For almost 100 years, Xavier University of Louisiana’s College of Pharmacy (COP) has trained generations of pharmacists to serve the underserved and impact health disparities in their communities. In recognition of these efforts, Xavier’s COP was recently awarded a $200,000 Aflac Community CareGrant and received an Aflac Park Bench on campus to commemorate the moment.  

“Our health professions programs here at Xavier University of Louisiana contribute to its mission of creating a more just and humane society by training our students to make an impact in their communities through service to improve health outcomes,” said Dr. Kathleen Kennedy, dean of Xavier’s College of Pharmacy, “Our goal is to achieve health equity by providing students with the education and research opportunities they need to understand the inequities for the benefit of the communities they serve. This grant from Aflac gives us a greater ability to do just that.  

The Aflac Community CareGrant program helps address the urgent needs of those living in under-resourced communities across the U.S. and are delivered to organizations that help improve medical outcomes for individuals in their communities. These grants help individuals, families and communities address medical debt, fund research into issues pertinent to the most at-risk communities and support positive health outcomes. The COP is the 14th institution to receive an Aflac Community CareGrant since the program’s inception in 2022, and by the end of 2024, Aflac will have contributed $2.6 million in Community CareGrants. 

The COP was selected due to its work to achieve health equity, eliminate disparities and improve the health of all populations through patient-centered care, community engagement and research.  It plans to use the grant to launch the Aflac Health Equity Research Scholar Program to help students conduct health disparity research and provide scholarships to students who demonstrate excellent community engagement. The grant will also support Xavier University’s Telehealth Center’s (XUTC) Digital Literacy program and its Health and Wellness Center with a focus on impacting rural communities in Louisiana and empowering members of various communities to improve their health through health fairs, nutrition education, and HIV counseling sessions. 

In addition to the grant, Aflac also installed a commemorative Aflac Park Bench, a physical manifestation of the company’s commitment to help close the gap around medical debt. It pays homage to the first Aflac Duck commercial nearly 25 years ago, which featured two gentlemen eating lunch on a park bench, discussing challenges people face when dealing with unexpected medical bills. The Aflac Park Bench will serve as a natural space for rest and reflection and as a symbol of the university’s support for the New Orleans community and its leading stewardship for residents. It will remain as a permanent fixture outside of the University Library. 

During his remarks, Aflac U.S. President Virgil Miller spoke about the pressing need to create opportunity for students to pursue careers that allow them to advance community health and wellness. He also highlighted Aflac’s 20-year-plus legacy of providing support to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU), emphasizing the value of HBCU talent and how Aflac is able to support work that aligns with its efforts to help close the medical debt gap by recognizing institutions like XULA and the COP.  

(from L to R) Virgil Miller, President, Aflac U.S.; Dr. Kathleen Kennedy, Dean, Xavier University of Louisiana College of Pharmacy; and Dr. Reynold Verret, President, Xavier University of Louisiana.