision of a vibrant profession."

Lemaire is a trusted Canadian voice in the realm of physician wellness. Her 2018 article on the subject, entitled "Understanding How Patients Perceive Physician Wellness and its Links to Patient Care: A Qualitative Study," was called the year's most impactful paper in the field by Stanford University, which awarded Lemaire its Physician Well-being Article Award.

"An investment in Well Doc Alberta is of national importance as this program can eventually be scaled up to other provinces/territories and will inform a national physician wellness strategy being spearheaded by the CMA" said Dr. Gigi Osler, President of the CMA.

The contribution, to be distributed over three years, is the first in a series of meaningful contributions Scotiabank will make to Canada's medical profession as part of the 10-year affinity agreement it entered into with the CMA upon acquiring MD in October 2018.

About Scotiabank
Scotiabank is Canada's international bank and a leading financial services provider in the Americas. We are dedicated to helping our more than 25 million customers become better off through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of more than 98,000 employees¹ and assets of over $1 trillion (as at January 31, 2019), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BNS) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @ScotiabankViews.

¹Employees are reported on a full-time equivalent basis.

About MD Financial Management
MD Financial Management has one main goal: to help Canada's physicians achieve financial well-being. MD has more than $49 billion in assets under administration and is dedicated to serving Canada's physicians and their families. MD provides financial products and services, the MD Family of Funds and investment counselling services through the MD Group of Companies. For a detailed list of these companies, visit md.ca.

About the Canadian Medical Association
Since 1867, the Canadian Medical Association has been the national voice of Canada's medical profession. We work with physicians, residents and medical students on issues that matter to the profession and the health of Canadians. We advocate for policy and programs that drive meaningful change for physicians and their patients.

About Affinity contributions
Scotiabank, MD Financial Management (MD) and the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) together are firmly committed to supporting the medical profession and advancing health in Canada. As proof of this commitment, and in collaboration with the CMA and MD, Scotiabank will invest $115 million over the next 10 years to support physicians and the communities they serve across Canada.

About Well Doc Alberta
Well Doc Alberta is a pan-provincial initiative developed by Dr. Jane Lemaire. With the ultimate vision of "shaping the future of physician wellness, together", Well Doc Alberta provides a forum for those with interest and expertise in physician wellness to collectively enhance physician wellness and promote culture change. For more information, visit www.welldocalberta.org.

About the University of Calgary
The University of Calgary is a global intellectual hub located in Canada's most enterprising city. In our spirited, high-quality learning environment, students thrive in programs made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. Our strategy drives us to be recognized as one of Canada's top five research universities, engaging the communities we both serve and lead. This strategy is called Eyes High, inspired by the university's Gaelic motto, which translates as 'I will lift up my eyes.' For more information, visit ucalgary.ca/eyeshigh.

About W21C Research and Innovation Centre
W21C is a research and innovation initiative based in the University of Calgary's O'Brien Institute for Public Health and the Calgary Zone of Alberta Health Services. W21C conducts health systems research to make care better by focusing on improving patient safety and quality of health care delivery. For more information, visit www.w21c.org.

SOURCE Scotiabank