Jump to full article: Style Weekly, 2008-08-06
Author: Chris Dovi
Intro: Virginia Commonwealth University officials have repeatedly denied the existence of a proposal to create a women's health center funded by Philip Morris USA, but a draft copy of the proposal shows the idea did -- and in some iteration still does -- exist.
A copy of a working paper titled "Proposal to Create the VCU Center for Health Pregnancy and Neonatal Outcomes," obtained by Style Weekly, shows plans for a center focused on treatment and research into preventing defects, early birth and mortality.
The proposal touches on a smoking cessation program to prevent "chronic disease resulting from smoking-related pregnancy complications."
Amid the controversy swirling around the university's relationship with Philip Morris USA, which has cooperated in and paid for tobacco-related research on campus, the health-center proposal offers an unusual twist. In part, the memo obtained by Style reveals a plan for how VCU could solicit money from Philip Morris. . . .
"This was a proposal that the dean of medicine shopped with Philip Morris," says a medical school faculty member, speaking on condition of anonymity. "Since all this has broken, [Strauss] has said [in meetings] that Philip Morris did not accept it or they did not fund it." . . .
David DeBiasi, director of advocacy with the American Lung Association of Virginia, is also aware of the proposal. He says he was "pretty concerned" by Macrina's denial of the proposal's existence.
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