AstraZeneca has presented Delaware State University with a $250,000 charitable contribution to support the establishment of the Delaware Center for Health Promotion on campus.

 

The Delaware Center for Health Promotion (DCHP) will provide DSU’s students, faculty and staff with an on-campus resource for information and guidance about healthy lifestyle choices. The AstraZeneca donation will be spread out over five years.

 

DSU President Harry L. Williams accepted the $250,000 donation on behalf of the DSU Foundation from Tyrone Jones, Director  of Corporate Community Alliances for AstraZeneca, during the Jan. 13 DSU Board of Trustees meeting. While it is not the first donation from AstraZeneca, to date it is the largest donation to DSU from the company given in support of the University’s internal and external operations.

 

“AstraZeneca’s expression of financial support reflects its great corporate concern for the health of our campus community and an acknowledgement of Delaware State University’s capability to extend its health outreach to the community at large,” Dr. Harry L. Williams said. “DSU is truly grateful for the pharmaceutical company’s contribution and how it will help us promote good health practices on our campus and beyond.”

 

Dr. Williams also said he is excited that the Delaware Center for Health Promotion is joining together with the DSU Health Center and other University health stakeholders to provide the campus community with an unprecedented array of health resources.

 

U.S. Rep. John C. Carney, Jr., who was a promoter of health initiatives during his days as Delaware's lieutenant governor (2001-2008), traveled from Washington, D.C. to be present for the check presentation. He noted that a constant topic in Congress is the federal deficit, and that health care cost is a big factor in that challenge.

 

"One way is to encourage people to live healthy," Rep. Carney said. "With DSU and the Delaware Center for Health Promotion, we will do that."

 

Tyrone Jones, director of AstraZeneca's Corporate and Community Alliances, noted that this same initiative is modeled after two other programs previously supported by AstraZeneca.

 

"AstraZeneca is pleased to support this collaboration with DSU because we share the same commitment to patient health as well as the same understanding that behavior that is established in early adulthood lasts a lifetime," Mr. Jones said.

 

Marianne Carter, DCHP director, will focus the center’s efforts on assisting the University in the creation of a student wellness program, on engaging DSU employees in health programs such as DelaWELL, as well as develop community programs for the public.

 

She said prevention will be the key emphasis in the center's programming. "It is clear that DSU works hard to make its students successful," Ms. Carter said. "We will work on instilling healthy habits in the graduates of this University."

 

Ms. Carter is already integrating DCHP into University life by serving on the DSU Student Affairs Health Committee. She said the DCHP will be working with the committee to launch a new Weight Loss Program for the student population, to hold a Feb. 24 Health Fair on campus, as well as to conduct an extensive health survey on campus.

 

“The survey will better inform us about the health needs among DSU students and will guide us in other health programming we will establish on campus,” Ms. Carter said.