Pfizer Inc provides major support for seminar series at campuswide Program on Health Outcomes

March 10, 2004

Dr. Bill Roper

CHAPEL HILL — Pfizer Inc has made a gift of $225,000 to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Program on Health Outcomes to support the program’s seminar series and Summer Outcomes Day events for the next three years.

The first of six lectures for the spring seminar series will be Friday (Jan. 9) from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Ibrahim Seminar Room (room 1301) of McGavran-Greenberg Hall. Dr. Timothy Carey, deputy director of the Program on Health Outcomes and director of the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, will discuss the results of his prospective study of older patients with neurologic diseases, head and neck cancer, and severe medical illnesses who received gastric feeding tubes during treatment.

His talk, “The Persistence of Hope: Outcomes from Gastric Feeding Tubes,” will focus on expectations and outcomes of this treatment among these patients.

“I am delighted to welcome Pfizer as a real partner in this program’s mission to help all those who are working to improve health-care quality,” said Dr. Bill Roper, dean of UNC’s School of Public Health, where the Program on Health Outcomes is housed. Roper founded the program in 1998.

Dr. Sue Tolleson-Rhinehart

The Pfizer Seminar Series and Pfizer Summer Outcomes Day will continue the program’s five-year tradition of providing public lectures on prominent topics of health outcomes and quality of care

“Pfizer’s support ensures that we can continue to reach out to the world, through our webcasts,” said program administrator Dr. Sue Tolleson-Rinehart.

Future seminar topics will include health literacy and health communication, evidence-based practice and medication reimbursement policy. A Pfizer researcher will deliver one talk each year.

“We are pleased to join the UNC Program on Health Outcomes in its effort to get out the word on the best strategies for improved health outcomes,” said Dr. Barbara DeBuono, senior medical director and group leader for public health at Pfizer.

The UNC Program on Health Outcomes’ mission is to improve health outcomes in partnership with others in the health sector by identifying and responding to demonstrable needs with practical and scientifically informed strategies.

Among its accomplishments is the establishment of one of the first federally funded Centers for Education and Research in Therapeutics – the only one of seven such centers devoted exclusively to improving therapeutic use in the pediatric population. Pfizer Inc discovers, develops, manufactures and markets leading prescription medicines for humans and animals and many of the world’s best-known consumer products. The Pfizer gift counts toward the Carolina First campaign goal of $1.8 billion. Carolina First is a comprehensive, multi-year private fund-raising campaign to support Carolina’s vision of becoming the nation’s leading public university.

Contact: Tolleson-Rinehart at (919) 843-9477 or suetr@unc.edu.

UNC School of Public Health contact: Emily Smith, (919) 966-8498 or emilysmith@unc.edu.

UNC News Services contact: Deb Saine, (919) 962-8415 or deborah_saine@unc.edu

For further information please contact Lisa Katz either by phone at 919-966-7467 or by email at lisa_katz@unc.edu.