When we set out to develop a logo for the Office of Cultural Enhancement & Diversity, we wanted something that would represent the spectrum of people our office serves while incorporating an image related to health care.
Accomplishing this was not an easy task - but it was a rewarding one. After a seemingly endless cycle of brainstorming concepts, rejecting some and developing others, we believe we came up with an image that captures the spirit and commitment of our office.
We decided to feature an image of a hand for two reasons. First, regardless of a person’s nationality, gender, race, sexual orientation, age or countless other ways in which we differ, we are all human beings. The hand symbolizes the fundamental sameness in us all.
It also represents the healing hands of medicine. Whether it is the skilled hand of a surgeon or the gentle touch of a primary care physician during a physical examination, a physician’s competent and compassionate hands serve as a conduit for care.
An image representing a portion of the world was incorporated into the logo to represent the wide range of cultures, religion and other belief/value systems that exist throughout humanity. We thought about making the circle part of the logo a globe but thought it was more appropriate to incorporate the world with the hand since our beliefs and value systems are very much a part of who we are.
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The University of Kansas Medical Center