"The Haves vs. the Have Nots: In healthcare, does class matter?"

Dr. Gloria WilderBrathwaite
Medical Director, Mobile Health Programs at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

Raised by a single mother in a poor Brooklyn neighborhood, Dr. Gloria Wilder-Braithwaite grew up much like the children she treats today. Her community, Bedford Stuyvesent (better known as “Bed Sty, Do or Die” by its citizens), was a tough place to be as a child. A recipient of welfare, Medicaid and other forms of public assistance, Wilder-Braithwaite depended on a public clinic for medical care, an experience that left her traumatized. She remembers vividly the smells of urine and vomit that permeated the air in the clinic. She also recalls lining up with the other children in the room, all naked at the same time. These memories fueled her motivation to become a doctor. Initially thought to be autistic, Wilder-Braithwaite was, in fact, a gifted student. After graduating from the New York City public school system, she received a scholarship to Howard University, where she majored in microbiology and chemistry. She then earned her master’s degree in public health from George Washington University and her doctor of medicine degree from the Georgetown University School of Medicine. Today, she is the medical director of the Washington, D.C. Children’s Health Project, a mobile health care unit that provides pediatric care for almost 1,700 patients each year. In 2002, she received the “Use Your Life Award” from Oprah’s Angel Network, which recognizes organizations and individuals that are reaching out to others and making a difference.