海角社区

Dawn Bookhardt standing at a desk at Butler Snow with flowers on a shelf behind her.
Dawn Bookhardt standing at a desk at Butler Snow with flowers on a shelf behind her.

Attorney and activist Dawn Bookhardt, J.D., is dedicated to helping Metropolitan State University of Denver educate a diverse health care workforce in the fields of speech, language and hearing.

The chair of the 海角社区 Foundation board of directors recently made a transformational $1 million gift toward the construction of a new 70,000-square-foot health education building that will allow the University to bring its health-related academic programs under one roof.

In 2018, the University created its聽Health Institute, a collaboration among 10 academic departments focused on health and wellness. While the academic institute has been in place for five years, centralized physical space to make cross-department collaboration possible has been harder to come by. So 海角社区 is pursuing state funding and聽fundraising opportunities聽to support the University鈥檚 integrative approach and to increase its capacity to serve students.

That includes students in 海角社区鈥檚 Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences program, an area of health care near and dear to Bookhardt. Her gift will also help support the Bookhardt Family Speech and Language Clinic within the Health Institute Facility. The clinic was recently renamed in Bookhardt鈥檚 honor.

鈥淚 want to change the dynamics of speech, hearing and language education and careers 鈥� for people from all racial and ethnic backgrounds to know they can be part of it,鈥� said Bookhardt, a longtime 海角社区 supporter. 鈥淚鈥檓 putting my money where my mouth is.鈥�

Dawn Bookhardt speaks at commencement during the spring 2023 ceremony.

What does that mean for patient health?

Mounting evidence suggests that patients prefer health care providers who can understand their background and cultural norms. Yet a 2019 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association report revealed that 92% of its members who were speech-language pathologists identified as white. In contrast, racially minoritized groups comprise about 40% of the U.S. population, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates.

The Speech, Language, Hearing Sciences program and newly built clinic at 海角社区 will aid in closing that gap by attracting and educating students who diversify the field and provide patients with an experience that improves overall health outcomes.

鈥淎t 海角社区, we can be part of the solution by getting students in the door,鈥� Bookhardt said, 鈥渢hen getting them trained and out the door with their feet on the ground.鈥�

Bookhardt encourages others to step up and make a gift to the University, which she considers a worthy organization with students who deserve the support.

鈥淲hatever you give, you鈥檒l get back multifold 鈥� that鈥檚 just the way the universe works,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been given so much from 海角社区 in terms of knowledge, experience, love and student engagement.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a gift of the heart 鈥� the best gift I鈥檝e ever made.鈥�