MUSC named 2021 Top College for Diversity and Diversity Champion by INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine

For fifth consecutive year, MUSC recognized with national diversity award 

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Oct. 26, 2021) – Recently, INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education, announced its 2021 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award recipients. For the fifth year in a row, the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) was among the HEED Award recipients. 

Also, for the fourth consecutive year, MUSC was named a Diversity Champion. Diversity Champions rank in the top tier of HEED Award recipients. These institutions exemplify an unyielding commitment to diversity and inclusion throughout their campus communities, infusing diversity, equity and inclusion across academic programs and at the highest administrative levels. Known for visionary leadership, Diversity Champions are institutions that serve as role models and set the standard for thousands of other U.S. college campuses striving for inclusive excellence. 

“It is an honor to be selected for this prestigious award for the fifth consecutive year. MUSC is steadfast in modeling and championing our organization’s commitment to elevating and sustaining diversity, equity and inclusion for the lives we touch,” said Willette Burnham-Williams, Ph.D., interim chief equity officer for MUSC. 

The annual Health Professions HEED Awards – a national honor recognizing U.S. health colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion – come with national recognition from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. The 2021 list of Top Colleges for Diversity features 50 other recipients. MUSC and all of the other 2021 awardees will be featured in the December  issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. 

“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 Diversitymagazine. “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.”

To learn more about the many innovative initiatives MUSC is undertaking in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion, please visit web.musc.edu/about/leadership/institutional-offices/diversity.

For more information about the 2021 Health Professions HEED Award, visit insightintodiversity.com. 

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About INSIGHT Into Diversity

INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine is the oldest and largest diversity publication in higher education today and is well-known for its annual Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award, the only award recognizing colleges and universities for outstanding diversity and inclusion efforts across their campuses. In addition to its online job board, INSIGHT Into Diversitypresents timely, thought-provoking news and feature stories on matters of diversity and inclusion across higher education and beyond. Articles include interviews with innovators and experts, as well as profiles of best practices and exemplary programs. Readers will also discover career opportunities that connect job seekers with institutions and businesses that embrace a diverse and inclusive workforce. Current, archived, and digital issues of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine are available at insightintodiversity.com.

About MUSC 

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is home to the oldest medical school in the South as well as the state’s only integrated academic health sciences center, with a unique charge to serve the state through education, research and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and nearly 800 residents in six colleges: Dental Medicine, Graduate Studies, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. MUSC brought in more than $327.6 million in biomedical research funds in fiscal year 2021, continuing to lead the state in obtaining federal and National Institutes of Health funding, with more than $220 million. For information on academic programs, visit musc.edu. 

As the clinical health system of the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest quality and safe patient care while training generations of compassionate, competent health care providers to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. Close to 25,000 care team members provide care for patients at 14 hospitals with approximately 2,500 beds and 5 additional hospital locations in development, more than 300 telehealth sites and nearly 750 care locations situated in the Lowcountry, Midlands, Pee Dee and Upstate regions of South Carolina. In 2021, for the seventh consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina. To learn more about clinical patient services, visit muschealth.org.

MUSC and its affiliates have collective annual budgets of $4.4 billion. The more than 25,000 MUSC team members include world-class faculty, physicians, specialty providers and scientists who deliver groundbreaking education, research, technology and patient care.