Restoring dignity: The story of Orlando’s first Black hospital

Restoring dignity: The story of Orlando’s first Black hospital

ORLANDO, Fla. — In 1958, a pivotal chapter in Orlando’s health care history began with the opening of the Dr. P. Phillips Memorial Hospital. Built on land donated by Dr. P. Phillips and partially funded by the citrus magnate himself and the Florida Sanitarium (now AdventHealth), the facility became Orlando’s first hospital dedicated to serving the Black community during segregation. For 13 years, it provided essential acute care to a population that was excluded from receiving medical care alongside white patients.

"Dr. P. Phillips Memorial gave people dignity and access to much needed care" — Eloise Abrahams

“It’s hard to imagine now, but Black patients were only allowed in the basement of local hospitals at the time,” said Eloise Abrahams, executive director of Guardian Care, the nursing and rehabilitation center that the hospital evolved into. “The creation of Dr. P. Phillips Memorial gave people dignity and access to much-needed care.”

"The answer was clear: a hospital" — Ken Robinson

Phillips, known for his generosity and progressive thinking, asked his employees what the greatest need in their community was after selling his citrus business to Minute Maid. “The answer was clear: a hospital,” said Ken Robinson, president and CEO of The Dr. P. Phillips Foundation.

Recognizing the systemic barriers that Black residents faced in accessing quality health care, Phillips not only donated land but also played a key role in recruiting two Black physicians, Dr. J. Mark Cox and Dr. Henry Bookhardt, to Central Florida. To further support the community, medical offices were built next to the hospital, allowing the doctors to provide care directly to the community.

“My father, Dr. Cox, was a trailblazer” — Edith Busch

“My father, Dr. Cox, was a trailblazer,” said his daughter Edith Busch. “His surgical skills were renowned, and he often performed groundbreaking surgeries that made it into medical journals. Patients would pay him with whatever they had — vegetables from their garden, anything.”

“It wasn’t just about treating illness” — R. Steve Norman III

The hospital, located on South John Young Parkway at West Church Street, quickly became a cornerstone for the community. “It wasn’t just about treating illness,” said R. Steve Norman III, former communications director of the Southern Union Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, whose father served as the hospital’s first office manager. “The doctors and nurses cared deeply about their patients, educating them and serving as role models. This created a ripple effect of social consciousness.”

Norman, who witnessed the hospital’s ribbon-cutting as a child, reflected on its transformative impact. “Dr. Phillips was motivated by goodwill. He saw the discrimination and injustice and wanted to make a change,” he said.

"The hospital’s creation opened doors for African Americans" — Eloise Abrahams

Despite financial challenges that eventually led to its closure as a hospital in 1971, Dr. Cox remained committed to the facility, guiding it through its transition to Guardian Care. Today, Guardian Care continues to serve the community as a nursing and rehabilitation center, carrying forward the legacy of compassionate care and health equity.

“The hospital’s creation opened doors for African Americans to become not just patients, but health care professionals — administrators, nurses, and physicians,” Abrahams said. “It gave people opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t have had.”

Reflecting on the journey, Robinson emphasized the enduring importance of addressing health care inequities. “You have to go back to 1958 and recognize that creating this hospital was groundbreaking,” he said. “But today, health equity is still a challenge. Organizations like AdventHealth and Lift Orlando [a nonprofit dedicated to revitalizing the community surrounding Camping World Stadium] are helping bridge that gap by focusing on health care, nutrition, housing and education.”

The legacy of Dr. P. Phillips Memorial Hospital continues to inspire efforts to ensure equitable health care access for all. “As Martin Luther King Jr. said, ‘Of all forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane,’” Norman reminded.