UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Are you too busy to check up on your health? Dr. Carline Crevecoeur and Dr. Michael Feffer want to ensure that is not the case by sponsoring “Health Minute” — a one-minute public radio broadcast accompanied by a digital program featuring information and strategies for living a healthy life. It is a collaboration between WPSU Penn State and the College of Nursing at Penn State. The couple’s $9,193 gift will sponsor the weekly program for one year.
“We felt that ‘Health Minute’ was a brief, yet effective way to educate people in this fast-paced environment and WPSU is a trusted source of information,” Crevecoeur said. “’Health Minute’ will hopefully pique the interest of the audience, and they can then research topics that are relevant to them for more information. Michael and I hope the audience will become more aware of their own health habits as they learn more about caring for their mental and physical health.”
The College of Nursing provides the research and topics for "Health Minute." Kelly A. Wolgast, assistant director of outreach and professional development in the College of Nursing and associate teaching professor, said the idea for the program stemmed from identified health care needs of Pennsylvanians as well as national health observances over the calendar year.
“We are extremely fortunate to be able to collaborate with WPSU and devoted donors to develop the idea into a high-quality program that we think will benefit so many people,” Wolgast said. “Nurses are one of the most trusted professionals in the nation and possess the knowledge, skills and abilities to effectively engage people throughout their lifetime to educate on health and wellness. The Penn State College of Nursing faculty and staff are delighted to directly help people learn how to live a full and healthy life.”
Crevecoeur and Feffer are from Boalsburg, Pennsylvania. Feffer is an anesthesiologist at Mount Nittany Medical Center. Crevecoeur spent 20 years as an obstetrician and gynecologist in New York and Pennsylvania. She volunteered with Centre Volunteers in Medicine while homeschooling her and Michael’s five children. Crevecoeur said her volunteer efforts helped her realize how difficult it can be for people to access health care.
“When I was a resident at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, I served alongside Doctors Without Borders in the wake of a devastating hurricane in Nicaragua. I traveled to Haiti and worked in the obstetrics and gynecology ward in the public hospital. I returned to Haiti in 2010 after an earthquake to bring much needed medical supplies to local hospitals,” Crevecoeur said. “I knew that good health care was a scarcity in those countries, but I later found out that access can be difficult right here in Centre County as well.”
Through the sponsorship of “Health Minute,” the couple said they hope to continue to reach community members who are in need of care.
“We appreciate the opportunity to give what we can to a community we are proud to call our home,” Feffer said.
“Health Minute” airs at 7:31 a.m. and 4:32 p.m. on Tuesdays on WPSU-FM.
This gift will advance “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” a focused campaign that seeks to elevate Penn State’s position as a leading public university in a world defined by rapid change and global connections. With the support of alumni and friends, “A Greater Penn State” seeks to fulfill the three key imperatives of a 21st-century public university: keeping the doors to higher education open to hard-working students regardless of financial well-being; creating transformative experiences that go beyond the classroom; and affecting the world by fueling discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship. To learn more about “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” visit greaterpennstate.psu.edu.