University of Oklahoma Receives $20 Million for Diabetes Center
University of Oklahoma Receives $20 Million for Diabetes Center
The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center has announced a $20 million gift from Harold and Sue Ann Hamm — the largest in its history — for the Harold Hamm Oklahoma Diabetes Center.
According to the Health Sciences Center, some 600,000 Oklahomans have been diagnosed or are at significant risk of developing diabetes. The prevalence of the disease increases with age and is higher in minority populations, especially Native Americans, African Americans, and Hispanic Americans. The gift from the Hamms will launch a five-year, $100 million campaign, the goal of which is to raise funds to support efforts to find a cure for the disease through Hamm Center research and treatment programs, including adult and pediatric programs based at the Oklahoma University Health Center, as well as a Tulsa program based at the Schusterman Center.
"We estimate that diabetes accounts for $3 billion a year in healthcare costs, just in our state," said University of Oklahoma president David L. Boren. "The Harold Hamm Oklahoma Diabetes Center is on a mission to find a cure. While we work toward that goal, we are educating people about the challenges of living with diabetes, teaching them how to prevent the development of diabetes and its complications and providing the best possible diabetes care."
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