Harmony Healthcare Long Island and Darcy Petry have established scholarships in Memory of former Board Member and Darcy’s mom, Rosemarie C. Garcia, MD, – March 8, 1926 – January 8, 2023
Dr Guercia was a Board Member since 2013, and a lifetime advocate and champion for the uninsured and underserved.
Dr. Rose Guercia
Rosemarie C. Guercia graduated from New York Medical College in 1950, affiliated with Flower Fifth Avenue Hospital. After receiving her MD, Dr. Guercia did her training in NYC public hospitals in Pediatrics. Part of her training included clinician work at NYC Health Centers. After completing her training, she opened her first practice in Queens, NY, but kept working at NYC Health Centers in Pediatrics part time. After moving to Jericho, Long Island in 1956, she still to commuted to NYC 3 mornings a week to continue her work as a pediatrician on the lower East Side and in Jamaica Queens. After many years in NYC, she switched her work in Health Centers of Nassau County. She worked for Nassau County Health Department as a Pediatrician for many years, while still maintaining her own private practice in Jericho. At some point later, she was appointed director of one of the clinics and then the director of all the clinics. She loved this work so much, she decided to go back to school at night to get her MPH. Fast forward a few years and she was appointed Deputy Health Commissioner of Nassau County Health Department, worked with multiple Commissioners throughout her tenure at the Health Department. Her love for helping the underprivileged and getting them access to excellent health care became her professional life’s mission. Besides her responsibilities as Deputy Health Commissioner, she sat on many boards, usually 5 or 6 at a time.
Dr Guercia worked more than 30 years after she retired from the Nassau County Health Department, serving on more boards and committees and sub committees for many organizations. Even as recent as this past fall while in her local ER, just hours prior to getting her final diagnosis, she sat in her ER bed joining a board meeting remotely for Harmony Health Care Long Island.
Contribute to the Scholarship
Scholarships will be given in each of our high school health center locations, Roosevelt High School, Freeport High School, and Westbury High School. We are planning on two scholarships for each school. We will award the scholarships to students who are graduating seniors going into the health care field and they must show an impact/contribution to their communities.
If you would like to donate to the Harmony Healthcare Long Island Dr. Rose Guercia Memorial Scholarship, please click here.