CLEVELAND — A clinic that keeps Black women in mind celebrated its 3rd anniversary with the grand opening of a second location. Village of Healing was born out of concern for health care disparities experienced by Black women and children in Cuyahoga County.
“When I came here to Village of Healing it immediately changed my mind about healthcare altogether,” said patient Angel Jacobs.
Jacobs has been coming to Village of Healing since it opened three years ago in Euclid.
“They understood exactly what I was going through. And they talked to me in a way that allowed me to understand what I needed to do to get healthier, to get better and to maintain not only my health but my mental health,” Jacobs said.
Showing her gratitude, Jacobs celebrated the grand opening of their 2nd location in Cleveland’s Buckeye-Shaker community. Founder Dana Langford said 40% of their Euclid patients came from the area.
“The whole purpose of Village of Healing is access to culturally sensitive care. So if 40% of your patients are coming from one location, you need to take the care to them,” Langford said.
In three years, Village of Healing produced promising results for Black women and children, working to do their part in lowering local maternal and infant mortality rates.
"In 2024, 95% of the Black women that we cared for delivered after 37 weeks, which is a feat unfortunately for Black women. And it shouldn't be. It should be automatic, but we award it and we praise it. Our family nurse practitioner is simply amazing, Amber Black with her 98% hemoglobin, a 1c control that's just beyond what anybody could ever imagine. So, we're not just talking about what we're doing, but we're showing that we are the solution,” Langford said.
In both locations, the walls are filled with hope and culture.
“When you walk into the space you know that this was a space that was created for our community. From the picture of Africa on the wall to the colors that are throughout the suite. It's not the white, sterile hospital vibe that you get when you come in. The black face that you see at the front desk, all the way throughout the entire clinic and to the rooms being named after Black people and events in history,” Langford said.
According to Policy Matters Ohio, Black Ohioans are more likely to die from chronic diseases than their counterparts in other racial groups because they are less likely to have access to adequate care. This motivated Langford to expand in other areas of Northeast Ohio.
“Do we continue to watch our communities suffer? Do we continue to watch our communities die at much higher rates? Get sicker at much higher rates with no action plan in place? So, we have to do something now because there's no other option,” said Langford.
With the help of Youngstown city officials, Village of Healing will open its 3rd location in Youngstown at the end of 2025.
“They are laying the pavement of how this will be done as we continue to expand, because Youngstown won't be it either,” Langston said.
