A Hattiesburg couple presented the College Of Health Science with a $30,000 donation in the name of the couple’s business, Vital Care Infusion Services of Hattiesburg.
A Hattiesburg couple have stepped up help William Carey University restore a robust College of Health Sciences.
Dr. Ron and Michelle Edwards of Hattiesburg presented the university with a $30,000 donation in the name of the couple’s business, Vital Care Infusion Services of Hattiesburg.
“We’re happy to be able to support the education of nurses as they learn to adapt in new environments, said Ron Edwards, a Hattiesburg pharmacist who grew up in Wiggins.
“My wife is a William Carey alum, so I had read about the new health sciences building in the university’s magazine. I also learned about it from Jamie Scott, our director of clinical services here at Vital Care.”
The donation will go toward the creation of an infusion laboratory within the now-under-construction College of Health Science.
Edwards’ pharmacy career spans 23 years and includes retail, retail management, clinical infusion and independent pharmacy ownership.
Vital Care Infusion Services offers patients and physicians the choice of having trained professionals provide therapy either in patients’ homes or in a clinical setting in one of the company’s infusion suites.
Common therapies provided by Vital Care include iron replacement, custom antibiotic therapy and immunoglobulin infusions.
“Healthcare is changing every day,” Edwards said. “Vital Care offers infusion services in a clinical setting – but many people are more comfortable receiving therapy at home, and we’re able to meet that need.”
The donation was marked with a private ceremony earlier this month at Tatum Court.
The Edwards were joined by WCU President Tommy King and two College of Health Science administrators, Janet Williams, associate vice president for health programs, and Emily Scott, associate dean of undergraduate nursing.
“William Carey University is absolutely dependent upon our community supporters for the progress we are able to make,” King said in a release. “As we move into the final stage of funding for the new health sciences building, this gift from Vital Care will permit us to provide enhancements which would not be possible without their generosity.”.
WCU broke ground on the new facility in February.
Located at the northeast corner of Tuscan Avenue and Cherry Street, the 74,000-square-foot facility will house four programs – nursing, physical therapy, health information management and health administration and education.
The facility is scheduled to open in 2021.
“Without supporters like Dr. and Mrs. Edwards, it would be difficult to accomplish our goal to improve people’s lives,” Williams said.
Originally published at wdam