Honoring the Passing of Dr. Janelle Goetcheus
Dr. Jessica Boyd's reflection on the passing of Dr. Goetcheus
It is with deep sadness that I share that Dr. Janelle Goetcheus – Unity’s founder, CMO Emeritus, and a force for health equity in DC – passed away Saturday evening surrounded by family.
Nearly 50 years ago, Dr. Goetcheus was so moved by the deep need for accessible care she witnessed during a family visit to DC, that she dropped everything to lay down roots and build a community of like-minded individuals to serve the District’s unhoused. Dr. Goetcheus dedicated her life to being a champion for the underserved and helped to grow the impact of Unity beyond those experiencing homelessness and has impacted the health of hundreds of thousands of people over the years. Even after she retired from administrative work, she continued to see patients until she was physically unable because she felt it was the best way for her to continue to contribute to this mission she loved so much.
Along her journey, she touched the lives of many of us here at Unity, our dear friends and colleagues at Christ House, and many Unity supporters. Many of our team members and partners have worked alongside Dr. Goetcheus for decades; and many others joined this movement along the way to provide accessible care to everyone regardless of their circumstances in the spirit of Dr. Goetcheus. She was simultaneously a lovely, compassionate person and a fierce and persistent advocate.
Just this past Friday night, at our Night of Unity Gala, we opened the program by honoring Dr. Goetcheus. When we began planning, we of course had hoped that she would be able to join us in person. While that became impossible, I’m so glad we had the opportunity to lift up her story and highlight her impact with so many of her closet colleagues and biggest admirers all in the same room together. Charles Barber, Dr. Jessie Barber’s son shared in his remarks,
“In many respects, Dr. Goetcheus is the embodiment of the teachings of the Bible verses in Mathew 25. Dr. Goetcheus, of course, is very familiar with these verses well, which I know since we have discussed them in the past. In these verses, the Lord speaks about When I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. And when the people asked Lord, when was it that we did all of these things for you? the answer given was Whatever you did for the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did for me.”
Dr. Goetcheus will be so dearly missed by so many. Her dedication led Unity to where we are today, and by walking in her footsteps, we can carry her legacy into the future.
