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The nurse to a community

Greenwood residents mourn Willa L. Carson, who listened to their heartbeats and looked out for their care by getting a free health clinic.

By DEMORRIS A. LEE
Published April 19, 2006

	[Times file photo]
	Willa Livingston Carson, who died Friday at 80, didn't want the health clinic in North Greenwood named for her. But the retired nurse and community leader worked to get it built.

CLEARWATER - Arriving at Greenwood's community health center last month, Willa L. Carson had a problem. The name had changed.

Sure, she was the nurse who worked tirelessly to get the center off the ground for residents who were underinsured or lacked health insurance.

And yes, she was the one who traveled the community, going house to house at times, giving blood pressure checks or helping those who couldn't understand their prescriptions.

But none of that mattered.

Carson didn't want the center, 1108 N Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., to be named the Willa L. Carson Health Resource Center.

"She wanted the center to be about the health of the community, not about her," said John Hall, a case manager at the center. "But I was like, "Mrs. Carson, it's best to get your rewards so you can appreciate them."

"She was amazing," Hall said. "She knew everyone, and everyone knew her. She was one of those people who did anything for you, but no one knew about it."

The beloved community leader and staunch worker for the poor's health needs will be buried Thursday beside her husband of 57 years, Ernest Lee Carson, at Florida National Cemetery near Bushnell.

Because the grave site is two hours away and the burial must be at 2 p.m., Thursday's 11 a.m. funeral will last one hour and few people will be allowed to speak, said Mrs. Carson's only child, Ernestine Carson Heastie.

But because of the time constraint, Heastie said, people who want to share a few words about her mother can do so at today's 6 p.m. wake, also to be held at Mount Carmel Baptist Church, 1014 Pennsylvania Ave., Clearwater.

As a registered nurse, Mrs. Carson comforted and helped many in the community. But it's the Health Resource Center and the concerns of those who couldn't afford care that were the focus of Mrs. Carson's energy until her death.

Starting in two apartments in 1995, Mrs. Carson began offering care to those in the community who didn't have insurance or money. She would give blood pressure checks, handle coughs and sneezes and hold informational sessions about health issues.

"She wanted "Resource' to be in the (center's) name because we are not just a clinic," said Verna Evans, who will have worked at the center for seven years in July. "We are a resource center that helps people find what they need. We don't just send people to other places. We get on the phone and call for them. That's the way she (Mrs. Carson) wanted it. She wanted to help."

In 2001, Mrs. Carson worked to get money from the state that built the center, which has four examination rooms. The site on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue once housed a gas station. The state paid $200,000 for cleanup of underground storage tanks and contaminated soil. The state also shelled out an additional $320,000 for the new building.

"Mrs. Carson worked with legislators, not just for the local community, but to bring dollars to the Clearwater area," said Carrie Nero, director of minority health for Pinellas County Health Department. "Her dedication and commitment was to see that we got some of the dollars to build a facility that could be utilized by the poor and for those insured or not fully insured and those that had no insurance."

Because of a shortage of operating funds, the center is open only three days a week, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. Doctors and nurses volunteer their time to provide services, which are by appointment for patients who lack insurance. All work and advice are free.

Despite the short work week, center director Annie Tyrell said staff members saw 500 people during March. Many had jobs but not insurance, she said.

"I'm going to truly miss her (Mrs. Carson), and it was a privilege and an honor working with her," Tyrell said.

Mrs. Carson made her weekly visit to the center about two weeks ago, taking Tyrell to meet a Clearwater city official. Mrs. Carson was to meet with Tyrell again at 8:30 a.m. April 11, but Mrs. Carson didn't make the appointment.

"I gave her a call several days in a row, but she didn't call back," Tyrell said. "It wasn't like Mrs. Carson not to call back."

Sitting in the center's waiting room, Sandra White said Mrs. Carson and the center have been good for Greenwood.

"They are very good people," White said. "They helped me and my 12-year-old son. I just hope they can keep it open because they do help the people in this community."

White then looked up at a picture of Mrs. Carson that was in a newspaper article taped to the wall and said: "She's a good lady, and God bless her. She did her work here, and the Father is ready for her now."

Demorris A. Lee can be reached at dalee@sptimes.com or 727 445-4174.

A wake for Willa L. Carson is scheduled for 6 p.m. today at Mount Carmel Baptist Church, 1014 Pennsylvania Ave., Clearwater. A one-hour funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday at the church, followed by a burial at Florida National Cemetery near Bushnell.

[Last modified April 19, 2006, 01:58:13]