DHRH and Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education Awarded $347,000 Duke Endowment Grant for Educational Partnership Project

Media Contacts:
Carla Hollis
Chief Marketing & Planning Officer
(919) 954-3257
carla.hollis@duke.edu

Paige Humble
Director of Marketing & Communications
(919) 954-3293
p.humble@duke.edu

Aug. 30, 2006 For Immediate Release

Duke Health Raleigh Hospital and Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education Awarded $347,000 Duke Endowment Grant for Educational Partnership Project

RALEIGH, N.C.-Duke Health Raleigh Hospital and the Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education have been awarded a three-year grant from The Duke Endowment totaling $347,000. The funding will underwrite a partnership program called Wholesome Routines, a school-based, comprehensive nutrition and physical activity program with a curriculum developed by the Poe Center.

The grant enables the Wholesome Routines program to begin with the 2006-2007 school year for third through fifth grade students at Rolesville, Hodge Road and Carver elementary schools in Wake County. Wholesome Routines works with teachers, parents, school food service providers and local health care providers to combat the serious health risks of obesity with healthy lifestyle education.

Poe Center CEO, Sheila Ryba, is grateful The Duke Endowment is supporting Wholesome Routines in Wake County schools. She said, “We look forward to implementing this unique program. With the Duke Endowment’s support, along with school and community partnerships, the Poe Center will ensure students develop lasting, healthy lifestyle behaviors.”

Duke Health Raleigh Hospital Chief Marketing and Planning Officer Carla Hollis said, “As a community, we are invested in the health of all of our children, which is why we are pleased to collaborate with community members to reinforce healthy habits that students will carry with them throughout their lives. We also plan to extend the program to families by offering valuable education and screenings for adults.”

Duke Health Raleigh Hospital and the Poe Center have had a long standing collaboration in health education programs through the Really Awesome Health! (RAH!) for Rolesville health education program, now in its seventh year at Rolesville Elementary School.

The Wholesome Routines concept is also beginning this year in other counties including Durham, Johnston, Greene, Washington, and Tyrrell.

Established in 1924 by industrialist and philanthropist James B. Duke, The Duke Endowment is one of the nation’s largest private foundations. It mission is to serve the people of North Carolina and South Carolina by supporting selected programs of higher education, health care, children’s welfare, and spiritual life.

Duke Health Raleigh Hospital is a 186-bed acute-care facility on Wake Forest Road in North Raleigh with services including a 24-hour emergency department, intensive and critical care, cardiovascular center, cancer center, musculoskeletal center, diabetes center, cardiac rehab and wellness services and community education. For more information, visit www.dukehealthraleigh.org or call 919-954-3293.

The Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education is a statewide nonprofit organization committed to providing comprehensive programs and resources in healthy lifestyle education for all youth in North Carolina. The Poe Center teaches programs focused on nutrition and physical activity, general health, family life, dental health, as well as drug and alcohol prevention. Programs are taught at the Poe Center in five interactive health education theaters and through off-site programs in various schools across the state. For more information, visit www.poehealth.org or call 919-231-4006.

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