David Spencer, the Centralized Transport Team Leader, oversees a department with 23 employees at St. Luke’s Hospital. He says he was “born and bred in New Bedford, lived a tough life and turned it around,” thanks in part to his career spent at the hospital where he was born.

“You could say I cut my teeth here,” said David, who has worked at St. Luke’s for more than 22 years.

Growing from a Safety Observation Sitter, to a Therapeutic Assistant and ultimately to a Mental Health Technician providing care for patients with mental health needs, David is known for his reliability, enthusiasm, patience and humanity. 

“I’ve gotten tons of great experience that most people don’t get to have” in a job he described as “suspenseful and eventful.” The work, along with his religious faith, taught him to treat everyone, regardless of circumstance, “with more compassion.”

A year ago, he was promoted to Team Leader of the Centralized Transport Team, which moves patients around the hospital for tests and treatment, a job he said he enjoys “because I have always been working to help people.”

As a person of color, David speaks with pride about St. Luke’s and Southcoast Health, which he said are fully committed to providing the best care to everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity or economic class.

“Southcoast is really invested in the community and trying to do the right thing. They treat people well and it isn’t always easy,” he said.

From community outreach to helping minority populations to “little acts of kindness” like staff speaking Creole or Portuguese to worried patients and their families, to welcoming posters spread throughout the hospital, Southcoast Health “cares about our community and everyone in it.”

Black History Month, celebrated each February, is a time of reflection for him. “American history is Black history. We built this country,” he says.

David also serves on the hospital’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council to help ensure that both employees and patients of color can count on the best care from a welcoming institution.

“The fact that our council exists tells you Southcoast Health really cares about this,” he said. “That’s why I’ve stayed at the hospital because it’s all about helping people.”

He also works with a smaller group of employees in a resource group called the Black Lives Matter Coalition within the DE&I Council. It came together following the murder of George Floyd, an African-American, by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020.

“The death of George Floyd prompted people to action,” he said.

This work helps ensure that each employee is treated fairly and everyone in New Bedford has access to the same excellent health care the hospital provides. “Things need to change, for all of our sakes,” Dave nods.

To learn more about how Southcoast Health honors Black History Month and to meet more members of our team, visit www.southcoast.org/diversity-and-inclusion-at-southcoast-health/.