UNM Health Sciences recently announced that the University of New Mexico's 2nd Annual Health Equity Summit drew in 300 stakeholders from across the state. The event, held at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, saw participation from UNM faculty, leaders, officials from the New Mexico Department of Health, non-profit organizations, and community leaders who exchanged diverse perspectives.
The participants, hailing from various services and healthcare sectors, collaboratively developed an agenda to address health inequity in New Mexico. According to a press release by UNM Health Sciences, Dr. Doug Ziedonis, the Executive Vice President of UNM Health Sciences & CEO of the UNM Health System, pledged $1 million to establish an Office of Health Equity. This office will feature centers for Hispanic health and rural health. During the six-hour summit, attendees including students, community members, healthcare workers and leaders engaged in interactive classes discussing topics such as college student housing and food insecurity, perinatal health and birthing in New Mexico. They also discussed community resources for Native American and Alaskan Native elders.
According to the same press release by UNM Health Sciences, UNM President Garnett Stokes stated: "This goal guides everything that we do, from how we recruit and welcome students into the system and provide critical support to how we deliver our education and training. It informs how we serve all communities and all citizens regardless of their geographic location, economic status or ethnicity."
Ziedonis added: "We will unite our vision, voices and relationships to strengthen collaborative partnerships and sustain our cultural practices values and beliefs for our next generation."
The UNM Health Sciences Center (HSC) is dedicated to delivering healthcare to New Mexico's diverse population. According to information provided on its About webpage by UNM Health Sciences itself , HSC is committed to providing equitable access to healthcare while also engaging in medical research.