Public Health Updates as of 2/25/2026

To keep the community updated on public health developments, the Cambridge Public Health Department will provide regular updates on its website and in this dedicated space in the city’s daily email. Look for a recap of important public health information every other week.

Black History Month

As Black History Month comes to a close, the health department celebrates inspirational Black public health pioneers with Cambridge connections. Read about Estelle Paris (below), a nurse practitioner who dedicated her life to improving the health of Cambridge’s most vulnerable residents; Takako Salvi, the first Black student at Cambridge City Hospital’s School of Nursing; Emory James Clark, the first African American to own and operate a pharmacy in Cambridge; and Dr. Mary Crutchfield Wright Thompson, the first Black woman to practice dentistry in the Boston area, including serving as the Cambridge Public School dentist. 

Estelle Paris

Estelle W. Paris was a nurse practitioner who dedicated her life to improving the health of the Cambridge community, revolutionizing the quality of care delivered in Cambridge and beyond, especially for the city’s most vulnerable residents. 

Estelle graduated from the Boston City Hospital School of Nursing and began her career with the Visiting Nurses Association, later working at Mount Auburn Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, Boston City Hospital’s Family Health Center, and Mount Auburn’s Coronary Care Unit. Estelle participated in one of the first Nurse practitioner programs in the country, an initiative of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. As a Nurse Practitioner, Estelle helped establish the Intensive Care Unit at the Cambridge Hospital and then the Riverside Health Center (since closed and merged with the Windsor Street Health Center). She later became the Nurse Manager for all neighborhood health clinics in Cambridge. A member of the Cambridge Health Policy Board, Estelle was a vocal advocate for what is now referred to as “population health.”

In 1993, the Cambridge Hospital won the prestigious Foster McGaw Prize, which recognizes hospitals that have distinguished themselves through efforts to improve the health and well-being of everyone in their communities. Cambridge’s network of neighborhood clinics was the innovation that won the recognition of the judges. The prize included a substantial cash award that was matched by the City of Cambridge to establish the Cambridge Hospital – Estelle Paris Scholarship Fund. This fund, which honors Estelle’s commitment to providing care to all of Cambridge’s residents, exists to this day and supports both Cambridge Rindge and Latin students entering the nursing field and Cambridge Health Alliance nurses pursuing advanced degrees. 

Over the course of her career, Estelle Paris played an influential role in the growth of the Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) system from the Cambridge City Hospital to a premier  award-winning and nationally recognized healthcare system. In addition to serving on CHA’s Health Policy Board, Estelle served on the CHA Governing Board; Cambridge Men of Color Health Task Force; Women’s Health Task Force; Friends of Neville Manor; and the Neville Manor Governing Board. Estelle was honored by the Cambridge YWCA’s Tribute to Women. She was also the first recipient of the Massachusetts Hospital Association’s Trustee Excellence in Leadership Award, which recognized her legacy for ensuring quality health care for the community, especially its most vulnerable and marginalized residents.