FAVORITE SISTER IN LAW’S HOUSE. THAT JUST HAPPENS TO BE A DOCTOR. SO YOU GOT TO LOVE THEM AND THEY TAKE CARE OF YOU. AND THAT’S HOW I FEEL ABOUT THIS PLACE. PRIMARY CARE DOESN’T START OR STOP WITH THE PRESCRIPTION. A PATIENT FIRST MINDSET PAIRED WITH THE PROMISE ARE JUST TWO REASONS. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE HEADING TO A HISTORICALLY BLACK COMMUNITY IN MARION COUNTY FOR THE MEDICAL CARE THEY NEED. WESH 2’S SUMMER KNOWLES TAKES US TO WEST OCALA’S ESTELLA BYRD WHITMAN COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER, WHERE FOUNDERS ARTHUR AND CAROLYN ADAMS AND CO FOUNDER DOCTOR PAMELA LEWIN CREATED A LIVING LEGACY. READY, MISS JANICE. SO WE’LL SEE YOU BACK IN ABOUT A WEEK. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO VERY KINDLY. WHAT STARTED AS A PROMISE BY FOUNDER CAROLYN ADAMS TO HER DYING GRANDMOTHER IN 1972. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU LADIES HAVE A GOOD DAY. IS NOW A THRIVING COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER. THE ESTELLA BYRD WHITMAN HEALTH CENTER, NESTLED IN THE HISTORIC TUCKER HILL NEIGHBORHOOD IN OCALA. HER GRANDMOTHER DID NOT HAVE ACCESS TO CARE IN A TIMELY MANNER. AND ON HER DEATHBED, SHE PROMISED HER GRANDMOTHER THAT SHE WOULD RETURN TO THIS AREA AND HELP TO PROVIDE ACCESS FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO WERE UNDERSERVED. LAVONDA GOODSON IS THE CENTER’S CEO. WE REALLY DO FOCUS ON PRIMARY CARE. PRIMARY CARE REALLY IS ABOUT PUTTING THE PATIENT FIRST, FINDING OUT WHAT’S GOING ON WITH THEM AND THEN HELPING THEM ACHIEVE WHATEVER GOALS THEY’VE SET FOR THEMSELVES. WE REALLY WANT TO GET ON TOP OF MANAGING CHRONIC CONDITIONS, DIABETES, THYROID ISSUES, BLOOD PRESSURE ISSUES. IN 2023, THE CENTER SAW ROUGHLY 300 PATIENTS. THAT NUMBER JUMPED TO MORE THAN 2800 PATIENTS IN 2024. JANICE BOWERS WAS ONE OF THEM. EVERYBODY WHERE I WAS GOING OR TRYING TO GO WAS NOT ACCEPTING THE INSURANCE THAT I HAVE THAT I CARRY. SO THEY WERE THE ONLY ONES WITH OR WITHOUT INSURANCE, WHETHER THEY PAY IN FULL USE, A PAYMENT PLAN OR PAY NOTHING AT ALL. THE CENTER STILL PROVIDES THEM CARE. IF SOMEBODY JUST SAYS, TRULY, I DON’T KNOW IF I’M EVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO PAY YOU, THAT’S NOT GOING TO STOP US FROM PROVIDING THE CARE. YOU CAN’T REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE ELSEWHERE LIKE YOU CAN HERE. YOU DON’T HAVE RESOURCES FOR PEOPLE, AND PEOPLE DON’T HAVE INSURANCE. YOU DON’T HAVE INSURANCE. SORRY. HERE. IF YOU DON’T HAVE INSURANCE, WE TAKE CARE OF YOU BECAUSE WE WANT TO. I DON’T GO VERY FAR ALL AT ONCE. NURSE PRACTITIONER CAITLIN TELLO’S DILIGENCE RESULTED IN A CANCER DIAGNOSIS FOR ONE OF HER PATIENTS. THE ONLY TIME I WENT TO SEE A DOCTOR IS IF I WAS BLEEDING. SO FOR 46 YEARS, I DIDN’T SEE A DOCTOR. AND THE HOSPITAL GAVE ME THIS NUMBER. SHE SAW THINGS AND DID THINGS. YOU KNOW, LIKE THE BLOOD WORK AND IMMEDIATELY THE FIRST THING SHE DID AND SENT ME TO THE FOR THE BIOPSY AND BAM, I HAD CANCER. THESE PEOPLE DESERVE IT. EVERYONE DESERVES HEALTH CARE. AND THESE PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY ARE THE PEOPLE WHO NEED IT. WE TRY TO REMEMBER THAT IT’S A PRIVILEGE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN SOMEONE’S HEALTH CARE. SO EVERYBODY COMING THROUGH THE DOOR IS GOING TO GET TREATED AS THOUGH WE RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS A PRIVILEGE. THE PROFOUND PRIVILEGE TO PROUDLY PROVIDE PRIMARY CARE, ALL THANKS TO A PROMISE KEPT. IT’S KIND OF LIKE GOING TO YOUR FAVORITE SISTER IN LAW’S HOUSE THAT JUST HAPPENED TO BE A DOCTOR. SO YOU GOT TO LOVE THEM AND THEY TAKE CARE OF YOU. AND THAT’S HOW I FEEL ABOUT THIS PLACE. SUMMER KNOWLES WESH TWO NEWS. ESTELLA BERTA WHITMAN HEALTH CENTER IS ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS. WE WILL POST A LINK WIT
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Creating health access in a historically Black community in Marion County | Black History Month
Updated: 7:58 PM EST Feb 18, 2025
A promise made in 1972 by Carolyn Adams to her dying grandmother has blossomed into a thriving community health center, now known as the Estella Byrd Whitman Health Center, located in the historic Tucker Hill neighborhood of Ocala.Adams’ grandmother, who lacked timely access to healthcare, made a final request on her deathbed—she asked Adams to return to the area and help provide essential healthcare services to underserved populations. This promise led to the establishment of the center, which has since become a cornerstone of the community.LeVonda Goodson, the Center’s CEO, describes their mission: “We really do focus on primary care. Primary care is about putting the patient first, finding out what’s going on with them, and then helping them achieve whatever goals they’ve set for themselves.”In 2023, the Estella Byrd Whitman Health Center saw around 300 patients. By 2024, that number surged to over 2,800, reflecting the growing demand for accessible healthcare in the area. Many of the patients who now rely on the center for care, like Janice Bowers, struggled to find other healthcare providers who would accept their insurance. “Everybody where I was trying to go was not accepting the insurance I carry, so they were the only ones,” Bowers said.Whether or not a patient has insurance, the Center offers care without discrimination. Payment plans or no payment at all do not prevent patients from receiving treatment. Goodson emphasizes, “If somebody says, ‘I don’t know if I’m ever going to be able to pay you,’ that’s not going to stop us from providing care.”Nurse Practitioner Katelyn Tello echoes this sentiment: “Here, if you don’t have insurance, we take care of you because we want to.” Tello’s commitment to her patients recently led to a life-saving cancer diagnosis. One of her patients, who had not seen a doctor in 46 years, came in with a serious health concern. After observing troubling signs, Tello promptly ordered a biopsy, which revealed cancer. The patient, Thomas, said, “The only time I went to see a doctor was if I was bleeding. She saw things, did things, like the blood work, and immediately sent me for the biopsy and bam, I had cancer.”For Goodson and the team at the health center, providing care to the underserved is a privilege. “It’s a privilege for us to be able to participate in someone’s healthcare. So, everyone who comes through our door is treated as though we recognize that privilege.”The Center’s commitment to the community is evident in every aspect of its operations, where compassion is at the forefront of healthcare. Thomas reflects on the experience saying “it’s kind of like going to your favorite sister-in-law’s house. They just happen to be a doctor, so you got to love them, and they take care of you.”The Estella Byrd Whitman Health Center’s continued growth and success are a testament to Adams’ promise—a promise that is still being honored today, improving the lives of thousands of people in Ocala and beyond. To learn more or to see how you may be able to support the Estella Byrd Whitman community Health Center, visit: https://ebwchc.org/services/Find more information here.
A promise made in 1972 by Carolyn Adams to her dying grandmother has blossomed into a thriving community health center, now known as the Estella Byrd Whitman Health Center, located in the historic Tucker Hill neighborhood of Ocala.
Adams’ grandmother, who lacked timely access to healthcare, made a final request on her deathbed—she asked Adams to return to the area and help provide essential healthcare services to underserved populations. This promise led to the establishment of the center, which has since become a cornerstone of the community.
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LeVonda Goodson, the Center’s CEO, describes their mission: “We really do focus on primary care. Primary care is about putting the patient first, finding out what’s going on with them, and then helping them achieve whatever goals they’ve set for themselves.”
In 2023, the Estella Byrd Whitman Health Center saw around 300 patients. By 2024, that number surged to over 2,800, reflecting the growing demand for accessible healthcare in the area. Many of the patients who now rely on the center for care, like Janice Bowers, struggled to find other healthcare providers who would accept their insurance. “Everybody where I was trying to go was not accepting the insurance I carry, so they were the only ones,” Bowers said.
Whether or not a patient has insurance, the Center offers care without discrimination. Payment plans or no payment at all do not prevent patients from receiving treatment. Goodson emphasizes, “If somebody says, ‘I don’t know if I’m ever going to be able to pay you,’ that’s not going to stop us from providing care.”
Nurse Practitioner Katelyn Tello echoes this sentiment: “Here, if you don’t have insurance, we take care of you because we want to.” Tello’s commitment to her patients recently led to a life-saving cancer diagnosis. One of her patients, who had not seen a doctor in 46 years, came in with a serious health concern. After observing troubling signs, Tello promptly ordered a biopsy, which revealed cancer. The patient, Thomas, said, “The only time I went to see a doctor was if I was bleeding. She saw things, did things, like the blood work, and immediately sent me for the biopsy and bam, I had cancer.”
For Goodson and the team at the health center, providing care to the underserved is a privilege. “It’s a privilege for us to be able to participate in someone’s healthcare. So, everyone who comes through our door is treated as though we recognize that privilege.”
The Center’s commitment to the community is evident in every aspect of its operations, where compassion is at the forefront of healthcare. Thomas reflects on the experience saying “it’s kind of like going to your favorite sister-in-law’s house. They just happen to be a doctor, so you got to love them, and they take care of you.”
The Estella Byrd Whitman Health Center’s continued growth and success are a testament to Adams’ promise—a promise that is still being honored today, improving the lives of thousands of people in Ocala and beyond.
To learn more or to see how you may be able to support the Estella Byrd Whitman community Health Center, visit: https://ebwchc.org/services/
Find more information here.