Bennett College for Women June 1, 2015 Bennett College Joins North Carolina Alliance for Health Professions Diversity Bennett College's Interim Provost Michelle Linster and Dean of Natural and Behavioral Sciences and Mathematics Michael Cotton were among representatives from 20 colleges, universities, and state organizations and agencies who gathered at Winston-Salem State University to sign the memorandum of understanding, creating the North Carolina Alliance for Health Professions Diversity. The North Carolina Alliance for Health Professions Diversity aims to reduce disparities in health status and healthcare by increasing racial and ethnic diversity in the healthcare workforce in North Carolina, thereby creating a future healthcare workforce that is increasingly proficient in cross-racial and cross-cultural interactions. Former U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Louis W. Sullivan, M.D., and chairman of The Sullivan Alliance to Transform the Health Professions was also in attendance at the signing of a memorandum of understanding. "We are impressed that North Carolina's Area Health Education Center, historically black colleges and universities, state universities, community colleges, and state and local health agencies have all committed to working together to create a more diverse health workforce," Sullivan said. "These academic, state and local health leaders clearly recognize that in the current environment, with millions more Americans securing health insurance, they still won't have access to care unless there are more health professionals available to serve them." Other participating colleges, universities and state health agencies include: Appalachian State University, Campbell University, Davidson Community College, East Carolina University, Elon University, UNC Greensboro, N.C. Central University, High Point University, Appalachian State University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Saint Augustine's University, Western Carolina University, Winston-Salem State University, N.C. Area Health Education Center, N. C. Department of Health and Human Services, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and the Forsyth County Department of Public Health. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.