Bringing Health Services Straight to the People
First came the gritty Philadelphia neighborhood where she grew up.
Then on to the tough areas of Newark, New Jersey, where she delved into her lifes work.
And finally, to Los Angeleswhere a gem of an idea blossomed.
Early life and professional experiences gave Gloria McNeal a passion for health care, and serving the underserved.
Solutions to big issues, of course, dont come easily.
She began those efforts with mobile health van initiatives in Philadelphia and Newark.
We had to coax people to come into the van, McNeal says.
They didnt trust us right away.
Ideally, health services would be a destination within the community.
They would provide care in places clients already frequent.
In the citys Watts neighborhood, the average life expectancy is significantly lower than that of neighboring areas.
It was there that McNeal came up with the idea that transcended the mobile health service challenges.
Thus, good ideas build on good ideas.
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