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Dr. Gary Gross retires as Medical Director, ABCD Family Planning Boston

Thursday May 19, 2022

Dr. Gary Gross retires as Medical Director, ABCD Family Planning Boston

John J. Drew, President/CEO, Action for Boston Community Development, today congratulated Boston physician Gary L. Gross, M.D., for his courageous and effective leadership of programs that enable individuals of all economic means to have access to family planning and high-quality health care.

Dr. Gross retired on March 31 as medical director of ABCD Family Planning Services after serving in that position since 1981. Those critical ABCD services are funded in large part by the federal Title X Family Planning Program, dedicated to providing comprehensive family planning and related preventive health services. State funding also supports the program.

"We can't thank Dr. Gross enough for his tireless and outstanding work over the past 40 years to ensure that people in need throughout Boston area low-income communities receive access to the highest quality health services available, making a difference in reducing health care disparities in disadvantaged neighborhoods," said Drew. "He is a fighter for the underserved, a hero for the rights of women and families. He played a significant role in bringing Title X Family Planning services to Massachusetts, he unfailingly advocated for Family Planning at the state level, and he provided consistent and effective leadership to the program.". .


Joan Whitaker, former Director of ABCD Health Services, who worked with Dr. Gross for many years, applauded his effective efforts to attain and safeguard funding at federal and state levels for ongoing family planning services and his work to ensure high quality care for all. "He made sure that our thousands of clients received optimal care and that our health care professionals received the most up-to-date training available," she said. "His unflinching support for the program in difficult times, his exceptional expertise and judgment, coupled with his kindness, make him a valued colleague."

Dr. Gross said he is honored and humbled to be recognized by ABCD. "It was a privilege to work with ABCD's leadership for so many years — Bob Coard and John Drew — and key members of the health care team — Connie Carey, Mary Russell, Joan Whitaker, Deborah Dill, Christina Lombardo and Jessica Aguilera-Steinert as well as many others. All we accomplished was a true collaborative venture."

"It was earth-shaking at the time for ABCD to receive the first Title X grant for Family Planning Services in Massachusetts," Dr. Gross said. "And since then ABCD has continued and expanded those services to meet changing needs. ABCD has become one of the outstanding Title X grantees in the nation."

Dr. Gross also noted that in developing the initial Boston-area Title X proposal 55 years ago "It was our collective inspiration to embrace ABCD's role and participation in local communities characterized both by poverty and color and to establish family planning programs within the neighborhood health centers, sites that were staffed and led by people of the community."

Jessica Aguilera-Steinert, current ABCD Health Services Director, said that she is proud to be leading ABCD's outstanding Family Planning program and that Dr. Gross's legacy speaks for itself. "It's clear that ABCD Family Planning is a leader in providing health services to the individuals that depend upon them and Dr. Gross has made such a significant contribution to our program and to all those in the Boston area and beyond whom his work has touched," she said.

Dr. Gross received an ABCD Community Award at the 2005 ABCD Community Awards Dinner. ABCD plans to honor him again at a future event.