Prism Health Morris and the Legacy of Community-Centered Care in Portland’s Albina District
Later this summer, Prism Health will open its second clinic location on N Morris St. Prism Health Morris is located in the Eliot neighborhood, a part of Portland’s historic Albina neighborhood. Along with Eliot, Albina also includes the modern neighborhoods Boise, Humboldt, Overlook and Piedmont.
The I-5 Rose Quarter1-5 Improvement Project names Albina as “the heart of Portland's Black community.” Racist housing practices, including redlining laws, meant that for a large portion of Portland’s history, Black people were barred from living in neighborhoods other than Albina. In the face of this discrimination, the Black residents of Albina created a close-knit, thriving community. A vibrant music scene, many Black-owned businesses, churches, arts centers and more emerged out of Albina. Dawson Park, which is located directly across the street from Prism Health Morris, is another of Albina’s important spaces that remains a vital hub of the community.
The building that houses Prism Health Morris has been a site of care for marginalized communities for decades. It was first owned by Dr. Walter Reynolds, renowned physician and the first Black person to graduate from the University of Oregon Medical School (now OHSU). In 1980, with Dr. Reynolds' support, Black Nurse Practitioners Mariah A. Taylor and Juretta Webb opened the first Black-owned community-based nurse practitioner clinic in the country. In recent years, the building housed the Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest (NARA)’s integrated health clinic, which provided culturally appropriate services to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and anyone in need.
According to Pew Research, 56% of Black adults report at least one negative experience with doctors or other health care providers at some point in their lives. Additionally, LGBTQ+ people of color are more likely to report discrimination of any kind than white LGBTQ+ people. Prism Health is excited by the opportunity to honor and continue the legacy of community care in the Albina neighborhood through expanding our services to communities that have faced barriers to accessing quality healthcare.
Learn more about the Albina neighborhood:
Visit the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project,
Watch this segment from KGW’s Black History Month programming
Listen to Dr. Karen J. Gibson’s presentation: “Portland’s Black Belt: Motives and Means in Albina Real Estate, 1940–1990.”
To learn more about Prism Health, and the new Prism Health Morris clinic, visit our FAQ page.