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YOUNG
& HEALTHY RECEIVES $25,000 GRANT FROM THE
BAXTER INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION
Agency to Use Grant to Expand a Community Asthma Project to Preschoolers
PASADENA, Calif.,
November 18, 2002 - The Baxter International Foundation, the philanthropic
arm of Baxter International Inc., has awarded a $25,000 grant to Young
& Healthy in Pasadena, Calif. The organization facilitates the delivery
of free medical, dental, and mental health care to low-income school children
in Pasadena and surrounding areas by calling on an extensive network of
community health-care providers. The grant will help Young & Healthy
expand its asthma outreach to preschool age children and augment its prescription
drug fund, which helps families unable to afford asthma medications and
equipment.
Asthma represents
on of the most common chronic childhood diseases, affecting more than
one in 20 children. Children with asthma miss more than 10 million school
days per year--three times the number of school absences of children without
asthma. In addition, asthma in children is associated with high emergency
room and urgent care use, and symptoms or fear of asthma episodes has
been shown to have a marked impact on a child's social activity and emotional
development.
"An extensive
body of medical evidence shows that appropriate and consistent treatment
not only can reduce the severity of childhood asthma, but also the extent
to which it impacts the child's overall health, development, physical
activity, school performance and socialization," said Mary Donnelly-Crocker,
executive director of Young & Healthy. "Unfortunately, studies
have found that as many as 60 percent of children with asthma are not
being managed according to the National Institutes of Health guidelines
for best practices in asthma care."
Since 1997, Young
& Healthy has been a key partner in the Pasadena Community Asthma
Project along with Huntington Memorial Hospital and the Pasadena Unified
School District. Young & Healthy employs a part-time outreach nurse
who delivers case management, home visits and education for parents, schools
and community groups. In addition, the agency provides education and outreach
to the Spanish-speaking community, collaborates with local pharmacies
to provide educational materials and assistance to families and underwrites
medications and equipment for families in need.
With the Baxter International
Foundation grant, Young & Healthy will increase its medication fund
and increase the outreach nurse's hours to full-time so that she can launch
an initiative targeting preschool age children. While the incidence of
childhood asthma has increased by 55 percent in the past 15 years, the
largest percentage increase (160 percent) has been documented in children
under five, noted Donnelly-Crocker.
"Undiagnosed
or under-treated asthma can have a huge negative impact on a child's school
performance, social interactions and self esteem," said Patricia
Morgan, executive director of The Baxter International Foundation. "The
Pasadena Community Asthma Project is an excellent example of community
groups joining forces to make a positive difference in the lives of many
children. The Baxter International Foundation is pleased help Young &
Healthy expand their role in the project through outreach to preschool
children."
Young & Healthy
was established in 1990 to address the needs of large numbers of families
and children without access to health care. Through a network of 533 volunteer
health professionals and community members, the agency provides an array
of health services for low-income school children in Pasadena, including
medical and dental care, mental health services, prescription medications
and parent education. Last year, the organization served more than 2,000
children who were referred from schools, daycare centers, homeless shelters
and clinics. Throughout its history, Young & Healthy has provided
health-care services valued at more than $4 million. For information about
volunteering at Young & Healthy, call (626) 795-5166.
As the philanthropic
arm of Baxter International Inc., The Baxter International Foundation
helps to increase access to health care in the United States and other
countries. In 2001, foundation grants totaling $4.8 million improved access
to care for children, the uninsured and the elderly, helped prevent child
abuse and neglect, promoted health education, expanded education opportunities
for health-care providers, and helped victims of global disasters.
Baxter International
Inc. is a global medical products and services company that, through its
subsidiaries, provides critical therapies for people with life-threatening
conditions. Baxter employs more than 2500 people in California at its
facilities in at its facilities in Duarte, Glendale, Hayward, Irvine,
Los Angeles, Ontario, Thousand Oaks, Van Huys and Westlake Village.
FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION:
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- Media Contacts:
- Tanya Tyska, Baxter, 847-948-3256
Mary Donnelly-Crocker,
Young & Healthy, 626-795-5166
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