Category: National Health Center Week 2022

The Dimock Center was the first hospital in New England opened and operated by women for women.

The Dimock Center is a national model in providing comprehensive community health services, primarily in Boston’s underserved neighborhoods.

Who can benefit from the Dimock Center?

The Dimock Center focuses particularly on African American and Latino residents of Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan, and Jamaica Plain.

It is estimated that it provides comprehensive health and behavioral health services to more than 19,000 individuals annually, where 65% of these patients do not speak English as their first language.

Dimock has bilingual/bicultural staff members who generally live in the same neighborhoods as the patients they serve.

What services does the Dimock Center offer?

Offers comprehensive health care services programs for adults and children with specialized clinics.

These services include women’s health and obstetrics and gynecology, HIV/AIDS, vision and dental care.

Additionally, it provides inpatient, residential and outpatient substance use treatment and recovery services.

This is for those struggling with mental illness, developmental disabilities, substance abuse or violence issues.

Through this initiative, a positive impact has been made for many families in the community.

Dimock Center services are designed to address the physical, developmental and behavioral needs of the community:

Health Services:

With a team of physicians and staff working in coordination to help the community treat and prevent illness.

Also ensuring that patients and their families have the resources they need, from birth through adulthood, ensuring that people in the community maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Behavioral health services:

With an integrated approach provides access to all health care and support services for children and families seeking care and support.

Child and Family Services:

Providing “accessible, comprehensive, innovative and culturally competent” education and support services to children, families and individuals from before birth through adulthood, designed to promote optimal development and economic stability.

Residential services programs:

For women, men and families with ongoing substance use, mental health and trauma issues.

The program offers structured, comprehensive support using best practices including trauma-informed care, motivational interviewing, harm reduction, music, art, yoga and other expressive therapies.

Emergency Shelter Program:

Aims to reduce barriers for families who are having difficulty finding affordable and safe housing.

Individuals can stay up to 120 days and have ongoing support from a variety of professionals to access health and community-based programs.

Focused on three main areas: medical care, behavioral health services, and youth and family services.

The Dimock Center has been nationally recognized as a model for the delivery of high-quality, low-cost, integrated care for the community that otherwise would not be accessible.

Anyone can go, and you don’t have to have insurance, services are not free, but you can get discounts based on your income level and family size.

Source: https://dimock.org/

Join the My Health Fair Newsletter list to receive your monthly dose of information and LIVE Streams from Health Organizations and influencers.

Community health centers are the base of operations for the delivery of services to the community.

It represents the aspirations of society and emphasizes the nature and purpose of social services.

Community health centers (CHCs) have for more than 50 years played an integral role in providing primary care tailored to their needs.

These centers take into account cultural, social (including low income), food insecurity, housing, lack of access and health needs.

How we support community health centers

My Health Fair strongly supports the mission of Community Centers through our virtual health fair.

At this fair, we connect health care providers with the community.

We provide information and facilitate community education on all aspects of health care access.

Its focus is to promote equity and access to comprehensive services.

There are an estimated 1,400 organizations providing comprehensive care to 28 million patients, and growing.

Between 2016 and 2017 alone, health centers added 1.3 million patients and 16,000 employees.

They also opened 600 new sites across the country, according to the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC).

East Boston Neighborhood Health Center

As part of this network, the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBNHC) has been a vital part of the community for more than 50 years.

This health center is the largest in Massachusetts and a leading health care provider providing continuous 24-hour care.

Do you have to pay to be served?

EBNHC continually participates in collaborative assessments and planning forums to understand and gain a true picture of patients’ changing needs.

In this way, it can create new services to meet these needs.

It is estimated that about 23% of patients are uninsured.

EBNHC uses a sliding fee scale system for uninsured patients, meaning you will be charged a fee based on your income and household size.

What services does this health center offer?

This center provides primary care services in dentistry, endocrinology, nutrition, pharmacy, adult, women’s and children’s medicine, mental health, and social services.

EBNHC has other community services such as arthritis/rheumatology, audiology, and a pulmonary department, as well as community-oriented programs:

Nourishing our community:

Helps families and individuals address hunger-related illness and malnutrition.

With Food Access programs they increase access to healthy foods at Farmers Markets.

At the Wellness and Community Resource Center they serve over 700 families each week with groceries and staples.

Home-delivered Meals Program:

Prepares more than 2,000 meals each week for seniors enrolled in the Senior Care Options or Program of All Inclusive Care of the Elderly programs.

WIC Program:

A nutrition program that provides nutrition and health education, healthy foods and other free services to Massachusetts families, women, infants and children who qualify.

Violence Prevention:

EBNHC leads and participates in collaborative public safety programs, working with individuals and families who face complex challenges and may need services from more than one community agency.

Neighborhood Trauma Teams:

NTTs provide rapid response services for individuals, families and communities affected by community violence 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Short-term case management, coping groups, psychological first aid and consultation services are provided.

Neighborhood PACE Program

The Neighborhood PACE Program, for adults 55 and older, aims to support the community in staying healthy, active and independent.

PACE provides medical, social, recreation, rehabilitation, home care, and other services such as no co-pay medications and transportation to the PACE health center and medical appointments.

In this way, residents of East Boston, Chelsea, Winthrop, Revere, Everett, Malden, Melrose, Medford, Stoneham, and Boston’s North End neighborhood can continue to live full lives and receive the right care in the right place at the right time.

East Boston Neighborhood Health Center works hard to promote and maintain healthy communities, families, and individuals.

This is made possible by providing affordable, high quality health care services and innovation.

The center seeks to expand its services to many more key and diverse communities than it currently serves.

My Health Fair is celebrating National Health Center Week August 7-13, 2022.

Join the My Health Fair Newsletter list to receive your monthly dose of information and LIVE Streams from Health Organizations and influencers.

Sources: https://healthcity.bmc.org/ , https://www.ebnhc.org/ , https://neighborhoodpace.org/

The mission of the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center is to improve and maintain the health of individuals and families in the Merrimack Valley.

It provides a network of comprehensive health care services and trains health care professionals to serve a culturally diverse population.

Health Care at the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center

GLFHC provides primary health care for children and adults.

This includes prenatal care, obstetrics, pediatrics, elder care, gynecology, internal medicine, disease prevention and health education.

It provides the highest quality patient experience and innovative solutions to improve health outcomes.

Can I come to the center if I do not speak English?

Yes, perinatal, pediatric and adult primary care services are staffed by bilingual/bicultural staff members and all providers speak Spanish.

Additionally, live translation services are available for 17 other languages, and Greater Lawrence Family Health Center makes every effort to serve patients who need assistance in a language other than English.

Who serves the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center?

GLFHC providers are family medicine physicians, nurse practitioners and certified physician assistants.

The entire team is trained to treat most conditions and provide comprehensive care for people of all ages – acute, chronic and chronic care.

What type of care does the center provide?

Health services are patient-centered: in addition to diagnosing and treating illnesses, they also provide preventive care.

This includes routine check-ups, health risk assessments, vaccinations and screenings, and personalized advice on maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

The center also addresses, in coordination with other subspecialists, chronic diseases ranging from heart disease, stroke and hypertension to diabetes, cancer and asthma, among others.

Although the health centers do not provide free care, some people can receive services at no charge if they are unable to pay.

Patients pay for services based on income, and no one is denied care based on insurance status or ability to pay.

What services does the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center offer?

The Greater Lawrence Family Health Center provides a variety of specialized services including:

Laboratory services:

Provided directly at the community center, so results are available quickly and treatment can be provided immediately.

Pharmacy services:

Available not only to patients but to the community at large. Comprehensive counseling so patients can understand their medication and how to take it.

Transgender care services:

Access to informed, high-quality care for trans women and men, or anyone with health needs unique to their diverse gender, expressions and identities.

Comprehensive HIV care for adults and children:

• Access to counseling, testing, primary and specialty care for people living with HIV.
• Ongoing monitoring of patients, ensuring that all testing and interventions are completed and medications are monitored, as well as providing nursing care.
• The Greater Lawrence Family Health Center is piloting the PrEP Program, prescribing it to at-risk patients and raising awareness among GLFHC providers.
• It also seeks to expand the use of PrEP in the general primary care setting to reduce the overall number of new HIV infections in the area.

Health Care for the Homeless Program:

• Serves more than 1,100 patients at community sites throughout the Merrimack Valley, providing primary medical care directly to this patient population in shelters, drop-in centers and soup kitchens.
• Provides assistance in obtaining medications, health insurance and directs homeless patients to local resources for food, emergency shelter, permanent housing and job training.

Addiction Treatment Program:

Provides comprehensive care for those struggling with opioid use disorder, with a rapid intake process, ongoing support, on-site lab and pharmacy, among others.

Greater Lawrence Family Health Center Mobile Health Unit:

Treats homeless patients in the communities in which they reside, providing them with primary and specialty care they might not otherwise receive.

Travels to sites in Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell and Tewksbury.

Community Support

GLFHC employs nearly 750 employees who are dedicated to improving and maintaining the health of individuals and families in the Merrimack Valley.

This health center is ranked among the top ten employers in the Lawrence area.

In its workforce, 65% of employees are bicultural Latinos and 75% of employees are bilingual.

GLFHC annually celebrates National Community Health Center Week (NCHCW) with activities for both employees and patients to enjoy.

This is an opportunity to recognize the contributions of its employees and to raise awareness of the resources they provide to our community.

My Health Fair is celebrating National Health Center Week August 7-13, 2022.

Join the My Health Fair Newsletter list to receive your monthly dose of information and LIVE Streams from Health Organizations and influencers.

Source: https://glfhc.org/

All about National Health Center Week

My Health Fair is joining in the celebration of National Health Center Week, which this year runs from August 7-13.

Its main objective is to raise awareness about the mission and accomplishments of America’s health centers.

This celebration is promoted by the National Association of Community Health Centers and has been held for more than thirty years.

How this celebration originated

Community health centers were established in December 1965.

The first was called Columbia Point Health Center, and was founded by Dr. H. Jack Geiger of Harvard University and Dr. Count Gibson of Tufts University.

Renamed in 1990, the Geiger-Gibson Community Health Center became the model for 25 other community health centers in Boston.

Today, Harbor Health continues to respond to current and emerging health needs in communities not only in Boston, but also on the South Shore and Cape Cod.

Who benefits from these health centers?

More than 34,000 patients a year receive care at Harbor’s five community health centers, offering medical, dental, pharmacy and social support services.

There are also two Comprehensive Senior Care Programs in Mattapan and Brockton.

These options provide comprehensive health care, transportation and social services to more than 450 frail seniors who continue to live with dignity and independence in the community.

What is National Health Center Week for?

National Health Center Week aims to make visible the achievements, impact, as well as spread the word about the importance of community health centers.

It also seeks to advocate for long-term funding and sustainability for community health centers to ensure continuity of services for years to come.

How do community health centers work?

Community Health Centers serve as a meeting point between patients and professionals in different states providing comprehensive care to migrant workers, the homeless and the community at large.

They also provide low-cost health services; in the case of no or insufficient health insurance, patients can pay for services based on their income level and family size.

Whether insured or uninsured, everyone is welcome to use the community health centers.

We want to raise awareness of the immigrant and homeless communities in our area and show our support for the health centers that serve our community in Massachusetts.

What is the role of health centers?

Community health centers are vitally important in providing primary care and public health care to low-income and uninsured social groups.

These centers operate under federal standards and are classified as clinical care providers and not-for-profit.

They are also part of the National Healthcare Safety Net.

Serving millions of patients each year, they provide solutions to urgent health care problems to ensure access for all.

Today we want to recognize the valuable work and services that health centers provide in the community, sharing their interest and effort to build a healthier nation.

Contact us for more information about National Health Center Week!

My Health Fair is celebrating National Health Center Week August 7-13, 2022.

Join the My Health Fair Newsletter list to receive your monthly dose of information and LIVE Streams from Health Organizations and influencers.

Sources: https://nationaltoday.com/