On behalf of Daemen University, President Gary A. Olson accepted the 2023 Health Equity Innovation Award from Univera Healthcare, recognizing the institution’s commitment to addressing racial and ethnic health disparities across the Western New York region.
Dr. Olson was joined by Univera President Art Wingerter, who previously served on the university’s board of trustees, for a small gathering in Rosary Hall.
In October, Univera named Daemen a recipient of the award and announced the company would provide the institution with $30,000 in funding to implement health equity training.
Daemen will utilize the funding to implement a professional development program, which will be delivered through the Center for Interprofessional Learning and Simulation (CILS). The training is designed to sensitize healthcare professionals to the nuances involved in working with people with diverse cultural and linguistic experiences. It will also highlight the critical importance of developing cultural competence and humility as a healthcare practitioner and delivering culturally responsive and sensitive services using a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens.
The university plans to launch the health equity training program this fall.