TCOM’s Dr. Damon Schranz honored with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion award from ACOFP

TCOM’s Dr. Damon Schranz honored with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion award from ACOFP

The American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOFP) recently honored The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth’s Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine’s (TCOM) Damon A. Schranz, DO, FACOFP, with its 2022 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Award during the ACOFP 59th Annual Convention and Scientific Seminars.

Dr. Schranz, a 1998 TCOM graduate, serves as an advisor to the HSC Pride organization and is an Associate Professor in TCOM’s Department of Family and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine.

Created in 2021, this award honors osteopathic family physicians who make significant contributions toward enhancing DE&I within the profession, honoring those who have demonstrated behaviors or led initiatives that foster these principles within diverse and underrepresented communities.

“I’m very humbled to receive this award from the ACOFP,” said Dr. Schranz. “They are one of the largest groups of osteopathic physicians and this is a very big honor.”

Dr. Schranz has advocated for the LGBTQIA+ community on Capitol Hill through the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and has worked with the Tarrant County AIDS Interfaith Network and the AIDS Outreach Center of Fort Worth — organizations that provide health and dental care to those with HIV.

He has presented on DE&I issues for the Texas Osteopathic Medical Association, the Texas ACOFP, the North American Primary Care Research Group, the Society for Teachers of Family Medicine and the American Osteopathic Association.

“I am so proud of Dr. Schranz for receiving this terrific honor,” said Dr. Frank Filipetto, Dean of TCOM and Everett Endowed Professor. “He is a role model for our students and our community. This award represents a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion that is vital to our profession, and Dr. Schranz sets a wonderful example of what that looks like.”

Dr. Schranz was nominated by the Texas Society of the ACOFP’s President, Anastasia Benson, DO, who described him as “a person who openly lives his values with compassion, kindness and inclusion of all.”

“To me, it’s ensuring that underrepresented populations know that there is somebody working to help them,” said Dr. Schranz. “Regardless of sexual orientation or color, you as a physician have a moral responsibility to take care of the patient no matter what you see in that patient. They are a person, a human being, and we must be compassionate toward them.” 

Recent News

Dr. Teresa Wagner 768x960 1 240x300
  • Our People
|Jul 9, 2025

Dr. Teresa Wagner co-authors a national statement on health literacy from an interprofessional perspective

Teresa Wagner, DrPH, associate professor in the College of Public Health at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, collaborated with interprofessional colleagues on a national health literacy statement on behalf of the National Academies of Practice. The National Acade...
Professional Photo Wesling 2025
  • Community
|Jul 8, 2025

College of Pharmacy’s Dr. Megan Wesling to join the AACP Academic Leadership Fellows Program

Megan Wesling, PharmD, chair and associate professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth College of Pharmacy, has been selected for the 22nd cohort of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Academic Leadership Fellow...
Hsc Leadership Team.
  • Our People
|Jul 3, 2025

TCOM’s Dr. Frank Filipetto among the first in world to earn Certified Professional in Human Factors in Health Care

Frank Filipetto, DO, CPPS, CPHFH, FACOFP, one of the leading voices for changing how health care is delivered, has become one of the first in the world to earn the Certified Professional in Human Factors in Health Care credential. Filipetto, an Everett Endowed Distinguished Professor at The Unive...
Tonychris Nnaka Headshot 240x300
  • Our People
|Jul 1, 2025

American Academy of Nursing to induct Tonychris Nnaka into 2025 class of fellows

Tonychris Nnaka, Ph.D., MPH, RN, CPH, associate dean for research and associate professor at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth’s College of Nursing, will be inducted into the American Academy of Nursing’s 2025 class of fellows during the organization’s annua...