Ernest Gibson (l) with pharmacist Dele Agbogun

“Of the top 18 causes of death, African-Americans lead in 17 of them,” states Ernest Gibson, CEO of Riverside General Hospital (RGH). “And they’re tied for number 18. It is Riverside’s responsibility to address that issue.”

RGH assumed that responsibility in 1924 when it opened as The Houston Negro Hospital, the first full-service medical institution for black Houstonians. Mr. Gibson says, “J.S. Cullinan, the founder of Texaco, donated this hospital in honor of his son. as a lieutenant during World War I, Mr. Cullinan’s son led a platoon of black soldiers, and he spoke often to his father about their bravery and contribution. When his son died at an early age, Mr. Cullinan gave the hospital to the community as a tribute to him. He had a plaque made at Tiffany’s stating that this hospital was donated to the Negro Race in honor of John Halm Cullinan, with the mission of reducing sickness, disease and suffering and promoting self-help and good citizenship. Riverside has maintained that mission.”

Over the years, the hospital’s name changed, RGH’s client base grew to include all races and its service area expanded with the acquisition of two facilities in other low-income areas. For funding, however, the hospital continues to rely primarily on donations and government reimbursements for services. “We aren’t sponsored by a religious organization, and we don’t have a tax base,” explains Ms. Gibson. “When you come knocking at the door, we find out how we can help before asking for money.” RGH allocates more of its annual budget to charitable care than any other hospital in Texas. Most of the hospital’s patients are Medicaid and Medicare recipients and have little or no income to pay for health care services. Mr. Gibson points out, “We have the largest population of Medicaid patients of any hospital in Texas.”

RGH provides its low-income clientele with high-quality medical, surgical, psychiatric, gynecological and pediatric services. The hospital operates a fully equipped lab and pharmacy, and its 42-bed detox unit always is filled to capacity and includes a nursery to care for patients’ children. The hospital’s outstanding performance has earned a first-place rating and several commendations from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.

Unfortunately, heavy reliance on programs like Medicaid threatens to jeopardize this vital community institution, especially as government-funded programs are stretched thin by an aging population. To maintain the hospital’s financial health in the face of this challenge, Mr. Gibson has embarked on a development project to diversify and increase funding sources. The hospital’s first big fund-raising event is slated for Juneteenth (June 19th)—the day in 1865 when black Houstonians first heard about emancipation and the same date the Houston Hospital for Negroes first opened its doors in 1924.

Always aware of J.S. Cullinan’s intent, Mr. Gibson says, “African-Americans have come far, but it won’t make a difference if we’re dying out. It’s not going to make a difference if we’re in poor health. We’re the only race of people in the United States whose life expectancy is decreasing. That’s where Riverside comes in, and that’s why we fight so hard to keep it and make it grow.”

As he envisions the future, Mr. Gibson predicts, “One day Riverside will have a research center. It will have clinics that treat all major diseases, and what we learn will help save people in Houston, across the nation and around the world. That’s what Riverside can do, and that’s why Riverside is so important.”

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