The Rev. Jeanette J. Phillips received a proclamation in her honor from the state Senate in recognition of her lifetime of service and pioneering contributions to community-based health care statewide.
The Senate proclamation, introduced in February, was presented to Phillips on Monday at the HRHCare Peekskill health center which bears her name – the HRHCare Jeanette J. Phillips Health Center.
In 1975, Rev. Phillips and three fellow Peekskill residents co-founded the Peekskill Area Ambulatory Health Center. The four "Founding Mothers" as they are known today launched the center to fulfill unmet health care needs of their community.
Forty-four years later, that single location in Peekskill has grown into Hudson River Health Care, the largest network of community health centers in New York state, providing services to more than 225,000 people annually in the Hudson Valley, Long Island and all five NYC boroughs.
Rev. Phillips is an icon of the Peekskill community. In addition to serving as the Executive Vice President of Community Development at HRHCare, she is an Associate Minister at Park Street African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and is deeply involved in Peekskill-area organizations that focus on youth development and education.
Sen. Harckham.said: “In her long, remarkably productive life, Rev. Jeanette Phillips has shown what it means to give back to your community. From her founding of HRHCare, to her serving the ministry, to her deep involvement with local youth and commitment to education, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who has made more of a difference in the lives of so many."
Peekskill Mayor Andre Rainey said: “Rev. Phillips is a testament to what is possible when you are committed to the well-being of your community. Words cannot express the gratitude the City of Peekskill feels for what Rev. Phillips has accomplished through her love of community and perseverance."
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