The Dr. John H. Moran PCHC-College Unbound Scholarship

In 1973, Dr John H. Moran was the first physician to accept a full-time position at the Providence Ambulatory Health Foundation which later evolved into the Providence Community Health Center (PCHC). For forty-seven years, John was the pediatrician for generations of children and families who lived in the neighborhoods around Smith Hill. His desire to improve the health of the city's children paved the way for countless physicians to make their careers working in community health.

 

The Dr. John H. Moran PCHC - College Unbound (CU) Scholarship Fund honors the legacy of Dr. John H. Moran and his dedication to improving the health outcomes of his community in Providence. PCHC identifies high impact staff who are likely to advance in the organization but have not yet obtained college degrees. CU provides the Bachelor’s Degree necessary for long term professional advancement and key skills that transform the individual learner. By advancing the learning of PCHC staff to complete their Bachelor’s Degrees, we ensure that John’s lifelong pursuit of knowledge will continue to impact the community for generations to come.

John carried a passionate pursuit of knowledge into every aspect of his life. He was active in various social clubs from sailing, skiing, music, church and much more. He transposed symphonies in his spare time. Studied historical Naval battles. Hosted Brown University football tailgates, Super Bowl parties and countless staff dinners. Perhaps most emblematic of his dedication to lifelong learning came in the way he repeatedly sat for board exams in spite of the fact that he was board certified for life.

 

College Unbound (CU) is an innovative, accredited college with a mission to reinvent the higher education experience for underserved adult learners, using a student-driven model of rigorous and engaged scholarship. CU specializes in getting students on a path to a Bachelor’s degree, keeping them focused on that goal, and supporting them in every way necessary to achieve it while they work and raise families. Students meet in person and online in student cohorts that stay together and motivate each other through degree completion. Students are aged 17-61; 35% of students identify as Latinx, 27% as white, and 21% as African-American. 65% of students receive federal Pell Grants. 75% of CU's first independent class of students graduated within 3.5 years, and 94% have graduated to date.

 

Providence Community Health Centers provides affordable, quality, primary health care to meet the community’s medical needs. Providence Community Health Centers (PCHC) is a non-profit health care organization and the only Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Providence, Rhode Island. PCHC provides quality primary health care services that are affordable, comprehensive and culturally sensitive to more than 60,000 residents of Providence and its surrounding areas. In 2021, PCHC dedicated the new addition to its Capitol Hill health center in John Moran’s name. It is fitting as this is where he spent much of his career. PCHC has also established a memorial fund in Dr. Moran’s name with donations to be used to improve pediatric care.