The Estella Byrd Whitman Community Health Center (EBWCHC), founded in November 2009 by Carolyn Adams, Dr. Pamela Lewin and the late Arthur Adams, is named in honor of Carolyn Adams’ grandmother, Estella Byrd Whitman. The center’s goal is to fulfill a promise to create a medical home for the underserved community of Tucker Hill in northwest Ocala.
The center opened in 2018 and provides urgent care, referrals to dental providers, and assistance with Access Florida applications, among other services. In the last quarter of the year, the center hosted its first quarterly town hall meeting to engage with the community, discuss needs, and explore ways to overcome barriers to primary care access.
Under new leadership since January, the center has renewed its commitment to establishing a true medical home. This effort includes attending outreach events, renovating the modular home donated to the center, and rebuilding community relationships with essential care partners.
With the support of a volunteer provider, the center resumed patient services in February. Since then, the center has welcomed 427 new patients and completed over 1,200 office visits.