ADVISORY, June 20, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) --
WHAT: A comprehensive and challenging "State of the University"
presentation by Dr. Susan Kelly, President of The Charles
R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, will focus on
the University's bold agenda to address urgent health care
workforce needs facing South Los Angeles and other parts
of California. She will also discuss ways of improving access
to health care for underserved populations. Dr. Kelly will
also describe the current situation facing the University
that took root after the Watts Rebellion of 1965 and will
outline a broad agenda for taking the University forward to
fulfill its mission of providing quality patient care and a
pipeline of excellent health professionals -- particularly
minorities who commit to serving economically disadvantaged
communities throughout the country.
Supported by the Watts Labor Community Action Committee,
the Latino Leadership Roundtable, and the Southern
Christian Leadership Conference.
Spanish translation to be provided.
WHO: Dr. Susan Kelly, President and CEO of The Charles Drew
University will present.
WHEN: Thursday, June 21, 2007, beginning at 10:00 a.m.
WHERE: The campus of The Charles Drew University, 1731 East 120th
Street, Los Angeles, California 90059. Parking on 120th
Street, off of Wilmington Avenue, two blocks from the 105
Freeway exit.
Directions from Los Angeles: Take the 110 or 405 Freeway
south, to the 105 Freeway east (toward Norwalk). Exit
Wilmington Avenue, turn right to 120th Street, and turn
right to parking.
About The Charles Drew University:
A private non-profit educational institution in the
Watts-Willowbrook area of South Los Angeles, The Charles R.
Drew University of Medicine and Science has provided
quality college, graduate and post-graduate education and
training to thousands of qualified minority and other
students for more than 35 years. As part of its mission,
the University has also provided urgently needed
health care services to chronically underserved residents of
the poorest communities in Los Angeles County, serving the
1.7 million citizens in its 94-square-mile service area.
If this service area were a municipality, it would be the
fifth largest city in the U.S.
The University is widely regarded as an innovative medical
education university pioneering in teaching doctors and
health care professionals, and in conducting quality
research, to deal with the special needs of the poor,
chronically ill populations in the inner city. By expanding
relationships with local medical school, research
institutions and community-based organizations, the
University is focused on eliminating health care disparities
by providing access to and delivery of health care services
to underserved populations. The University has been
remarkably successful in achieving its primary goal of
producing physicians and other health care professionals who
return to the community to serve people who are uninsured
or underinsured.
The Charles Drew University's unique environment of
providing medical education while serving the County's
most impoverished citizens has been lauded as a paradigm
for significantly increasing medical students' commitment
to practice medicine in underserved areas. Research shows
that 10 years after graduation, 70% of Charles Drew
University trained physicians are still working with
underserved populations.
Further information about The Charles Drew University may
be found on its website at http://www.cdrewu.edu.