SUNY Downstate Receives Insight into Diversity 2016 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award
Nov 2, 2016
Brooklyn, NY – SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University has 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 — SUNY Downstate will be featured, along with 30 other recipients, in the December 2016 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversitymagazine.
Michael Lucchesi, MD, officer in charge of SUNY Downstate, said, “We are delighted to be recognized with this honor. SUNY Downstate is historically one of the most diverse campuses in the country in terms of faculty, staff, and student body, and we are always looking for innovative ways to further our diverse legacy.”
Mark Stewart, MD, PhD, interim provost, noted, “In addition to promoting diversity on campus, Downstate is a leader in providing medical education and science research diversity pipeline programs in the multi-ethnic community we serve. These initiatives foster an interest in STEM subjects that benefits young people as they contemplate college and careers.”
Kevin Antoine, JD, assistant vice president and chief diversity officer at SUNY Downstate,
said, "This is a tremendous national honor. For years Downstate has quietly gone about
the business of providing health care to an underserved urban patient population and
educating underserved student populations. As a recipient of the 2016 Health Professions
HEED Award our quiet work is now known throughout the nation."
“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.
For more information about the 2016 Health Professions HEED Award, and a complete list of the institutions being honored, visit www.insightintodiversity.com.
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About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic health centers (AMCs) in The State University of New York (SUNY) 64-campus system and the only SUNY AMC in New York City dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for the borough’s 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate’s exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community.
UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions, including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.