Original article sourced from News 5 Cleveland.
EUCLID, Ohio — This Valentine’s Day the Village of Healing Center will officially start taking in patients, delivering love through health care that’ll meet the social and cultural needs of Black women.
“We knew that there was a need for Black women to be heard and cared for in equitable health care,” said Co-founder of Village of Healing Center Da’na Langford.
According to a study done by City Lab, Cleveland is one of the worst cities for Black women to live in overall, also for health outcomes.
This is why Tenisha Gaines and Langford started the Village of Healing. The non-profit began back in 2019 when they did community programs but that’s when he noticed the greater need
“We decided to open the Village of Healing center with a focus of Black providers. Caring for Black patients to decrease real disparities, improve outcomes, and increase patient satisfaction,” said Langford.
Here they are years later taking in their first patients this Monday, where they ensure that every patient that walks in will feel comfortable and heard.
“If I walk into a Black provider to discuss my migraines or my high blood pressure, that Black doctor is going to empathize with me because of their own life experiences and experiencing racism and micro and macro aggression,” said Langford.
The center has three exam rooms, a wellness room that will have a mental health provider, a lab, and a nurse’s station. Along with groups and a list of services for pregnant women.
“We not only have our programming, but we have our clinics. So for pregnant and non-pregnant women, you’ll get your annual exams you can get your prenatal visits we have our group programming was centered around pregnancy,” said Gaines.
Also, they chose a location that would benefit their patients right in Euclid.
“So, we wanted to make sure it was visible. We have a lot of patients who don’t have vehicles so want to make sure we’re visible. We’re on the bus line so it’s easy to access for them,” said Gaines.
Gaines and Langford are excited for this new chapter and say it’s just one piece of overcoming racial disparities in America, especially for Black women.
“We are powerful in our own nature, but now it’s time that America starts to recognize that power and take some of this off of us. And if we can’t depend on America to do it, that’s what the Village of Healing centers here for. To relieve some of that stress and to say welcome, here’s our village and your village is going to be here to support you,” said Langford.
Adding that there are lots more to come.
“We are expanding through Cuyahoga County we are going to grow. Our next clinic will be pediatrics and then we’ll have in internal medicine primary care dentistry, mental health,” said Gaines.
At Village of Healing, they are open Monday through Friday and take all insurances.
