St. David’s Foundation Supports Health Care for the Underserved at the School of Nursing at The University of Texas at Austin

Speakers:
o Alexa Stuifbergen, dean of the School of Nursing
o Earl Maxwell, chief executive of the St. David’s Foundation
o State Sen. Kirk Watson

When: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 8

Where: The School of Nursing at The University of Texas at Austin, 1700 Red River St., Austin, Texas 78701 ( Map )

Background: The Center for Health Promotion & Disease Prevention Research in Underserved Populations has played a key role in improving the health and lives of underserved populations in Central Texas and beyond.

Founded in 1999, the center was funded through 2010 by the National Institute of Nursing Research of the National Institutes of Health.

St. David’s Foundation has made a $3 million gift to CHPR to enable it to continue its work reducing health disparities through faculty research and community-based health promotion programs. The interdisciplinary center has been renamed the St. David’s Center for Health Promotion & Disease Prevention in Underserved Populations.

It works with underserved populations including minorities, low-income individuals, people with disabling conditions, children and adolescents, and elderly people. Research areas have included nutrition, mobility, memory in older adults, asthma, substance abuse, cardiovascular health and chronic illnesses.

"We are very pleased that this gift from the St. David’s Foundation will allow the center to continue to support the important and innovative health-related research of faculty from many departments at the University of Texas at Austin," Stuiffbergen said. "The research that is developed through this collaborative center can serve as a key building block in the efforts to expand health care services and education in Austin."

Sen. Kirk Watson, will speak at the event about the significance of the gift and the future of health care and medical education in Austin.

"This partnership demonstrates the powerful, transformative effects of the collaborative work to promote medical education and innovation in Central Texas," Watson said. "These kinds of partnerships will allow us to build a medical school, health science center and other critical health resources in Central Texas."