Two Hub doctors to receive Dimock’s prestigious Mahoney Community Service Award

On May 11, Dimock Community Health Center will present the Mary Eliza Mahoney Community Service Award to two of Boston’s outstanding doctors: Dr. JudyAnn Bigby and Dr. Paul Mendis. The doctors will be honored during Dimock’s annual women’s health forum, entitled “Body and Soul: The Wellness Connection.”

The award was created in honor of Mary Eliza Mahoney, America’s first professional African American nurse and also the first African American nurse to enroll at the New England Hospital for Women and Children, Dimock’s predecessor. Mahoney graduated in 1879, 16 years after the enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Born in Roxbury in 1845, Mahoney was the eldest of three children of Charles and Mary Jane (Stewart) Mahoney, who migrated to Massachusetts from North Carolina. The first two decades of her life were filled with national turmoil and change: civil war, freedom for slaves and women’s rights all occurring during her coming of age.

Mahoney was an active member of her alumni association, Chi Eta Phi, and of the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses (NACGN). Founded in New York in 1908, the NACGN proposed to advance the standards and best interests of trained nurses, to break down discrimination in the nursing profession and to develop leadership within the ranks of African American nurses.

During the NACGN’s first convention in 1908, Mahoney was made an honorary lifetime member and given the title of Chaplain. In addressing the convention, Mahoney noted improvements in the opportunities for African American women in nursing. She went on to praise the acceptance of African American students at the New England Hospital for Women and Children, saying, “My hospital wasn’t so selfish.”

Mahoney’s outstanding career and dedication to nursing earned her strong admiration in the Boston area and paved the way for the professionalization of African American nurses throughout the nation. She died of breast cancer in 1926 at the age of 80 at the New England Hospital for Women and Children.

This award is Dimock’s most prestigious honor, given in appreciation of outstanding community service and advocacy. The illustrious group of previous recipients includes Angela Menino, Nancy Wilson, Victoria Rowell, Bishop Nellie Yarborough, Ruth Batson, David Sacher, Maya Angelou, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, Maxine Waters and Denise Kaigler. This year’s honorees fit that tradition hand in glove.

Dr. JudyAnn Bigby, who currently serves as secretary of health and human services for the Commonwealth, was chosen to receive the award because of her career addressing health care disparities and the needs of disadvantaged populations. She has published a number of studies and participated in conferences across the country related to these issues. She also edited a book about how health issues present themselves in different racial, ethnic and cultural populations. Bigby is nationally recognized for her pioneering work in substance abuse education for primary care physicians.

Dr. Paul Mendis, chief medical officer for Neighborhood Health Plan, was selected to receive the award as a result of his work in the health care industry. Prior to joining NHP in 1999, he served as medical director for First Seniority, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care’s Medicare + Choice program, serving elderly and disabled patients in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire.

“Dimock is pleased to recognize these two exemplary physicians for their dedication and commitment to public health and community service,” said Ruth Ellen Fitch, president and CEO of Dimock Community Health Center.