The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) is proud to announce we have received the 2024 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award. This marks the second year in a row we have received the award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.

The HEED Award is a national honor recognizing U.S. health colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. ACOM is proud to be one of 71 recipients nationwide that will be featured in the November/December issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine. To see the complete list of winners, click on https://www.insightintodiversity.com/about-the-heed-award/.

This accolade is a testament to ACOM’s continued commitment to excellence and our mission of shaping physicians who are not only compassionate and knowledgeable but also who are equipped to provide care to all communities. By focusing on social determinants of health—such as socioeconomic status, education, neighborhood environment, and access to healthcare— we empower our students with the skills and tools to address healthcare disparities and serve as physicians for all people, enhancing patient outcomes. The application process for this award is a comprehensive and rigorous self-evaluation, requiring an in-depth review of our policies, strategies, programs, and initiatives.

“This award confirms our continued desire to embrace the diversity of our students by respecting who they are as individuals in their pursuit of a medical education,” said Susie White, MA, ACOM DEI Officer. “We celebrate with our students as they bring unique heritages, cultures, and life experiences to ACOM and the community. We welcome all individuals who are accepted to ACOM with the dignity and respect they should expect and deserve.”

“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.”

About INSIGHT Into Diversity

INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine is the leader in advancing best practices in DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) in higher education. Through thought-provoking print and online articles, we share expert advice, valuable resources, in-depth profiles of top DEI programs at colleges and universities, headline news, and much more to help keep our readers informed and empower them to advance DEI initiatives at their institutions. To further our mission, we created the INSIGHT Into Diversity Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award in 2012. The HEED Award — including the more targeted INSIGHT Into Diversity Health Professions, Law School, and Community College HEED Awards — is the only national honor to recognize institutions of higher education for their outstanding commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Current, archived, and digital issues of INSIGHT