FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 27, 1999

For further information, contact:
Susan G. Zepeda
Chief Executive Officer
Phone: 714-245-1650
Fax: 714-245-1653

ASTHMA CONFERENCE TO SPOTLIGHT MINORITY NEEDS

September 27, 1999 - "Asthma: Closing the Gap," a half-day conference, will be held October 6, 1999 from 1:30 to 4:30 at the St. Joseph Conference Center in Orange.

The session is co-sponsored by seven private grant-making foundations, which fund health programs in Orange County. These are: HealthCare Foundation for Orange County, Irvine Health Foundation, Orange County Community Foundation, Pacific Life, Sisters of St. Joseph Healthcare Foundation, St. Joseph Health Systems Foundation and UniHealth Foundation.

The sponsoring foundations will offer a second session, dealing with Diabetes, on November 5, 1999, from 1:30 to 4:30 in the same location. Both sessions are open to interested service providers throughout the County. Reservations are required, and may be made by calling (714)245-1650.

The conferences are intended to increases understanding of two issues identified in the Countywide Health Needs Assessment, released last spring: the disparities in health impacts of the chronic diseases of diabetes and asthma, which hit harder at low-income and minority families. The foundations are interested in the feasibility of a collaborative effort, to address one or both of these concerns in Orange County.