Leaders in Health Care Scholarships Awarded to Minority Students Pursuing Advanced Degrees in Health Care

Diversified Investment Advisors, Inc., an Institute for Diversity in Health Management ("the Institute") sponsor, is proud to announce that Kristian Henderson and Pernell Jones have been awarded the 2009 Leaders in Health Care Scholarships.

Purchase, NY (PRWEB) August 12, 2009 -- Diversified Investment Advisors, Inc., an Institute for Diversity in Health Management ("the Institute") sponsor, is proud to announce that Kristian Henderson and Pernell Jones have been awarded the 2009 Leaders in Health Care Scholarships. They will each receive a $5,000 award.

The Diversified Investment Advisors Leaders in Health Care Scholarship award is available to first- and second-year graduate students pursuing degrees in health care administration or a comparable degree. Candidates are required to demonstrate financial need, a commitment to community service and academic excellence. In addition, they are evaluated on the basis of a personal statement about their interest in health care management and career goals, as well as an essay on the most challenging issues facing the future of the American health care system. The Institute coordinates the application and candidate selection process on behalf of Diversified.

eager to learn more about health disparities, public health, and how this global issue could be addressed

Kristian is currently working toward her master of public health degree in health policy administration at Yale School of Public Health. She also earned a B.A. from Yale University. She is the recipient of numerous honors and awards including the Accolade Leadership Award and the Richter Summer Fellow, and she has been recognized among Urban America's Best and Brightest.

Active in numerous organizations, she is a chapter vice president of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority; serves as the director of research and development for the Elm City Youth & Family Center in New Haven, CT, and is a community health educator for a local high school relationship and abuse group. Henderson intends to pursue a career in global public health which she learned about as an undergraduate after traveling to New Orleans to assist with the Hurricane Katrina clean-up efforts, as well as to the Dominican Republic and Swaziland, Africa. After witnessing firsthand so many residents lacking basic necessities and access to adequate health care, she returned from these experiences "eager to learn more about health disparities, public health, and how this global issue could be addressed," as she wrote in her essay. "Realizing that health disparities were a global issue, traveling solidified my desire to start a global health organization."

Pernell is working toward his master of health administration at the University of Southern California, where he is also a teaching assistant in health policy & management, and serves as a student liaison to the Student Health Council. Jones earned his B.S in health science from California State University, where he also minored in biology. He has held several research positions including one at the University of the Western Cape in Cape Town, South Africa, as well as at the University of California. He has presented at several conferences and has served as a volunteer at LA Health Action, as well as for Compton's Youth Against Tobacco Coalition.

Pernell's long-term goal is to start a not-for-profit organization that aims to decrease the prevalence of childhood obesity and diabetes in medically underserved communities through exercise, dietary management and health education.

"For the third year, Diversified is proud to award the Leaders in Health Care Scholarships to two commendable students who have already demonstrated a commitment to the delivery of health care and have well-stated plans to continue their work, especially among the underserved," said David Ray, vice president and national 403(b) practice leader at Diversified. "Both Kristian and Pernell are highly motivated and capable based on their track records to date of taking on some of the healthcare industry's most compelling challenges. Their academic achievements were very impressive but what set them apart was their passion for serving their communities and all that they have already accomplished through internships and volunteerism. We are so proud to be able to recognize these two young people this year."

For more information about the Diversified Investment Advisors Leaders in Health Care Scholarship contact Pamela Janniere, 312-422-2691. Applications for the 2010 scholarship will be available online only. Students can apply beginning in October on the Institute's Web site, www.diversityconnection.org. Information on other scholarships is also available at the site.

About Diversified Investment Advisors, Inc.
Diversified Investment Advisors, Inc. is a national investment advisory firm specializing in retirement plans. The company's expertise covers the entire spectrum of defined benefit and defined contribution plans, including: 401(k) and 403(b) (Traditional and Roth); 457; non-qualified deferred compensation; profit sharing; money purchase; cash balance and Taft-Hartley plans; and rollover and Roth IRA. Providing comprehensive plan administration, investment and communication services for mid- to large-sized organizations, Diversified helps more than 1.5 million participants save and invest wisely for and throughout retirement.

Headquartered in Purchase, NY, the company's regional offices are located in Arkansas, California, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin. To learn more, visitwww.divinvest.com.

About the Institute for Diversity in Health Management
In 1994, the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), the National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE), and the American Hospital Association (AHA) responded to the lack of diversity in the health care management ranks by founding the Institute for Diversity in Health Management (IFD). The Association of Hispanic Healthcare Executives (AHHE) and, more recently,
the Catholic Health Association (CHA) signed on as sponsors, and in 2002 the IFD Board of Directors voted to formally affiliate with the AHA.

The Institute for Diversity in Health Management, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, works closely with health services organizations and educators to expand leadership opportunities for ethnic minorities in health services management. The Institute's mission is to increase the number of people of color in health services administration to better reflect the increasingly diverse communities they serve, and to improve opportunities for professionals already in the health care field. To accomplish this, the Institute has designed several initiatives to generate significant long-term results through educational programs, summer internships, professional development and leadership conferences. For more information, visit www.diversityconnection.org.

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