NEW ROCHELLE, NY — November 29 , 2006
The College of New Rochelle (CNR) today announced that The Medical Letter Inc., a New Rochelle-based nonprofit organization, has granted a scholarship to a student in the School of Nursing, Tamako Takemoto. The award is based on merit and financial need. A native of Japan, Ms. Takemoto is scheduled to complete her baccalaureate degree in nursing next month.
"We deeply appreciate The Medical Letter’s support of our programs," said Dr. Mary Alice Donius, Dean of CNR’s School of Nursing. “We are particularly honored to be the first school of nursing that this influential and important organization has honored with this award.”
Arthur Kallet, the co-founder of Consumers Union, and Harold Aaron, MD co-founded The Medical Letter Inc. as a nonprofit organization in 1958 after working together at the pioneering magazine Consumer Reports. The organization’s two newsletters, The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics and Treatment Guidelines from The Medical Letter, publish critical appraisals of new drugs and comparative reviews of older drugs. The editorial process used for both publications relies on a consensus of experts to develop prescribing recommendations that are completely independent of the pharmaceutical industry.
The Medical Letter and Treatment Guidelines are crucial resources for members of the health care community to consult when confronted by the advertisements and sales representatives of the industry. The Medical Letter, Inc. is completely independent. It is supported solely by subscription fees and accepts no advertising, grants or donations.
Mr. Kallett had deep connections to New Rochelle. He resided with his family in New Rochelle from 1954 until his death in 1972. The company headquarters also moved here approximately 20 years ago.
After Mr. Kallett’s death, his employees decided to honor his memory by starting a scholarship fund to assist medical students in the Sound Shore communities. From the beginning, the scholarship has been funded in a unique way. The Medical Letter sells bagels and cream cheese to employees weekly throughout the year. The company then provides a 100 percent match to the company’s cumulative sales to fund this annual scholarship.
Established in 1976, the School of Nursing at CNR is widely recognized for innovation and excellence in programming that is responsive to the public’s changing health needs. The School offers six programs: a traditional four-year undergraduate program leading to a bachelor of science in nursing; a traditional and an accelerated program of study for RNs seeking a B.S.N.; an accelerated B.S.N. program for those holding degrees in other fields; an accelerated RN to M.S. program; and an M.S. degree program with tracks in holistic nursing, acute care nurse practitioner, family nurse practitioner, nursing and health care management, and in the Nurse Educator role. Post master’s programs are available in all tracks, and in Palliative Care. CNR graduates are prepared to assume beginning leadership roles and facilitate change to improve the quality of client care in the health care system for diverse and multicultural populations.
The first Catholic college for women in New York State, The College of New Rochelle was founded in 1904 by the Ursuline Order and today is one of 60 women’s colleges in the nation. It comprises the all-women School of Arts & Sciences, and three schools which admit women and men: the School of New Resources (for adult learners), the School of Nursing and the Graduate School. The main campus of the College is located in lower Westchester County, 16 miles north of New York City. The College maintains five other campus locations in New York City. Visit the College’s website at www.cnr.edu.
About The Medical Letter
The Medical Letter Inc., a nonprofit organization founded in 1958, offers health care professionals objective, independent analysis of both prescription and over-the-counter drugs. In addition to its newsletters, The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics and Treatment Guidelines from The Medical Letter, it also publishes handbooks and software on topics such as adverse drug interactions and antimicrobial therapy. The Medical Letter is supported entirely by subscriber fees and is based in New Rochelle, NY. For more information about The Medical Letter call (800) 211-2769 or go to www.medicalletter.org.
CONTACT:
Joanne Valentino
The Medical Letter
914.235.0500 ext. 345
joanne@medicalletter.org