The local organization is to be honored by The Nonprofit Partnership.
For Immediate Release
Erie, PA – MHEDS (Multi-Cultural Health Evaluation Delivery System), Northwest Pennsylvania’s leading one-stop healthcare service provider for Erie’s multicultural community, is thrilled to announce its selection as the honoree for the Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award by The Nonprofit Partnership. This prestigious recognition will be formally presented at the Nonprofit Excellence Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, June 25th, at the Erie Art Museum.
“We are deeply honored to receive this award from The Nonprofit Partnership and the Erie community,” said Alivia Haibach, CEO of MHEDS, as she expressed her gratitude for the honor. The recognition is a testament to the organization’s focus on making a positive impact in the Erie community. “I’m truly proud of our team’s dedication to fostering inclusivity and providing equitable healthcare for all of our patients.”
This award acknowledges MHEDS’ exceptional efforts in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, both as a central part of its mission. The organization’s dedication to providing high-quality, culturally responsive healthcare, regardless of one’s ability to pay, has been instrumental in serving Erie’s diverse population.
The award also highlighted inspiring stories from the MHEDS community, including an intern who arrived in the U.S. as a refugee and now seeks to curate positive healthcare experiences for others, inspired by her time as a patient at MHEDS.
Key Highlights
- Over 87% of MHEDS’ patients are best served in a language other than English, underscoring the importance of language accessibility and culturally sensitive care.
- More than 85% of MHEDS staff speak a language other than English, reflecting the organization’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
- MHEDS empowers its staff through rigorous professional development, including certified community health workers and medical assistants.
- The board of directors is composed of members who reflect the diversity of the patient population, with over 50% being MHEDS patients themselves.
- MHEDS’ willingness to provide healthcare in historically marginalized neighborhoods speaks to its commitment to reaching those most in need.
For over 50 years, MHEDS has been at the forefront of increasing access to healthcare for all residents of Erie County, continually working to uphold the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
ABOUT MHEDS
Multi-Cultural Health Evaluation Delivery System’s (MHEDS) mission is to enable all who wish to achieve complete mental, physical, and social well-being by providing equitable, culturally sensitive, patient-centered health care, regardless of their ability to pay. MHEDS is Northwest PA’s one-stop healthcare service provider serving Erie’s multicultural community with holistic healthcare at two locations in Erie. As a Federally Qualified Health Center System Look-Alike, MHEDS meets rigorous compliance standards, ensuring its patients receive high-quality, equitable care. Nearly 86% of MHEDS patients speak a native language other than English, including Nepali, Arabic, Swahili, Ukrainian, Russian, or Spanish. MHEDS is a 2021 recipient of the Pennsylvania Office of Refugee Resettlement’s Excellence in Community Engagement Award for valuable contributions to serving the refugee population and operates two locations in Erie, PA.
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