VERSAILLES, Ky. — Frontier Nursing University (FNU) received the 2021 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 annual Health Professions HEED Award — a national honor recognizing U.S. health colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion — FNU will be featured, along with 50 other recipients, in December 2021 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. This is the fourth consecutive year FNU has been named as a Health Professions HEED Award recipient.
Earlier this year, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded Frontier Nursing University two grants totaling $4,140,000. The HRSA Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) grant totals $1,920,000 and the Nursing Workforce Diversity (NWD) grant totals $2,220,000.
HRSA, which is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will award the funding for both grants in annual installments over the next four years. The goal of the BHWET program is to increase the number of psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners who are diverse in race, ethnicity, and other underrepresented populations serving in rural and medically underserved communities.
The goal of the NWD program is to increase the number and diversity of certified nurse-midwives who serve in rural and underserved areas of the country in an effort to prevent and reduce maternal mortality.
To help direct the university’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and incorporate perspectives from all corners of the university, FNU has created several task forces and committees composed of faculty, staff, students, and volunteers.
Created in 2015, the Diversity and Inclusion Committee develops, promotes, and provides programs and resources to enhance diversity throughout the university and healthcare workforce. The President’s DEI Task Force was formed in January 2021 to further FNU’s mission to become an antiracist university.
The recently formed Antiracism and Bias Advisory Council (ABAC), derived by the FNU’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, is a diverse group of Frontier employees who will serve as an advisory board for any employee and student bias reporting.
FNU’s commitment to emphasizing and valuing diversity and inclusion was formally instituted with the creation of the Diversity Impact Program in 2010, with particular emphasis on increasing the enrollment of students of color.
Since then, the focus has expanded to include all facets of the university, including increasing diversity within the faculty and staff, emphasis on student retention, and diversity and inclusion training for all members of the FNU community. Led by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, mentoring, tutoring, coaching, counseling, writing programs, and scholarships have been implemented to support students.
The office also offers community-wide education including the Diversity Impact Conference held in 2021, “Dismantling Systemic Racism and Discrimination in Healthcare: Our Roles and Responsibilities.”
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