Frederica Williams
Frederica M. Williams, MBA, FCIS (born 1958) has served as the president and CEO of Whittier Street Health Center in Boston, Massachusetts since 2002. Family background. Frederica Williams was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Her family belong to the Creole ethnic group in Sierra Leone. She is the third child of the late Matilda Effeh Williams, an entrepreneur and philanthropist, and Emeric A. Williams, Sr., deputy general manager of the Sierra Leone External Telecommunications. Education and career. Williams attended the London School of Accountancy, passed the examinations of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, United Kingdom, and  was elected fellow of the institute. She obtained a graduate certificate in administration and management from the Harvard University Extension School and a Master in Business Administration with a concentration in finance from Anna Maria College in Paxton, Massachusetts. She also passed the exams of the Institute of Administrative Management (UK) with distinction and has participated in several executive education programs at the Harvard University Business School. She moved from London, UK, to Boston in 1984 and worked at various hospitals until joining Whittier Street Health Center in February 2002 as president and CEO. In addition to fostering an environment  of proactive health care and energizing a community, Williams has brought sound financial stewardship to Whittier to ensure that the services and resources offered by Whittier will be available for generations to come. Since Williams began at Whittier, the number of people served increased from 5,000 to 25,000 in 2012, and is now close to 30,000 in 2018. Under Williams’ direction, Whittier has embarked upon a community outreach campaign, which has included hosting New England's largest men's health summit, making health care practitioners available at local houses of worship, and providing residents of public housing with on-site  access to health screenings. Under her leadership, the health center also built its first permanent 78,900-square foot, Silver LEED-certified health facility in 2012, with the capacity to provide 220,000 visits annually, and, in 2015, it inaugurated its innovative Health and Wellness Institute to help address chronic diseases in inner-city Boston and to provide affordable access to a state of the art exercise facility and community garden for thousands of residents and patients in need. In June 2017, Ms. Williams’ vision to have a second clinic in North Dorchester was realized. This clinic is located in a senior  housing building in a high need neighborhood. In 2018, Williams was recognized for her efforts to make the now nationally distinguished health center a reality, and honored by the WSHC Board of Directors who officially named the building “Frederica M. Williams Building” On this anniversary Williams is also being acknowledged for her other accomplishments at WSHC, which include opening a satellite clinic on Blue Hill Avenue in Roxbury, building a 6,600-square-foot fitness center at the Tremont location, the creation of a community garden, launching a mobile health van outreach initiative, a partnership with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute , and a men's health clinic. On December 6, 2019, the Patriot Vanguard of Sierra Leone proudly recognized Ms. Williams’ life mission, business and social justice leadership. On November 24, 2020, Harvard Extension School named Ms. Williams (C.S.S., '91) the recipient of its 2020 Dean Michael Shinagel Award for Service to Others, presented by the Harvard Extension Alumni Association. Barbara O’Reilly, director of the Alumni Awards, said: "Frederica Williams embodies exceptional leadership advancing social change in addressing health and economic disparities and social justice in the Greater Boston community." On February 20, 2021, Frederica M. Williams launched scholarship funds to  educate young children in Freetown, Sierra Leone. In December 2020, Frederica M. Williams was recognized for her tireless efforts in addressing social justice and health equity at all times, especially in times of crises during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under her leadership, Whittier Street Health Center expanded its range of services to include Mobile Health Services to remove barriers to care such as transportation, location, access and hours of work for essential workers. Whittier manages four Mobile Health Units that provides a wide range of services including Boston Public School-Based clinics, medication delivery, dental hygiene services, health screenings, primary care , behavioral health screenings, vision screenings, linkage and HIV Counseling and Testing. With the addition of Mobile Health Units, Whittier will be able to deliver an unprecedented level of care to our patients and be a constant presence within the underserved communities to improve access and health outcomes: Ms. Williams is credited for leading and implementing innovative, high-quality and affordable health care and social services to address health equity, social justice and the economic iniquities impacting low-income and Black, Indigenous and People of Color. On June 21, 2021, she led the 21st Annual Men's Health Summit to highlight  the high mortality rates of men, especially men of color. This 2021 theme “Men Take Action on Holistic Health and COVID-19: Physical, Mental & Economic Wellbeing,” was chosen not only to highlight the far reaching effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also to educate people about the importance holistic health plays in everyday life. In April 2020, former Mayor Marty Walsh appointed a group of BIPOC leaders to join the COVID-19 Health Inequities Task Force. Frederica M. Williams was one of the leaders tasked with developing strategies to address racism as a public health issues and recommendations to promote health equity  and social justice. In July 2021, the Boston Health Inequities Task Force released the Boston Health Equity Now Plan. The Health Equity Now Plan is only an initial step towards the long recovery from COVID-19. To reach the 8 goals, the plan provides 18 key recommendations that focus on acknowledging racism, creating educational and financial opportunities, and proactive community engagement. The full list of recommendations are detailed in the report. The Task Force urged leaders from all corners of Boston to take part in rebuilding a Boston free of racial and health inequities. These recommendations provide actionable steps to addressing  racism and health inequities. In March 2021, Williams headed the Public Health Sub-Committee of the project guiding Kim Janey's then-expected transition into the position of acting mayor of Boston. December 31st, 2021: Williams and Whittier was highlighted by Shirley Leung of the Boston Globe for the center's services to the homeless at Mass and Cass Blvd, a former tent city occupied by vulnerable residents including those suffering from mental illnesses, substance use disorders, and other chronic conditions. The Whittier outreach team provides services at several hotspots in Boston including Mass and Cass December 31st, 2021: First  Night Vaccination Clinic: Williams partnered with the City's Health department to host a popular First Night COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic to address vaccine hesitancy. This New Year's Eve clinic and all other pop-up clinics held various locations have significantly increase the vaccine equity. Memberships. Williams is a trustee of Eversource Energy (formerly Northeast Utilities), New England's largest energy provider in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. She is also a member of the board of trustees for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, Boston HealthNet, Women Business Leaders in Health Care, the Massachusetts  Women's Forum, and the International Women's Forum.