ADVISORY, June 1, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) --
WHAT: This year's 23rd Annual Commencement Ceremony of The Charles R.
Drew University of Medicine and Science will include presentation
of special honorary awards:
* Doctor of Humane Letters for Service and Achievement to Lillian
Harkness Mobley, long-time community activist and humanitarian
whose leadership role in helping establish the University
reflects a deep and lasting commitment to healthcare and medical
training to reach underserved populations.
* Board of Trustee's Medal of Honor to Mr. Thomas M. Priselac,
President and Chief executive Officer of the Cedars-Sinai Health
System for his significant service as a member of the Charles
Drew University Board of Trustees.
* President's Medal to Dr. Gus Gill, renowned former chair of the
Department of Otolaryngology at the King/Drew Medical Center for
28 years, and director of its International Health Institute,
involved in developing cooperative partnerships with Sub-Saharan
Africa, South and Central America, India and China.
WHO: Dr. Susan Kelly, President and CEO of The Charles Drew
University will preside over the ceremonies. The Commencement
Speaker will be Hector Flores, M.D., prominent physician and
activist in recruiting students from disadvantaged backgrounds
and ethnic groups to serve in underrepresented areas. Dr. Flores
is Chairman of The Family Practice Department at White Memorial
Medical Center and co-director of the hospital's Family Practice
Residency Program.
WHEN: Saturday, June 2, 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 118th
Street, directly across the street from the Cobb Building,
between Compton Avenue and Wilimington Avenue.
Media are requested to proceed to Room 186 in the Cobb Building.
Directions from Los Angeles: Take the 110 or 405 Freeway south, to
the 105 Freeway east (toward Norwalk). Exit Wilmington Avenue, turn
right to 120thth Street, turn right.
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 healthcare services to
over 1.7 million chronically underserved residents of the
poorest communities in Los Angeles County.
The University is widely regarded as an innovative medical
education university pioneering in teaching doctors and
healthcare professionals, and in conducting quality
research, to deal with the special needs of the poor,
chronically ill populations in the inner city. Until
recently, the University partnered with the County under a
series of contracts to provide the former King/Drew Medical
Center with academic supervision of faculty doctors, medical
students, interns and residents to serve 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 has been
remarkably successful in achieving its primary goal of
producing physicians and other healthcare professionals who
return to the community to serve people who are uninsured or
underinsured.
Further details about the graduation ceremony and honorees
may be found on The Charles Drew University website at
http://www.cdrewu.edu.