The University of Rochester Medical Center recently hosted an art contest through its Office of Health Equity Research, naming Urban-Suburban student Carason Ware as one of the winners.
Carason is a fifth-grader attending Bernabi Elementary School in the Spencerport Central School District. She recently submitted artwork for the URMC’s contest.
The contest was created to bring awareness to the newly established department of the Office Of Health Equity Research, which the medical center describes as its fifth pillar of URMC’s Equity and Anti-Racism Action Plan.
The founding director said the goal of the art contest was to give students an opportunity to show what health equity means to them and why it is important. At its core, health equity means that everyone, no matter their race, their socio-economic status, or where they live, can have the best health possible.
Carason took home the award for First Place in the Elementary School category! She was honored at an award ceremony earlier this month. The achievement also comes with a monetary prize for the student winners and their schools.
Students in Kindergarten through 12-grade were invited to submit artwork to be considered for the office’s community outreach. The hope is to spark enthusiasm and engage students, parents, families, teachers, and the community about specific areas of health inequity that can be addressed through research conducted by the office.
According to its website, it ‘aims to establish URMC as a national leader in health equity research and education, specifically focusing on the impact of racism on health and development. The office will support innovate health equity research across URMC to foster a deeper understanding of the root causes of health disparities and the burdens experienced by excluded groups, and to facilitate the translation of findings into more equitable care.’
For more information on the OHER, visit Diversity & Inclusion - UR Clinical & Translational Science Institute - University of Rochester Medical Center