FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Lisa Murphy, J & W Murphy Foundation; Dr. Ashley Drohan
Halifax, N.S. (May 6, 2025) – The IWK Foundation is proud to announce a $2-million gift from the J & W Murphy Foundation to create a Breast Health Research Unit (BHRU) centralized at IWK Health. The BHRU will focus on data collection across the province to help inform and transform breast cancer care in Nova Scotia, from the coordination of treatment to the type of treatment offered to patients.
Through this generous donation, the BHRU will collect comprehensive data on the experience of patients with breast cancer from diagnosis to survivorship. This includes patient-reported outcomes such as a patient’s quality of life, understanding the reasons behind their treatment choice, and their overall experience in the health care system. The BHRU will have one of the first datasets in Atlantic Canada to capture patient-reported outcomes on a provincial level.
“The J & W Murphy Foundation is proud to support the IWK’s new Breast Health Research Unit, a groundbreaking initiative that will improve care for women in Nova Scotia facing breast cancer—both today and for generations to come,” said Lisa Murphy, J & W Murphy Foundation. “Our family is deeply committed to advancing women’s health, and we are honoured to help drive meaningful, lasting improvements in breast cancer research and care across the province.”
The Canadian Cancer Society estimates that one in eight Canadian women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime and, on average, 84 Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer every day.
“Every day, we treat patients to the best standard we know, but we need help to move beyond treating just the patient in front of us and towards optimizing the entire population of patients with breast health issues in Nova Scotia,” said Dr. Ashley Drohan and Dr. Gregory Knapp, Breast Health Program surgeons, IWK Health. “The BHRU will build on the existing collaboration between Nova Scotian breast surgeons and care teams to shape the future of breast health data and research. This will help us better understand how the provincial health care system impacts outcomes that matter to patients and families.”
Currently, IWK Health collects data on women with breast cancer within Nova Scotia’s central zone. The BHRU will expand to collect data from all breast cancer patients in Nova Scotia, capturing both clinical outcomes such as survival rates and patient-reported outcomes.
“Thank you to the J & W Murphy Foundation for being true champions for advancing health care and research in the Maritimes. Their investment today will make a difference for patients with breast cancer and breast health issues across Nova Scotia and beyond,” said Jennifer Gillivan, President & CEO, IWK Foundation. “Alongside donors like the J & W Murphy Foundation, the IWK Foundation is on a mission to equalize women’s health care and research, locally, regionally and nationally. With this gift and the expertise of the IWK, the Breast Health Research Unit will support critical research for women’s health, which in turn creates a better future for us all.”
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About the IWK Foundation
The IWK Foundation is a champion of excellence in women's and children's health and medicine and works in partnership with IWK Health to support their vision of providing quality care to women, children, youth and families in the Maritime Provinces and beyond. Our donors are passionately committed to making a difference for Maritime families, contributing over $25.2 million in support of the most urgent care priorities at the IWK last year. Funds raised also support the IWK's global leadership in research and knowledge sharing, which in turn improves lives worldwide.
In 2024, the IWK Foundation joined Women’s Health Collective Canada (WHCC), working alongside leading women’s health hospitals and research centres from across Canada to fund women’s health and research.
Visit www.iwkfoundation.org for more information.
Media Contact
Sarah Greening
IWK Foundation
P: 902.266.3306
E: sarah.greening@iwkfoundation.org