Author Archives: Huntley McGowan

AstraZeneca invests in Del Tech’s science education programs

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Del Tech 3

Del Tech educates future health care professionals for careers across the state of Delaware.

This entry is part of a series focusing on some of the charitable organizations AstraZeneca is working with in Delaware that are making a meaningful, measurable difference to improve the health of our communities and those who live in them. Previous entries can be found here and here.

Since 1966, Delaware Technical Community College (Del Tech) has been preparing future nurses and allied health care professionals for careers at local healthcare facilities like Christiana Care, St. Francis Hospital, Bay Health, Beebe, Nanticoke Memorial and Nemours/A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children.

According to the latest Workforce Needs Assessment released by The Delaware Health Association, Delaware’s acute-care hospitals will need almost 7,900 allied health professionals between now and 2014. Many of those future health professionals will graduate from a Del Tech program.

Del Tech has a lot to be proud of in terms of its students’ scholastic achievement. For instance, between 86 and 100 percent of its graduates pass the RN licensing examination the first time they take the test. Between 92 and 100 percent of Del Tech graduates find jobs within six months after graduation. Overall, they have graduated more nurses than all other in-state institutions combined.

Contributions from AstraZeneca have come in the form of several student scholarships, as well as funding for Del Tech to build and stock eight new science laboratories across the state. These new labs mean 10 additional classes each semester, making it possible to serve more students and prepare them for future careers across Delaware.

“AstraZeneca’s investments in the Delaware community have provided many opportunities for the people of our state,” Del Tech President Dr. Orlando George, Jr. said. “These contributions provide access to higher education and transform students into job ready graduates that help meet the needs of Delaware. AstraZeneca’s generosity sends a powerful message to our citizens that they believe in them and their hope for a better life.”

AstraZeneca is committed to healthcare that works. We applaud Del Tech for the high quality education it provides to its students and future health care professionals. We are honored to support an organization that shares our passion for making a meaningful difference to patient health.

Click here to download our 2011 Corporate Contributions report and to learn more about AstraZeneca’s work with Del Tech and other organizations promoting science education.

AZ backs nonprofit’s efforts to provide comprehensive outpatient counseling

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This is the second in a series of posts focusing on some of the charitable organizations AstraZeneca is working with in Delaware that are making a meaningful, measurable difference to improve the health of our communities and those who live in them. The first post about Siegel JCC can be found here. Today’s post explores Delaware Guidance Services for Children and Youth, Inc., a not-for-profit provider of comprehensive psychiatric services for children and their families in Delaware.

Next year Delaware Guidance Services for Children and Youth, Inc. will celebrate 60 years of providing extensive outpatient counseling to thousands of children and families in Delaware.

Throughout Delaware, thousands of children are dealing with stresses caused by divorce or death in the family, issues at school such as bullying or violence, or personal trauma such as abuse. While these children are considered high risk, the professionals at Delaware Guidance Services for Children and Youth, Inc. (DGS) also see high potential.

DGS provides outpatient counseling to more than 11,000 Delaware families and their children each year. More than 90 percent of their clients are children living in poverty. Through DGS’s mental health services and many counseling programs, children and families who are struggling to cope with everyday stresses have seen great improvement.

“The bottom line is the treatment really does work,” said Bruce Kelsey, Executive Director of DGS. “If you can get them [children and families] the right help at the right time, there’s no reason to believe they won’t do fine later on.”

Kelsey speaks from experience: DGS consistently achieves better results than are seen nationally with similar populations. Eighty-seven percent of their client families report improvement in their child’s behavior and functioning, and 94 percent say they’d come back to DGS if they needed help in the future.

AstraZeneca is committed to healthcare that works. We are honored to support Delaware Guidance Services for Children and Youth, Inc., and what they do to make a meaningful difference in the lives of some of our community’s most vulnerable families.

For more information on AstraZeneca’s work with Delaware Guidance Services for Children and Youth, Inc. and other nonprofit organizations and to download our 2011 Corporate Contributions Report, click here.

AZ supports nonprofit efforts to get fit

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This is the first in a series of posts focusing on some of the charitable organizations AstraZeneca is working with in Delaware that are making a meaningful, measurable difference to improve the health of our communities and those who live in them. Today’s post explores Siegel JCC, a nonprofit membership organization that inspires and connects people of all ages, faiths and backgrounds through social, educational, cultural, fitness and recreational opportunities, in a warm and welcoming environment.

Siegel JCC now offers youth and families a fun, interactive way to exercise through their new fitness and gaming center.

How can we make exercise more fun for kids? For their parents? For people in the community?

The Siegel JCC is answering this challenge by creating JCADE – a brand new arcade style facility that uses interactive fitness technology to engage individuals and groups in physical activity.

When JCADE opened in May 2011, both children and adults literally jumped at the opportunity to try out this new game room.  JCADE is both a classroom and community room that offers education and engagement to help participants enjoy being active and healthy. This arcade atmosphere offers popular activities such as Dance, Dance Revolution, Lightspace Play and Electronic Boxing. Participants use their entire bodies to engage in heart healthy fitness and gaming activities.

After the staff at the Siegel JCC saw how much their members enjoyed being a part of this new development, they wanted to give others in the community an opportunity to get in on the fun. Through the Siegel JCC’s collaboration with AstraZeneca, JCADE opened its doors to other nonprofit groups and many are now using this space for their events.

This collaboration with AstraZeneca also has led to a complementary training program for  Siegel JCC staff members on a program called Coordinated Approach to Child Health: a fun, interactive way of incorporating learning about exercise and healthy foods designed to help keep kids moving.

“With AstraZeneca’s help we have been able to bring in over 1000 children to JCADE from all over Delaware to show them that exercise can be fun and entertaining,” Siegel JCC Associate Executive Director Donna Schwartz said. “We are lucky to have partners like AstraZeneca who know the value of keeping our children healthy.”

AstraZeneca is committed to healthcare that works. We salute the Siegel JCC for its creative approach to encouraging an active lifestyle and designing a program that is making a meaningful difference in the community they serve.

For more information on AstraZeneca’s work with Siegel JCC and other nonprofit organizations and to download our 2011 Corporate Contributions Report, click here.

AstraZeneca Young Health Program: IM40 enters new phase

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Sarah Kenney, Assistant Director, Marketing and Integration, United Way of Delaware; Ty Jones, Director, Delaware External Affairs, AstraZeneca; Renee Roberts, Director of Strategic Initiatives, United Way of Delaware; and Tywanda Howie, Marketing and Communications Associate, United Way of Delaware, played a key role in yesterday’s 24th Annual Youth Empowerment Conference in Dover, Delaware.

The United Way of Delaware has announced the selection of four organizations responsible for advancing the AstraZeneca Young Health Program: IM40, an initiative that promotes positive youth development and healthy behaviors for at-risk adolescents.

The four organizations will engage youth through community resource mapping, partnership and capacity building, and adolescent health promotion:

  • Children and Families First in New Castle County, specifically targeting the East Side of Wilmington.
  • The Delaware 4-H Foundation in Kent County, specifically targeting North Dover.
  • Sussex County Health Promotion Coalition in Sussex County, specifically targeting Seaford.

The YMCA of Delaware, working together with these organizations, has been a long-time advocate of the importance of building developmental assets – those qualities and experiences that help protect and promote the health and well-being of young people.

The 24th Annual Youth Empowerment Conference, hosted by the YMCA in Dover this week, drew more than 200 young people from across the state. The conference was focused on empowering youth to use their personal assets to become the agents of positive change within their schools and communities. Youth participated in a number of workshops, such as asset building and community issues forums, that supplied them with the means necessary to sustain a culture of making healthy choices. They also heard from Aaron Davis, retired medical policeman and current leader at Chaos Theory, who presented on the dangers of falsehoods portrayed in the media.

“With the selection of these four organizations, the YHP: IM40 initiative begins to implement a range of activities that will engage and unify community leaders, educators, parents, youth and others across the state toward a common purpose – to help young Delawareans become healthier and be successful in school and in life,” said Tyrone Jones, Director, Delaware External Affairs at AstraZeneca.

To learn about YHP: IM40, take a moment and visit the newly updated website at www.im40.org. These recent renovations allow youth, parents, teachers and community leaders to navigate the site separately so each group receives the information that is most relevant to them.

You also can get updates by liking YHP: IM40 on Facebook and Twitter.

Promoting health on Delaware’s college campuses

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The Delaware News Journal highlighted two of AstraZeneca’s efforts to promote health and wellness among Delaware residents – the University of Delaware’s Healthy HENS(Healthy Exercise Nutrition and Sleep) program and Delaware State University’s Healthy Hornets on the Move initiative.

The new health and wellness center at Delaware State University is home to the Healthy Hornets program, a student wellness initiative launched last year.

As a company committed to healthcare that works – for individual patients, communities and the health system as a whole – we recognize the importance of collaborating with partners who share our passion for making a meaningful difference to patient health.

UD’s Healthy HENS program launched in 2009 with a $100,000 contribution from AstraZeneca. Healthy HENS evaluates the health of students by researching physician activity and offers preventative screenings, wellness promotion services, activities and educational outreach opportunities. In 2010, the program expanded to include an online health risk assessment, which approximately 2,000 students participated in. Now the program relies on peer wellness coaches who interact with students by making appearances at tables set up around campus.

“AstraZeneca funding has allowed the program to continue to promote student self-awareness of health status and has afforded the university the opportunity to create and continue a culture of wellness here on campus,” Healthy HENS program coordinator Michelle Ness said in AstraZeneca’s 2011 Corporate Contributions Report.

AstraZeneca also supports Healthy Hornets on the Move, a student wellness initiative at DSU which is modeled after UD’s Healthy HENS program. Healthy Hornets on the Move launched last year with a $250,000 contribution from AstraZeneca – our largest gift ever to the university.

“We’re doing assessments to figure out the needs of our students, and we’re capturing health data on our freshmen so that we can follow them for four years to know for sure whether we’ve made a change in their behavior,” Healthy Hornets leader Marianne Carter said.

The centerpiece of the Healthy Hornets Program is the new wellness and recreation center. This $21.4 million building is equipped with two basketball courts, two volleyball courts, an indoor pool, two weight rooms, a cardio desk and an eighth-mile track. The facility offers formal classes, intramural sports and impromptu pick-up games.

More information on our corporate contributions can be found here.

AstraZeneca employee honored by DiversityMBA Magazine

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Bela Sastry, Director, Federal Government Affairs, was named to DiversityMBA Magazine’s 2012 Top 100 Under 50 Diverse Emerging Leaders list.

DiversityMBA Magazine has named AstraZeneca employee Bela Sastry to their 2012 Top 100 Under 50 Diverse Emerging Leaders list.

DiversityMBA Magazine is an internationally distributed publication targeting business professionals in corporate America, entrepreneurs and students seeking to enhance their knowledge base from a thought leadership perspective.

The leaders were chosen from a pool of more than 300 highly competitive candidates. These potential candidates were selected from within public and privately held companies, as well as from among entrepreneurs and not for profit organizations.

Sastry received this award based on a recommendation from David Nicoli, Vice President, US Corporate Affairs. She is honored to have her accomplishments and responsibilities recognized and believes that AstraZeneca stands out because of its commitment to employee growth and development.

“My own position has evolved considerably in just the three years I have been with the organization, and I appreciate that the company has taken a chance on me by providing many ‘on-the-job’ opportunities to learn and take on new challenges,” she said.

Sastry came to AstraZeneca in July 2009 from the American Society of Clinical Oncology, taking on the role of Senior Manager for Government Reimbursement. In her current role as Director of Federal Government Affairs, she leads the legislative strategy on the range of Medicare issues affecting AstraZeneca. She is also responsible for outreach and engagement with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

All winners will be featured in DiversityMBA Magazine’s Summer 2012 issue and will be honored at the magazine’s Awards Gala on Sept. 20-21 in Chicago.

Delaware Senior Games commence September 4

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AZ employee Linda Jarjisian will compete in four different Track and Field events as part of the Delaware Senior Games. In 2011, she qualified to compete in the National Senior Games in Houston, Texas.

Beginning September 4, athletes age 50 and over will compete in 30 different sports at the Delaware Senior Olympics (DSO).

The events – which are free to the public – will be held at sports venues such as Schutte Park in Dover, Del. and Banning Park in Wilmington, Del.

In addition to the competitive events, there are dozens of non-competitive healthy activities held at various venues throughout the state, including the Senior Group Challenge and Walk Delaware.

The Senior Group Challenge encourages as many seniors as possible to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle through physical activity and exercise. The Walk Delaware event challenges seniors to walk a distance equal to the combined length and width of Delaware (131 Miles) in one year’s time. These are just two examples of special events where DSO members, families and friends can enjoy fellowship, fun and social interaction.

A full calendar of events is available by visiting The Delaware Senior Olympics event page. DSO, a non-profit member of the United States Olympic Committee, is dedicated to helping senior men and women lead a healthier and active lifestyle.

As a company committed to making a meaningful difference in patient health, AstraZeneca is proud to support the Delaware Senior Olympics. We’re also proud of the AstraZeneca employees who are competing at Senior Olympics in their home states.

Every year, several AstraZeneca employees qualify to compete in the National Senior Games, the largest multi-sport event in the world for men and women age 50 and older. As a four-time Gold Member Sponsor of the National Senior Games, we look forward to the 2013 Summer National Senior Games, which will be held July 20 through August 5 in Cleveland, Ohio.

AZ partners with Children and Families First of Delaware

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AstraZeneca employees fill backpacks for Warner Elementary.

AstraZeneca employees spent the morning packing school bags with Children and Families First of Delaware for Warner Elementary School in Wilmington, Delaware. Children and Families First of Delaware has recently been named one of the Young Health Program Community Mobilizer Organizations, responsible for advancing the implementation of the YHP program in a specific geographical area of Delaware.

Volunteers filled approximately 50 backpacks with various school supplies gathered from donations by AstraZeneca employees. The backpacks will be given to children in grades K-5 and the leftover supplies will be distributed to teachers for use in various classrooms.

“AstraZeneca continues to support the efforts of Delaware Valley nonprofit organizations working to improve health in communities across the U.S.,” said Roianne Ross, Director, External Affairs. “Our contributions work to connect people and communities with resources that improve their health and well-being.”

AstraZeneca recognizes the importance of contributing to nonprofit organizations to help meet the growing challenges they face each and every day. For more information on the communities AZ supports, visit our Responsibility page on www.AstraZeneca-US.com.

AstraZeneca supports Duffy’s Hope, Let’s Move!

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Duffy’s Hope 10th Annual Field Day in Wilmington.

On Friday, approximately 50 AstraZeneca employees will head to Rockford Park in Wilmington, Del., for the 10th Annual Duffy’s Hope Celebrity Softball Game and Let’s Move! Delaware Field Day in support of the Let’s Move! initiative.

Let’s Move!, First Lady Michelle Obama’s campaign to raise a healthier generation of kids, is dedicated to putting children on the path to a healthy future during their earliest months and years. The goal is to give parents helpful information about fostering environments that support healthy choices.

This two-day event is hosted by Duffy’s Hope, Inc., an organization that strives to enrich the Delaware community by working with at risk youth to strengthen their academic achievement and social surroundings through advocacy, education, mentoring and community outreach. In partnership with AstraZeneca and Nemours, the weekend with Duffy’s Hope will feature a Let’s Move! flash dance, healthy lunch and obstacle course. AstraZeneca employees will help distribute lunch and water to the 1,200 children expected to attend the event.

“AstraZeneca strongly believes in providing the community with the right education and tools needed to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle,” Roianne Ross, Director, Political Action Committee and Grassroots said. “We are happy to honor our commitment to effective collaboration with partners who share our passion for making a meaningful difference to patient health.”

By joining forces with Duffy’s Hope and Let’s Move!, AstraZeneca is able to further support its Young Health Program: IM40, a five year initiative committed to improving the health and academic success of all children, especially those ages 12 to 15, in vulnerable communities in Delaware.

IM40, based on the 40 Developmental Assets® model, strives to enable youth to increase their inventory of developmental assets with the help of caring adults and community asset building programs. The events this weekend support the eighteenth developmental asset known as “Youth Programs.” These programs are meant to encourage young people to spend one or more hours per week in sports, clubs or organizations at school and/or in the community.

AZ&Me here to help in times of disaster

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AZ works with organizations like AmeriCares to deliver disaster relief.

What happens if you can’t get to your home or your doctor’s office because of a hurricane or other disaster and your medicines are inside?

As noted here, AstraZeneca works with partners such as AmeriCares and Direct Relief International to help get our medicines along with humanitarian aid to patients who have been struck by disaster.

In addition, the AZ&Me Prescription Savings Program has policies in place to help patients maintain a consistent supply of their AstraZeneca medicine while they are managing through this kind of crisis.

Below, Jennifer McGovern, Director of the AZ&Me Prescription Savings Program, discusses how AstraZeneca helps during times of disaster, as well as what patients and health care providers need to know about receiving medicines through our program in these circumstances.

How does AstraZeneca assist communities when disaster strikes?

How have previous disasters informed AZ&Me Prescription Savings Program policies?

What do patients and providers need to know if they live in an area struck by disaster?