College of Medicine – Phoenix wins fourth diversity award
The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix received the Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award from INSIGHT into Diversity magazine for the fourth time. The HEED Award is a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Francisco Lucio, JD, senior associate dean of the College of Medicine – Phoenix’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion said the award came amid many strategic accomplishments.
The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
“We continue to diversify our student body and faculty; integrate health-equity topics throughout the curriculum; and deliver programs and activities that bring great benefit to our campus and community,” Lucio said. “These efforts are done by engaging all individuals at the college and we should feel proud because it is together that we have earned this national recognition.”
Sonji Muhammad Perry, director of the College of Medicine – Phoenix’s OEDI, said: “Being recognized for the fourth time acknowledges our continual work regarding equity, diversity and inclusion on our campus. The HEED award is a testament to the collaboration and consistency of our college in this mission.”
Lucio said his team is “thrilled to have helped launch a new medical Spanish course — Advancing Medicine Inclusively: Growing our Spanish Skills or AMIGOSS — for medical students that will lead to bilingual certification within our Service and Community Health Certificate of Distinction.”
Perry said getting Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs to provide remarks at the Women in Medicine and Science Fall Networking event in late November was another OEDI success.
A collegewide project for the 2023-24 academic year is to host a Black Men In White Coats Summit, which provides underrepresented in medicine students from elementary school through college undergraduate levels with opportunities to meet and engage with health care professionals.
Planning for the summit is underway by the Academic Medical Consortium of Arizona, which the College of Medicine – Phoenix is part of and Lucio chairs. The summit will be held Feb. 10 at Midwestern University in Glendale. College of Medicine – Phoenix faculty, students and staff will participate as panelists, facilitators and volunteers.
“The summit is open to everyone with a focus on Black/African American, Latino/a, Hispanic, Spanish origin and/or additional intersecting identities and Native/Indigenous students,” Perry said.
INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine is the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. The college is one of 62 award recipients for 2023.