TULANE TALK

February 13, 2009

Good Morning:

Tulane’s longtime commitment to public service, which has gained greater prominence and purpose post-Katrina, received some national recognition this week, for which we should all be proud.

First, we were named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for commitment to service learning and civic engagement.

On the heels of this honor, we were notified by the Clinton Global Initiative University that the commitment Tulane made at the group’s initial meeting last spring will be featured on stage at its 2009 meeting, held this weekend at the University of Texas at Austin. I will also speak at one of this weekend’s sessions “Turning Economic Obstacles into Opportunity.”

The Clinton Global Initiative University is an effort by former President Bill Clinton to harness the power of universities to address poverty, human rights, climate change, education, energy and other worldwide challenges. Tulane is being singled out for its commitment to work with local neighborhoods in opening a system of community-based health centers to provide high quality health care for those who cannot afford health insurance.

Last summer we partnered with the Mary Queen of Vietnam Community Development Corporation and, through a gift from the Qatar Katrina Fund, established the Tulane Community Health Center New Orleans East. With a staff fluent in English, Spanish and Vietnamese, the center provides adult primary care, chronic disease management, obstetrics/gynecology and mental health services at affordable rates for the uninsured. In the last quarter alone the center received nearly 1,600 visits.

When I rise to speak at the Clinton Global Initiative University’s meeting tomorrow I will do so in your name and in honor of all that you have done and continue to do to heal our city.

Have a great weekend,