FHC Honors Moses Walker, Co-Founder and Healthcare Champion

Family Health Center today issued the following statement on the passing of Moses L. Walker, co-founder of the clinic and an advocate for all people to have access to quality healthcare:

Family Health Center’s Board, leadership and staff together mourn the loss of Moses L. Walker, who passed away on Jan. 16. He was a loyal and dedicated champion of FHC and its mission for 49 years, unwavering in his commitment to ensure that all people in our community have proper access to quality healthcare.

A lifelong resident of the Northside neighborhood, Mr. Walker spent his life advocating for historically underserved and uninsured people. He worked tirelessly with colleagues and neighbors to ensure that FHC will remain the strong and vibrant organization it is today. His vision and advocacy helped create state-of-the-art healthcare facilities serving vulnerable people in the Kalamazoo area, with special emphasis on those in the Northside (117 W. Paterson St.) and Southside (505 E. Alcott St.) neighborhoods.

FHC President and CEO Denise Crawford said, “Mr. Walker will be sorely missed by so many people he has helped. He had a way of making sure each of us expected just a little bit more excellence in our lives. He helped people feel valued by insisting that their care be top-notch. Mr. Walker inspired all of us at FHC to ensure his legacy continues. His vision and love for our community set the stage for FHC to ensure that no one is ever turned away for their inability to pay. He inspired us with his passion, making sure we care about each and every patient. Every person who ever met Mr. Walker left that encounter inspired or challenged to rethink things. We’re deeply saddened by his loss, and our hearts go out to his family at this time.”

Mr. Walker served as a member of the FHC Board of Directors since co-founding the clinic in 1971 and held many leadership roles, including Chairperson of the Board of Directors and Executive Director. In honor of his longtime service to the community, FHC named its flagship building at 117 W. Paterson Street the Moses L. Walker Building in 2017 (see top photo).

For more about Moses Walker, check out the recent news coverage from MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette:

Moses Walker reflects on decades of service (June 6, 2019)
Kalamazoo ‘legend’ and ‘visionary’ Moses Walker dies (Jan. 17, 2020)