LOS ANGELES, Oct. 8, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) has joined with the Southern California Minority Business Development Council (SCMBDC), one of the region's leading minority business advocacy organizations, to extend the University's outreach to maximize opportunities for local minority businesses, specifically related to contracting and construction work on the University's future building projects. The Life Sciences Research and Nursing Education building broke ground in April and has significant minority contractor participation already. CDU is also planning at least two additional buildings on its South Los Angeles campus in the next few years. These buildings are integral to the University's expansion plans.
The University is holding an information exchange meeting on campus at 1pm on Saturday, October 18th to discuss these future building activities and opportunities for qualified local contractors. All interested construction-related businesses and independent contractors are welcome to participate and have their expression of interest recorded. With SCMBDC, the university will follow up every contractor with an interest in working with CDU to bring economic development with healthcare at the core to South Central Los Angeles.
"We have been committed to the South Los Angeles community for nearly 40 years. Now, we are seeking qualified, licensed local minority contractors for all phases of our building activities. Already, we outsource many of our operations such as landscaping, electrical, plumbing to local operators - almost all of which are minority and/or women-owned businesses," stated Dr. Susan Kelly, President and CEO of Charles Drew University. "Using the independence and vast experience of SCMBDC, we will have greater efficiency in identifying and employing as many local contractors as possible."
With a mission of educating and training medical professionals for underserved communities and advancing the institution's renowned health inequities research capabilities, CDU is currently developing the Life Sciences Research and Nursing Education building (the first new building on campus in 25 years), initiating new educational programs such as the new Mervyn M. Dymally School of Nursing (the nation's first nursing school focused on health inequities), planning an independently LCME-accredited four-year medical school for CDU, health facilities for children and seniors, and establishing a series of Urgent and Specialty Care clinics with training functions. CDU's first Urgent Care Clinic opened in South Los Angeles on September 15th.
ABOUT THE SCMBDC
The Southern California Minority Business Development Council serves more than 1,100 minority business enterprises and 200 corporate members throughout 13 counties. Founded in 1975 and based in Los Angeles, it is one of 398 regional councils in the National Minority Supplier Development Council. For more information about SCMBDC, visit www.scmbdc.org
ABOUT CHARLES DREW UNIVERSITY OF MEDICINE AND SCIENCE (CDU)
CDU is a private nonprofit, nonsectarian, minority-serving medical and health sciences institution. Located in the Watts-Willowbrook area of South Los Angeles, CDU has graduated over 550 medical doctors, 2,500 post-graduate physicians, more than 2,000 physician assistants and hundreds of other health professionals. The only dually designated Historically Black Graduate Institution and Hispanic Serving Health Professions School in the U.S. CDU is recognized as a leader in health inequities and translational research, specifically with respect to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, mental health, and HIV/AIDS. The University is among the top 7% of National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded institutions and rated one of the top 50 private universities in research in the U.S. Recently, the CDU/UCLA medical program was named the "best performer" in the University of California System with respect to producing outstanding underrepresented minority physicians. For more information, visit http://www.cdrewu.edu.