Mr. Hart is well known throughout the Treasure Coast and the state of Florida as a passionate community advocate, having been instrumental in the origination of the Gifford Progressive Civic League and founding the Indian River County branch of the NAACP in the early 1960’s. Hailing originally from Cat Island in the Bahamas, Mr. Hart strongly believes in the importance of every person having equal access and opportunity. After he became a US Citizen, this belief led to many decades of working to improve the lives of others.
In September of 1983, his quest led him to join the Board of Directors for FCHC, a private nonprofit healthcare organization with the mission of providing high quality, cost effective primary and specialty health care for all people. As a patient representative on the Board, Mr. Hart’s perspective helped to shape the organization’s vision. During his tenure, FCHC has grown from 5 locations to fifteen locations surrounding Lake Okeechobee serving approximately 56,000 patients annually. The spectrum of services has increased from adult and pediatric primary to care include a wide variety of health care and support services. No one is turned away due to lack of finances. Mr. Hart’s advocacy to obtain resources to provide health care to underserved populations has even taken him to the halls of Congress in order to speak with legislators about the critical importance of making health care accessible to everyone. Wilhelmina Lewis, MD, CEO of Florida Community Health Centers stated, “Mr. Victor Hart, Sr. is a legend in our organization and community. His tireless service and advocacy on behalf of our patients has enabled us to touch and save many lives through the healthcare we provide. We could not have been blessed with a more humble or dedicated person and we are eternally grateful for his contributions to FCHC.”
While Mr. Hart will be recognized during his final board meeting on July 15th, FCHC also plans to celebrate “Victor Hart, Sr. Day ” on September 2nd, during the month in which he first joined the board. At that time a patient exam room, in the Health Center location he represented, will also be named in his honor.
