Texas’ First Lady, Anita Perry supported the Riverside General Hospital, by serving as Honorary Chairperson for the June 19 Press Conference, Riverside Hospital and the Kickoff Luncheon at the Westin Galleria Hotel. Houston Riverside General Hospital, the Nation’s second oldest African-American run hospital conducted its fundraising event on June 19 to coincide with its 84th birthday.

Hospital Administrator Earnest Gibson, III said, “the Hospital was founded on Emancipation Day so it is more than fitting that we conduct a fundraiser on this historical day to try and put the hospital on sounder financial footing.” The hospital was established due to the magnanimous gift of the Late J.S. Cullinan. The Cullinan family continues to support Riverside General Hospital, morally, spiritually and financially, and attended the Luncheon with pride.
In order to make the fundraiser more successful, Gibson stated that the hospital reached out to one of its oldest friends, Texas First Lady. “Anita Perry was our friend when people were afraid to associate with us. She helped us get out the truth about what was occurring at Riverside, when there was so much negative information being disseminated throughout Houston and the State of Texas.”

Working with the First Lady are a number of distinguished community leaders, among them are; Attorney Guy Matthews, Attorney Dick DeGuerin, Judge Alvin Zimmerman and Dr. Edith Irby Jones, who serves as the Chief of Medical staff at Riverside. They have 1aunched a year long fundraising campaign including: Reception, August 21; Community Telethon, August 31; Luncheon, October, Achievers Award Ceremony/Banquet, February, 2003 and a Texas Style Black Tie gala - June 19, 2003.

Riverside General hospita1 is located in a number of sites around the City of Houston. It has 98 beds in its primary hospital facility, which is located in a federally designated medically underserved area, and another 450 beds in other satellite locations. The hospital is a full service community hospital: medical, surgical, psychiatric and pediatric services all included. The hospital also has one of the most comprehensive substance abuse programs in the nation, having twice been given the highest national awards for its efforts by two separate National Drug Czars.
Gibson says that “the hospital has the largest percentage of Medicaid patients of any hospital in the State of Texas, and according to the Attorney General, Riverside allocates the largest percentage of its budget to charitable care of any hospital in the State; this places a tremendous burden on the hospital’s finances, therefore there is a need to raise additiona1 funds in order that Riverside may hire the necessary doctors, nurses and other professional staff to care for those in need.

The Program Planning Committee consisted of Earnest Gibson, III, Administrator/CEO, Dr. Doris Jackson, Anjannette Wyatt-Johnson and a host of committee members and the fine staff at Riverside General Hospital.