WHEREAS, Frederick Douglass Memorial Hospital was founded in 1895 as an institution dedicated to serving Black Philadelphians during an era of racial segregation and exclusion from mainstream medical facilities; and
WHEREAS, Mercy-Douglass Hospital was founded by Nathan Francis Mossell, a pioneering physician, civil rights advocate, and the first African American graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; and
WHEREAS, After over 50 years of service and expansion, Frederick Douglass Memorial Hospital merged with Mercy Hospital to form Mercy-Douglass Hospital, which operated from 1948 to 1973; and
WHEREAS, Mercy-Douglass Hospital stood as the first Black hospital in Philadelphia and the second Black hospital in the United States, created to provide high-quality medical care, professional training, and dignified treatment to African American patients who were systematically denied access to equitable health services; and
WHEREAS, Mercy-Douglass Hospital played a critical role in educating and training generations of Black physicians, nurses, and health professionals through its School of Nursing, thereby expanding opportunities for Black excellence and leadership in the medical field; and
WHEREAS, Mercy-Douglass Hospital was instrumental in addressing health disparities and advocating for patient-centered care, laying the foundation for modern efforts to promote health equity, culturally competent medicine, and community-based health services; and
WHEREAS, The hospital’s legacy reflects the resilience, determination, and collective action of Black Philadelphians who built institutions to protect and uplift their communities in the face of systemic barriers; and
WHEREAS, Despite its closure in 1973, the impact of Mercy-Douglass Hospital continues to be felt through the professionals it trained, the patients it served, and the standards of care it established; and
WHEREAS, Preserving and honoring the history of Mercy-Douglass Hospital and the legacy of its illustrious founder Dr. Nathan Francis Mossell, is essential to understanding Philadelphia’s medical heritage and to inspiring future generations to pursue equity, service, and excellence in health care; and
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby honors and commemorates Dr. Nathan Francis Mossell, the first Black graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and founder of Mercy-Douglass Hospital- the first Black hospital in Philadelphia and the second in the nation, and recognizes the profound contributions to medical education and community health of both the institution and its founder, and affirms the enduring role of this history in advancing health equity and opportunity for all
Philadelphians.
End