Oral History Interview with Evelyn Schmidt, February 9, 1999. Interview K-0137. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007).
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Abstract
Dr. Evelyn Schmidt left the South after earning her undergraduate and medical degrees at Duke University, convinced that her liberal political views alienated her from a racially and economically polarized region. When she returned in the early 1970s to head the Durham Community Medical Center, she found a city transformed by desegregation, but with a new set of challenges posed by enduring poverty and an influx of new immigration. In this interview, Schmidt shares her beliefs about the importance of providing access to health care, the need for preventive medicine, her fears about a rising uninsured population, and the challenges of bilingualism. As she discusses these issues she describes not only her philosophy but also the needs of a changing community and the connections between race, class, nationality, and health.
Excerpts
Liberal political beliefs make Schmidt uncomfortable in the South
Lincoln Health Center's history and mission
Challenges posed by a rising Hispanic population in Durham
Importance of bilingualism at the Lincoln Health Center
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Subjects
Women physicians--North Carolina
Durham (N.C.)--Social conditions
Lincoln Health Center (Durham, N.C.)
Latin Americans--Medical care--North Carolina
African Americans--Medical care--North Carolina
Schmidt, Evelyn D.
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