The Roux Institute runs a program that helps expand access to care throughout Maine
PORTLAND, Maine, March 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In honor of recently retired company president, Dan Fishbein, M.D., Sun Life U.S. has announced continued support of the Roux Institute’s Pre-Clinical Healthcare Gap Year Program, which places recent college graduates in front-line roles in healthcare. Sun Life started supporting the Gap Year program when it was launched in 2023, as part of the company’s philanthropic efforts to help people access healthcare services.
Fishbein, who recently retired from Sun Life after an 11-year tenure as president, has been a champion of the Gap Year Program, supporting Sun Life’s strategy over the last several years around improving access to care. With Sun Life’s support, the Gap Year program has placed more than 80 professionals in health service roles and has continued growing its partnership base with medical and dental clinics around Maine.
“For the past decade, Dan deftly grew our strategy of connecting our benefits and health services to the broader healthcare ecosystem and exploring ways to improve access,” said David Healy, president, Sun Life U.S. “Supporting the Roux’s Gap Year program has been an important part of that strategy, and we are pleased to support its growth, particularly as Dan leaves us a legacy that we will continue to build on: helping people get the care and coverage they need.”
Now in it’s third year, the Gap Year Program helps address staff shortages in care delivery settings, filling roles in hospitals, health clinics, specialist care sites and dental practices throughout Maine, including rural and underserved areas. After completing the program, nearly every participant has confirmed they intend to continue pursuing careers in healthcare.
“My experience this past year has truly been the best,” said program participant Jillian Fitzpatrick. “Working at the Knox Clinic and the resources the Roux provided have helped me grow as a future dentist. This incredible experience has helped build my confidence as I continue my education path.” Fitzpatrick was a participant in the first year of the Rou’s Gap Year Program. She is now in dental school.
“With Sun Life’s support, we have been able to grow the Gap Year program and increase the availability of providers in parts of the state where people have limited access to medical or dental care,” said Aileen Huang-Saad, director of Life Sciences, Health & Engineering and associate professor of bioengineering at Northeastern University’s Roux Institute. “While Maine has one of the largest rural and aging populations, we know this need exists across the country. Our hope is that universities in other states will adopt similar approaches to help fill the country’s gaps in healthcare access in rural and underserved communities.”
Based in Portland, Maine, Northeastern University’s Roux Institute offers graduate degrees in analytics, AI, computer science, project management, life sciences, and other technical 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), its 2023 conference, “The State of AI in Maine,” and co-hosted an event in 2025 on addressing access to care in Maine, featuring Gap Year participants.
Sun Life focuses on building and supporting programs that address access to care at the community level. Additional partners in Maine include the Maine Celtics, Boys and Girls Clubs of Southern Maine and Spurwink Services.
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 U.S., the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of December 31, 2025, Sun Life had total assets under management of C$1.60 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 48 million Americans access the care 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 nearly 8,300 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.
Media contact
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Sun Life U.S.
Devon.Portney.Fernald@sunlife.com
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SOURCE Sun Life U.S.
