Press Releases

Share This Press Release

NUHEALTH’S DEIDRA PARRISH WILLIAMS RECEIVES PROJECT GRAD 2012 JOHN O’NEILL HUMANITARIAN AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP IN SUPPORTING AT-RISK LONG ISLAND STUDENTS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 9, 2012

PRESS CONTACT:
Shelley Lotenberg
shelley@numc.edu
516-572-6055


NUHEALTH’S DEIDRA PARRISH WILLIAMS RECEIVES PROJECT GRAD 2012 JOHN O’NEILL HUMANITARIAN AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP IN SUPPORTING AT-RISK LONG ISLAND STUDENTS


East Meadow, NY……At the seventh annual “Achieving Dreams” reception held at the Chateau Briand on April 26, 2012, Deidra Parrish Williams, executive director of the NuHealth Foundation, received the Project GRAD 2012 John O’Neill Humanitarian Award. Ms. Parrish Williams was honored for her significant contributions and involvement in furthering educational opportunities for students in underserved communities on Long Island. Project GRAD partnered with the Westbury Union Free School District in helping raise high school graduation and college attendance rates and ensuring a quality public education for all students in economically disadvantaged communities. Project GRAD provides scholarships for high school students as well as comprehensive college readiness, awareness programs and professional development to help increase college completion rates. The John O’Neill Humanitarian Award is presented annually to outstanding Long Islanders who embody the legacy of Mr. O’Neill, a LI philanthropist and business leader who was a strong advocate for Project GRAD.

Also recognized at the reception, were Legislator Robert Troiano who received the 2012 Public Servant Award, for his continued public service efforts in Westbury and surrounding Long Island communities, and George Mason University Head Basketball Coach Paul Hewitt, who received the John O’Neill Humanitarian Award, along with Ms. Parrish Williams.

In congratulating Ms. Parrish Williams on her recognition, chairman of the Project GRAD LI board of directors, Kirk Kordeleski, stated: “As my partner on the Project GRAD board, Deidra has been a tireless advocate Long Island students and for all of Long Island.  There is no one more deserving of this award.”

In her acceptance remarks, Ms. Parrish Williams referenced her own experience in public school on Long Island: “I was afraid when I graduated and headed off to Fordham University. We all have fears… we all have gaps where we fall short. It’s Communities that have a responsibility to step up and fill those gaps in so young people have the support they need to succeed.”

ABOUT NUHEALTH
NuHealth is a Long Island health care organization delivering essential medical care and disease and lifestyle management to everyone at every stage of life.  Also known as Nassau Health Care Corporation, NuHealth is a public benefit corporation managing the operations of Nassau Medical Center, A. Holly Patterson Extended Care and a network of Family Health Centers that bring primary and specialty care out into the community.  By emphasizing wellness, cultural sensitivity and collaborative efforts with the North Shore-LIJ Health System, NuHealth is working to make good care more affordable and easier to access.

For more information about NuHealth or its Centers of Care, visit www.nuhealth.net.