Bowling Green, Ky. - A $300,000 gift from the Anthem Foundation, Inc. to Western Kentucky University hasmobile been used to purchase a second mobile health unit.
           
The unit, operated by WKU’s Institute for Rural Health Development and Research (IRHDR), will travel the area and provide free immunizations and health screenings to thousands of residents in the region. The gift also provides partial funding for the salary of a nurse practitioner and medial supplies.
           
“Our current health unit will now be dedicated to providing dental services to residents within the area,” Institute Director Dr. Lisa Durham said. “This second unit will allow us to expand the amount of services we are able to provide, while continuing to address many of the health issues facing our state. Additionally, both units support our on-going focus of identifying opportunities for greater student engagement within the communities we serve.”
           
WKU’s first unit was placed into service in 2001 when the IRHDR was created through an initial $670,000 federal grant secured by U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for WKU’s rural health initiative. The initiative received an additional $500,000 in 2001 as part of an $8.6 million Congressional appropriation for WKU.
           
In addition to providing dental screenings and preventative health services for rural residents, the unit is used to provide training opportunities for students.
           
The unit that was purchased through the Anthem Foundation grant will concentrate on influenza and pneumonia immunizations for senior adults and programs in the management of diabetes and obesity, heart disease prevention and smoking cessation. According to Deb Moessner, president and general manager of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, the services the unit will provide address many of the health issues and diseases the organization is seeking to improve through Anthem’s State Health Index initiative, which was introduced last year.
           
“Through our Index we are focusing our efforts on many of the diseases and chronic illnesses that have led to Kentucky being consistently identified as one of the unhealthiest states in our country,” Moessner said. “We are committed to reversing this trend and the expertise, resources and proven track record WKU has in addressing these health issues.”
           
WKU President Gary Ransdell said the partnership with Anthem Foundation also reflects the university’s continued focus on working with external organizations to solve many of the challenges facing WKU’s service region.
           
“Part of WKU’s mission is to improve the quality of life for our region and Commonwealth,” Dr. Ransdell said. “Partnerships like these play an extremely important role in fulfilling that part of our mission as well as educating our students through real-world experiences.”

About the Institute for Rural Health Development and Research
The IRHDR is part of WKU’s College of Health and Human Services and was created to identify rural health and human services needs and facilitate collaborative arrangements engaging WKU students and faculty with community agencies in meeting those needs.  More information is available at http://www.wku.edu/chhs/irhdr

About the Anthem Foundation, Inc.
Anthem Foundation, Inc. is a private, non-profit foundation. Through charitable contributions and programs, the Foundation promotes Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s inherent commitment to enhance the health and well-being of individuals and families in communities in Kentucky. The Foundation focuses its funding on strategic initiatives that address and provide innovative solutions to reduce the number of uninsured as well as organizations and nonprofit charities that promote the Healthy Generations Program, a multi-generational initiative that targets specific disease states and medical conditions. These include: prenatal care in the first trimester, low birth weight babies, cardiac morbidity rates, long term activities that decrease obesity and increase physical activity, diabetes prevalence in adult populations, adult pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations and smoking cessation. The Foundation also coordinates the company’s annual associate giving campaign and its parent foundation provides a 50 percent match of associates’ campaign pledges. ®ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. To learn more about the Foundation please visit www.wellpointfoundation.org

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For more information, contact Christi Lanier-Robinson, (502) 889-3167.