Maya Angelou Research Center on Minority Health To Receive Award for Eliminating Health Disparities

August 30, 2005

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Maya Angelou Research Center on Minority Health at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center will be honored by Prostate Net, a national organization that promotes health education and cancer awareness to improve minority health in the United States.

The Angelou Research Center is among the honorees receiving Prostate Net’s first annual “In the Know” awards for eliminating health disparities on Sept. 9 at the New York University Kimmel Center for University Life in New York City. Awardees have also been chosen from the areas of national and local government, business, education technology and community and lifetime advocacy.

“Receiving this honor from Prostate Net at this early stage of our research center’s development is extremely encouraging,” said Kristy F. Woods, M.D., M.P.H., director of the Angelou Research Center. “We are continuing to expand our efforts to address not only prostate cancer awareness, but also awareness of all health disparity areas affecting minority communities. This award recognizes the efforts of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and reinforces the commitment of the Angelou Research Center team.”

The Prostate Net was established in 1995 by Virgil H. Simons, a successful entrepreneur, businessman and prostate cancer survivor. The organization’s mission is to disseminate health information to enable patients and their families to participate in making appropriate lifestyle and health care choices. Details on the non-profit organization are available at www.prostate-online.org.

###

Media Contacts: Jim Steele, jsteele@wfubmc.edu or Karen Richardson, krchrdsn@wfubmc.edu, at (336) 716-4587.

About Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center: Wake Forest Baptist is an academic health system comprised of North Carolina Baptist Hospital and Wake Forest University Health Sciences, which operates the university’s School of Medicine. The system comprises 1,187 acute care, psychiatric, rehabilitation and long-term care beds and is consistently ranked as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” by U.S. News & World Report.

Media Relations