DOTHAN, Ala. –  The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) is proud to announce it has received the 2026 Higher Education Excellence and Distinction (HEED) from Insight Into Academia magazine.

This marks the fourth year in a row ACOM has earned this prestigious distinction from the oldest and largest national publication that is focused on best practices in higher education. The HEED Award recognizes U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to academic excellence, belonging and community building across all levels of campus life. ACOM will be featured, along with 60 other recipients, in the magazine’s October 2026 issue.

“At ACOM, our InSPIRED core values are not just ideals; they are actions we choose every day,” said Susie S. White, MA, institutional values officer at ACOM. “This recognition reflects our commitment to fostering a campus culture where integrity, service, passion, innovation, respect, excellence, and diversity guide everything we do. We are honored to receive the HEED Award, and we remain dedicated to creating an environment where every student, employee and community partner can thrive.

“We use a detailed scoring process as well as a holistic approach to reviewing each application to determine who will be named a HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high, and we look for institutions where academic excellence and belonging are woven into the work being done every day across their campus,” says Lenore Pearlstein, Co-Publisher of Insight Into Academia magazine.

For more information about ACOM, visit www.acom.edu.