East Providence Woman Awarded $50,000 Murray Family Prize

EAST PROVIDENCE, RI—The executive director of the Rhode Island Free Clinic in Providence has been awarded the 2020 Murray Family Prize for Community Enrichment at the Rhode Island Foundation.

Rumford resident Marie Ghazal, who has been executive director of the clinic since 2010, received $50,000 in recognition of her commitment to helping Rhode Islanders with cultural and language barriers and economic challenges obtain affordable health care, said a Rhode Island Foundation press release.

“Marie’s passionate commitment to serving the community around her is an inspiring standard for others to follow. We take enormous pride in honoring her for her drive and her achievements,” said Paula McNamara, daughter of Terrence and Suzanne Murray, in a statement. Along with her family, McNamara established the Murray Family Prize for Community Enrichment in 2017.

During her time at the Rhode Island Free Clinic, Ghazal has expanded access to health care, dental care, specialty services, and training, providing 10,000 patient visits annually and opening a COVID-19 test site this year. She has also secured partnerships with CVS Health, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, Amica, and many others.

“I have dedicated my nursing public health career to increasing access to health care for those in need. I am deeply honored to be recognized by the Murray Family for the impact my work has made in addressing inequalities in health care in our state, especially in our minority and underserved communities,” said Ghazal in a statement.

“What could be a better purpose in one’s life than working with R.I. Free Clinic staff, volunteers, donors and partners who are so deeply committed to our mission and making someone’s life happier and healthier?” she continued.

Ghazal serves on the Rhode Island Action Coalition’s Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action and has also served at Providence Community Health Centers, Blackstone Valley Community Action Program, Central Falls Health Center, and the Pawtucket Heart Health Program, according to the Rhode Island Foundation.

“It is important to celebrate the positive contributions of Rhode Islanders like Marie who are striving diligently and humbly to serve others,” said the Rhode Island Foundation's president and CEO Neil D. Steinberg in a press release. “We are grateful to the Murray family for honoring the remarkable leaders whose dedication improves the lives of those around them and provides hope.”

The previous recipients of the Murray Family Prize for Community Enrichment were Rob DeBlois, founder of the UCAP School in Providence, Joe Garlick, executive director of NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley in Woonsocket, and Eileen Hayes, executive director of Amos House in Providence.

The Rhode Island Foundation is the state's community foundation and largest funder of nonprofit organizations, according to their website. Working with partners and donors, the foundation has raised $47 million and awarded $56 million in grants to nonprofit organizations

For more information, visit rifoundation.org.