Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has without a doubt been an inspiration to me in both my personal and professional life. When it comes to Texas Children’s, I would like to believe that he would be proud of the impact we’ve made in the communities we serve and that he would also stand behind our mission and vision.
As I reflect on the impact Texas Children’s has made since our inception in 1954, I remain immensely proud of the rich and groundbreaking history this organization was founded upon — a promise to take care of all children — no matter their color, race or ethnicity, and regardless of their ability to pay.
How incredible is it that in a time when our nation was divided and heartbreaking prejudices were something of the ordinary, our founders set forth the giving, welcoming and sturdy foundation that we have today.
My favorite quote by Dr. King is “the time is always right to do what is right.” I truly believe that our founders knew it was the right time to do what was right when they came together to develop Texas Children’s Hospital nearly 70 years ago.
One of the many ways we built upon the incredible legacy they created was when we opened our very first Houston-area Community Cares site in 2000. This program, which now has multiple locations throughout the Houston area, was created so that all children and women can access high-quality health care where they need it most — in their communities. I’m so proud that we have also expanded this program to the Austin area when we opened the Jodie Lee Jiles Community Health Center in 2021.
My dream from the very beginning has always been that every child has access to preventative care, primary care and hospitalization when necessary. No one, especially a child, should go without care due to a lack of insurance or because of a family’s financial hardships.
Because of all of you, I have watched my dream become a reality in more ways than one and that is a blessing I will never take for granted.
Every decision we’ve made at Texas Children’s has been because it was the right time to do what is right, and I promise that this will remain the guiding principle throughout our continued growth together.
As we prepare to enter this holiday weekend where we celebrate the remarkable Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I invite you to think about a dream that you have for 2023. Think about the impact you can make on your community and the world around you over the next 12 months, and let’s honor Dr. King by never forgetting that life-changing legacies often start with one dream.