MEDIA CONTACT: Andrew LaPlant
alaplant@fau.edu, 561-297-3022

FAU Community Wellness Centers Host Open House Events For Uninsured Week

BOCA RATON, FL (May 6, 2004) - Florida Atlantic University's Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing Community Wellness Centers will host several open house events for the upcoming "Cover the Uninsured Week," scheduled Monday, May 10 through Sunday, May 16.

"Almost three-million Floridians are uninsured," said Dr. Susan Beidler, assistant professor at FAU and director of the Westgate Community Health Center. "The demand for accessible and affordable health care is skyrocketing. The FAU Wellness Centers are safety net providers for many uninsured in Palm Beach County and provide a wide variety of health care services at minimal cost."

The open house events, which are free and open to the public, will provide information about the wellness centers and, more specifically, what these centers do for the uninsured. The events include:

Monday, May 10 - Center at Glade View Elementary School, 1100 S.W. Ave. G, Belle Glade, 3-7 p.m.
Wednesday, May 12 - Center at Delray Full Service School, 301 S.W. 14 Ave., Delray Beach, 2-6 p.m.
Thursday, May 13 - Center at Inlet Grove Community High School, 7071 Garden Road, Riviera Beach, 2-5 p.m.
Thursday, May 13 - Center at Gold Coast Community School, 4260 Westgate Ave., West Palm Beach, 1-3 p.m.

The month of May is also Women's Health Month. On Friday, May 7, FAU's Wellness Centers will be sponsoring "Women's Health Month Education & Outreach," with the Women's Health Initiative project. This event, which provides educational outreach to women in Belle Glade and West Palm Beach, is scheduled to occur from 3-6 p.m. at the Winn-Dixie on 45th Street and Australian Avenue in West Palm Beach, in addition to the Winn-Dixie on Main Street in Belle Glade.

-FAU-

Cover the Uninsured Week is a national event, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the nation's largest health philanthropy organization. According to the Foundation, there are nearly 44 million Americans living without health coverage, including 8.5 million children.