Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine Harlem (TouroCOM) received the 2016 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.
As a recipient of the Health Professions HEED Award — a national honor recognizing U.S. medical, dental, pharmacy, osteopathic, nursing, and allied health schools that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion — TouroCOM will be featured in the December 2016 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.
“The Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine is committed to increasing the number of underrepresented minorities in medicine and training physicians to practice medicine in underserved communities,” said Kenneth J Steier, DO, executive dean at TouroCOM. “This is our mission. We are very grateful to receive this award in recognition of our efforts to increase diversity and inclusion.”
Martin Diamond, DO, founding dean of TouroCOM, said, “Harlem is also grateful for this recognition. It was always our hope that in time we would make a difference in diversity in our community.
INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected TouroCOM for its mission, which at its core involves recruiting underrepresented minority (URM) students with the participation of faculty, administration, current students as well as the school’s Community Advisory Board.
“The fruit of these collective efforts is evidenced in our results, which we are very proud to share,” said Nadege Dady, Ed.D., dean of student affairs, who said TouroCOM has graduated 84 Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine who are URMs, beginning with its first graduating class in 2011. Additionally, Dean Dady noted over half of the school’s graduates have gone on to become primary care/family practice physicians. “We are also grateful to be supported by our Community Advisory Board in its fundraising efforts on behalf of TouroCOM’s URM Scholarship Fund, resulting in a total of $175,000.00 raised to date.”
Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, said 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,” she said.
For more information about the 2016 Health Professions HEED Award, visit www.insightintodiversity.com.
For further information on Touro College, please visit www.touro.edu/news
Photo of Jemima Akinsana Commencement 2016.
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