College of Nursing Again Recognized for Commitment to Diversity
For the second year in a row, the University of Houston College of Nursing has been recognized nationally for its commitment to diversity and inclusion. INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education, has honored the college with its 2017 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award.
“We are honored by this recognition and proud of our commitment to program excellence for students, the industry and patients,” said Kathryn Tart, founding dean of the UH College of Nursing. “This builds a critical connection between culturally diverse health care providers and culturally competent patient care.”
The College again shares the honor with the UH Law Center and the University of Houston as a whole. Each received a HEED Award in 2016.
Health Professions HEED Award institutions were selected based on exemplary diversity and inclusion initiatives that focus on all aspects of diversity, including gender, race, ethnicity, veterans, people with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ community.
The College is one of seven nursing programs nationwide selected for the HEED award.
Tart says the college mirrors the diversity of the community:
- 28 percent Hispanic
- 25 percent Asian
- 17 percent African-American
- 3 percent American Indian/Pacific Islander
- 37 percent Caucasian
The College of Nursing will be featured with 23 other recipients in the magazine’s December issue.
“The Health Professions HEED Award process consists of a comprehensive and rigorous application that includes questions relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees — and best practices for both — continued leadership support for diversity, and other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion. We take a holistic approach to reviewing each application in deciding who will be named a HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high, and we look for institutions where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being accomplished every day across their campus,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.
Other recipients of the 2017 Health Professions HEED Award are:
A.T. Still University
Augusta University Health Sciences Colleges
Cal State LA School of Nursing
Columbia University College of Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
MGH Institute of Health Professions
Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Health Milton S Hershey Medical Center
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine
Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
The Medical University of South Carolina
The Ohio State University College of Medicine
The Ohio State University College of Nursing
The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Cincinnati College of Nursing
University of Florida College of Dentistry
University of Memphis, Loewenberg College of Nursing
University of Minnesota School of Nursing
University of Rochester School of Nursing
University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) College of Pharmacy
University of Virginia School of Medicine
University of Washington School of Nursing
For more information about the 2017 Health Professions HEED Award, visit www.insightintodiversity.com.