Title
Honoring Dr. Walter P. Lomax, Jr., for a Lifetime of Achievements in Philanthropic Giving Including Generous Support of African-American Causes in the Arts, Culture, Health and Education.
Body
WHEREAS, Dr. Walter P. Lomax, Jr., was born and raised in Philadelphia, where he attended Smith Elementary School, Barrett Junior High and Central High School, graduating at the age of 16; and
WHEREAS, He continued his education at LaSalle University and the Hahnemann Medical College; and
WHEREAS, He opened his medical practice in South Philadelphia in 1958 and eventually became a pioneer in the managed healthcare industry, founding several healthcare providers including Correctional Healthcare Solutions, Inc., with operations in sixteen states and sixty correctional institutions and Healthcare Management Alternatives, Inc., which managed delivery of healthcare services to some eighty-thousand Medicaid recipients in South and West Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Lomax was quoted as saying that, I had some of the best patients in the world. The business of medicine has been as rewarding as the practice of medicine,; and
WHEREAS, His professional affiliations have included such distinguished institutions as the Pennsylvania and Graduate Hospitals and teaching on the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; and
WHEREAS, During a lifetime of hard work and ingenuity, Dr. Lomax has grown his once small medical practice into the Lomax Companies including: Workers Comp Management, Inc.; LEVAS, Inc., which publishes HealthQuest: The Publication of Black Wellness; and InfoTech Services, Inc., which develops software for managed care providers; and
WHEREAS, His accomplishments in medicine and business are exceeded only by his philanthropic giving including generous support of African-American causes in the arts, culture, health and education, including a scholarship program in his parents' name, to benefit African-American medical students attending Hahnemann University; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Lomax's generosity includes financial assistance to African-American owned small businesses, about which he stated, If I like their values, I'd support them because I know how difficult it is to be successful if you need money and can't get it,; and
WHEREAS, Economic empowerment for African-Americans is a core value of Dr. Lomax as embodied in remarks he made in a recent interview: I see the major issue for the African-American community as economic injustice. For too long, Blacks have been a permanent underclass. We need economic empowerment as the foundation for growth and survival. Too many have believed that a political base leads to an economic power base; however, it is the other way around! For some, there's been a lack of real education which encompasses a respect for living
, learning skills and having self-love; and
WHEREAS, After a lifetime of personal achievement and providing help to others, in April of this year, Dr. Lomax received the honorary degree of Doctor of Science from Neumann University, in recognition of his substantial accomplishments as a pioneer in the healthcare industry, a role model for aspiring entrepreneurs and a community leader; now therefore, be it,
RESOLVED, THAT THE PHILADELPHIA CITY COUNCIL, Honors Dr. Walter P. Lomax, Jr., for a Lifetime of Achievements in Philanthropic Giving Including Generous Support of African-American Causes in the Arts, Culture, Health and Education.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be Presented to him as a Sincere Expression of this Council's Appreciation for his Contributions to the City of Philadelphia and its Citizens.
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