Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center (MWCHC), Nashville’s oldest nonprofit community health center, will host its 2026 Dr. Matthew Walker, Sr. Legacy Breakfast, ‘The Road Ahead: Fueling the Future of Community Health,’ on Thursday, Aug. 13, at 6 pm at the Cal Turner Family Center at Meharry Medical College, 1011 21st Ave. N.
The annual event celebrates the legacy of Dr. Matthew Walker, Sr., while raising funds to expand MWCHC’s mobile health program, which delivers medical services to underserved communities throughout Nashville, Clarksville, and Smyrna. All proceeds from attendee donations will support the health center’s programs and services.
This year’s Dr. Matthew Walker, Sr. Legacy Award will be presented to Dr. Artmas L. Worthy in recognition of his decades of service to the Nashville community. Dr. Worthy has provided housing assistance for students, established scholarship opportunities at Meharry Medical College and Clark Memorial United Methodist Church, and endowed a scholarship at Meharry in 2014.
For more than 40 years, Dr. Worthy has also provided free dental care to many elderly residents and individuals living on fixed incomes. During nearly three decades at MWCHC, he served as a general dentist, associate dentist, and dental director while helping secure the land for the health center’s current Jefferson Street campus.
The Michelle B. Marrs Advocacy Award will be presented to the Brentwood (Tenn.) Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. for its ongoing efforts to improve health and wellness throughout Middle Tennessee, particularly through initiatives addressing food insecurity. The chapter has partnered with organizations including MWCHC, Metro Nashville Public Schools, and the YWCA to serve students and families across the region.
“We will once again gather as a community to recognize Dr. Walker’s remarkable legacy,” said Katina Beard, CEO of MWCHC. “Expanding our mobile health services allows us to intentionally reach people who otherwise might not have access to healthcare.”
Funds raised through the Legacy Breakfast will help expand MWCHC’s mobile unit, which provides comprehensive medical services to individuals facing transportation challenges, financial hardship, limited mobility, and other barriers to care. Like the organization’s permanent clinics, the mobile unit serves patients regardless of their ability to pay.
Dr. Matthew Walker, Sr. founded the health center in 1968, originally as the Meharry Neighborhood Health Center, after securing federal funding to bring comprehensive healthcare to North Nashville. A nationally respected surgeon and educator, Walker chaired Meharry Medical College’s Department of Surgery from 1945 to 1973 and, by the time of his death in 1978, had trained more than half of the Black surgeons practicing in the United States.
The Michelle B. Marrs Advocacy Award honors the former MWCHC CEO, who led the organization from 1998 until her death in 2005. During her tenure, she oversaw construction of the organization’s Nashville facility and laid the groundwork for future expansion. MWCHC later opened clinics in Clarksville in 2008 and Smyrna in 2010, extending its mission beyond Nashville.
The event’s Visionary Sponsors are HCA Healthcare/TriStar Health, Enchiridion Foundation, Boykin Wealth Management, and the Jack and Jill of America Williamson County Area Chapter. Additional sponsors include Acumen Technology, Vanderbilt Health, Wellpoint, Equality Health, Forvis Mazars, Meharry Medical College, Mount Zion Baptist Church, Spire Energy, and Zing Health.
Event Information
Dr. Matthew Walker, Sr. Legacy Breakfast
Thursday, Aug. 13, 6 pm
Cal Turner Family Center at Meharry Medical College
1011 21st Ave. N.
Nashville, Tenn. 37208
Registration and donation information is available through Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center.
