NYITCOM Recognized for Its Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

The College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) has received the 2024 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from Insight Into Diversity magazine.

The Health Professions HEED Award is a national honor recognizing health colleges and universities in the United States that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. NYITCOM will be featured along with 70 other recipients in the November/December 2024 issue of Insight Into Diversity magazine.

“New York Institute of Technology is committed to creating environments for all students from all backgrounds to thrive academically, socially, and professionally,” says Brian Harper, M.D., vice president for equity and inclusion and chief medical officer. “We are extremely proud that those efforts are being recognized, and we are grateful to receive this honor.”

Insight Into Diversity magazine selected NYITCOM in recognition of its efforts to recruit, retain, and support students who are underrepresented in medicine. Additionally, NYITCOM was honored for its efforts to train all students to address healthcare needs that are unique to certain populations; to educate its faculty, staff, and students on important diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives; and the institution’s commitment to fostering an open and welcoming environment for all individuals in the NYITCOM community.

“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,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of Insight Into Diversity magazine. “We take a detailed approach to reviewing each application in deciding who will be named a Health Professions HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high, and we look for schools where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being done every day across their campus.”

Academically, NYITCOM offers free tutoring support, first-year experience programs, and mentorship programs to help students thrive. NYITCOM is intentional in its recruitment of a diverse student population by attending recruitment fairs that target underrepresented minorities and hosting programs such as Project H.E.A.R.T. (Health Education Advocacy Reflection and Training) and S.H.A.R.E. (Summer Health Academy for Research Exploration) to help students from all backgrounds learn about opportunities in healthcare and paths toward them.

NYITCOM also holds antibias training for faculty reviewers, leads student belonging sessions and a Safe Zone program, and provides resources to its faculty, staff, and students to help those from underrepresented backgrounds connect with the community.  

Additionally, the Delta Population Health Institute at NYITCOM’s Jonesboro location works exhaustively to address the social factors of health by promoting cultural transformation and creating health equity to catalyze thriving and prosperous rural communities of the Delta. Students have the opportunity to learn about community health through this program and engage in a number of community health initiatives.

“For NYITCOM to meet its mission of increasing access to healthcare and health education in medically underserved populations, we have to train physicians who represent those diverse backgrounds,” says Nicole Wadsworth, D.O., dean of NYITCOM. “I can’t say enough about how proud I am of the work so many people at NYITCOM are doing to not only make individuals from all backgrounds feel welcomed and accepted but to educate them in a manner that will allow us to achieve our goals of improving healthcare for everyone.”