Councilor Enrique Pepén, who co-sponsored the initiative, emphasized the pressing health issues in Hyde Park, noting higher rates of diabetes and asthma compared to other neighborhoods. A resident and longtime advocate, Marcia Kim Jackson, expressed the community’s ongoing efforts since 2020 to secure a health center. She called on the council for immediate action, stating, “We, the residents of Hyde Park, respectfully are petitioning you… for your support and urgent action to fund and build a dedicated health center in Hyde Park.”

Dr. Nicole Christian Brathweight, a psychiatrist, highlighted the mental health challenges in the community, emphasizing the absence of local behavioral health support. Her personal experience with postpartum depression underscored the need for accessible mental health services. “There is no health without mental health,” she asserted, advocating for mental health integration into the proposed health center.

The lack of maternal health services was another focal point. Jessica Paulino, a community doula, shared her struggles with finding culturally competent care and noted the high infant mortality rate among Black and Latinx communities in Hyde Park. Her testimony called for local maternal health resources, stating, “It is why I think it’s important to have care right here in our communities… our lives depend on this.”

The meeting also explored the logistical challenges residents face in accessing healthcare. One speaker highlighted the lengthy and complex commutes required to reach existing health facilities, particularly burdensome for the elderly and those with young children. The absence of a local health center exacerbates these difficulties, with residents often forced to travel significant distances for basic medical care.

A $1 million state amendment, passed by a senator as part of an economic development bill, offers hope for Hyde Park. This funding is intended for acquiring space and conducting a feasibility study for a new health center. The historical context of healthcare in the community was also discussed, with references to Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler, the first Black woman to practice medicine in the United States, who worked in Hyde Park during the Civil War. This legacy was cited as a compelling reason for establishing a new health center in the neighborhood.

Speakers at the meeting envisioned a prominent, multi-story health center equipped with comprehensive services, including mental health, maternal health, pediatrics, and fitness facilities. They stressed the importance of culturally competent care, calling for healthcare providers who reflect the community’s racial and cultural diversity.

Residents emphasized the need for the health center to be rooted in the community’s needs and desires, with local voices playing a central role in its operation. There were multiple references to creating partnerships with established healthcare providers and leveraging local resources to expedite the process.

Council members acknowledged the challenges posed by transportation and healthcare access in Hyde Park, describing the neighborhood as both a “transportation desert” and a “health desert.” The closure of local hospitals, such as the Carney hospital, has increased pressure on neighborhood health centers, which struggle to meet the demand.

Public health officials and community members expressed a commitment to improving healthcare access in Hyde Park, recognizing the financial and logistical hurdles ahead. A director from the Boston Public Health Commission highlighted the role of community health centers in advancing health equity and outlined initiatives to address healthcare needs, including maternal health and asthma management programs.