Black History Month - Mary Eliza Mahoney

As we continue with our celebration of Black healthcare workers, we want to commend Mary Eliza Mahoney, who was the first African American to become a licensed nurse in 1879. After completing the nursing program at the New England Hospital for Women and Children, Mahoney chose to enter the sector of private care.
She was a member of the American Nurses Association (ANA), which now bestows the Mary Mahoney Award annually for nursing excellence and advancement of integration in the industry. Mahoney co-founded the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses (NACGN) in 1908 to promote more diversity in nursing and actively recruit more minority members.
Her revolutionary contributions to the nursing profession are honored and memorialized in the medical field. Mahoney was inducted into the ANA Hall of Fame in 1976 and the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1993. These distinguished recognitions stand as testaments to her lasting memory and impact on the healthcare industry.