Worcester Business Journal

58 W o r c e s t e r 3 0 0 : C i t y o f I n n o v a t o r s 1922-2021 W orcester prides itself on the quality of its healthcare services. But equal access for all is and has been, elusive. Hand in hand with the country's civil rights struggles is equitable healthcare access for communi- ties of color, social class, and religion. In Worcester, the legacy of organizations helping to provide equal access runs more than a century deep. One of the first organizations in the city to help communities of color was the Home Association for Aged Colored People. Founded in 1898 by women members of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in Worcester, it was first known as the Wom- en's Progressive Club, based on Liberty Street. In 1909, it was renamed and moved to Parker Street. In 1952, funded by donations and grants, it moved into a bigger facility on Pleasant Street, serving up to 12 residents with a licensed nurse practitioner on duty. A Worcester Telegram article from 1933 describes the organization's motives, citing Ella Wilson, who was affiliated with the home and who served in vari- ous other organizations devoted to women of color at the time. e objectives of the women's clubs, she told the Telegram, was directed to the benefit of the race rather than the organizational group. In the 1960s, as civil rights protests grew stron- ger, awareness of the continuing need for equitable health care grew alongside. In the summer of 1964, civil rights activists working in the South helping Black people to vote, oen under threat of violence, were joined by medical providers to assist in their efforts. One of those providers, Jack Geiger, went on to found the first community health center in the country, located in Boston. Worcester quickly followed suit, with both the Family Health Center of Worcester and the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center founded in the city in 1972. Louis Brady, who has run the Family Health Cen- ter since 2019, says its work is ongoing. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and the mass protests that broke out over the killing of George Floyd, Brady said the center is committed to helping pro- vide education and employment training in commu- nities of color to help youth achieve future success. "We are bringing in local, traditionally margin- alized youth to be mentored and serve as interns within our organization, to learn what management and leadership skills look like," says Brady. "When you see a Black CEO, when you see a Latina nurse practitioner, it opens up your eyes to the possibility and opportunities, it creates that drive and desire to grow." – Alexander MacDougall Health care for all Worcester's leaders continue historic fight for health equity "We are bringing in local, traditionally marginalized youth to be mentored and serve as interns within our organization, to learn what management and leadership skills look like." -- Louis Brady Since coming to Worcester in 2019, Louis Brady has continued a 150- year tradition of providing healthcare to disadvantaged groups. PHOTO | WBJ FILE

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