Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers

08/26/2025

It's back-to-school season, and at Lynn Community Health Center, local students are getting hands on, health center experience through its student fellowship program. This year's cohort will explore health center career opportunities, grow leadership skills, learn how to advocate for health equity, and develop health advocacy campaigns.

Yesterday, Mass League President and CEO, Michael Curry, Esq. visited Lynn CHC to speak with the students. Join us in wishing this year's student fellows the very best of luck!

08/25/2025

We're thrilled to share that the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded Community Health Quality Recognition badges to 27 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in Massachusetts!

CHQR badges are awarded annually to health centers that have achieved quality improvements in health care access, clinical quality, health outcomes, and health information technology.

These health centers’ commitment to improving care and patient experience is a major boost to the state’s nation-leading health care system – more than one million patients receive health care at a community health center.

Congratulations to all the awardees!

08/21/2025

Wonderful news! A major congratulations to New Bedford Community Health on receiving this grant funding from the Manton Foundation. This funding will be used to redevelop a vacant pharmacy into a primary care facility. That's a huge win for health care access and health equity in New Bedford!
https://www.einpresswire.com/article/840911807/new-bedford-community-health-receives-1-5-million-lead-gift-from-the-manton-foundation-to-expand-access-to-primary-care

08/18/2025

Our first Health Center Compliance Academy webinar on the Board of Registration in Medicine (BORIM) Patient Care Assessment requirement is coming up! Join us on Tuesday, September 30, from 1-2:30pm. https://www.massleague.org/the-mass-league-health-center-compliance-academy-hcca/

08/18/2025

We agree with the Boston Globe's Editorial Board - amid a shifting policy landscape that threatens health center patients, now is the time to prioritize health equity at the state level.

Legislation would focus on areas with poor outcomes.

08/13/2025

"Sure, slashing the number of people on Medicaid will reduce taxpayer dollars going to the Medicaid program. But FQHCs rely on Medicaid patients as their primary source of revenue, and use grant funding from the federal government to cover the costs of providing care to the uninsured. Cuts to Medicaid coverage, without commensurate increases in federal grants to cover the costs of the uninsured, could threaten the stability and scope of FQHCs."

NPR's Planet Money hits the nail right on the head - cutting Medicaid funds is an existential threat to Federally Qualified Health Centers.
https://www.npr.org/sections/planet-money/2025/08/12/g-s1-82221/medicaid-cuts-big-beautiful-bill-uninsured

08/12/2025

Health Center Compliance Academy is BACK! For FY26, we’re hosting seven stellar webinars that will bring you the latest and greatest in health center compliance with practical solutions for real world, health center challenges. For more information, click the link below: https://www.massleague.org/the-mass-league-health-center-compliance-academy-hcca/

08/09/2025

A special message from Mass League President and CEO, Michael Curry, Esq., as we close out National Health Center Week.

08/07/2025

Today’s theme for National Health Center Week is our patient populations.

Understanding the unique needs of our patient populations is key to health centers’ mission of providing high quality care. Boston-based Fenway Health's commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community has established it as a national leader for this population’s care. Rooted in the understanding that LGBTQIA+ individuals have unique needs, Fenway Health has created a safe, inclusive, and affirming environment for countless patients.

At a time when the rights, care, and lives of LGBTQIA+ individuals are under constant threat, it is important that we recognize leaders and advocates like Fenway Health who are going above and beyond to provide much needed care, services, and supports to the LGBTQIA+ community.

08/06/2025

As part of National Health Center Week, we're recognizing the critical role our health centers play in addressing acute and chronic conditions. Across Massachusetts, our health centers are on the front lines of the opioid epidemic connecting patients to lifesaving harm reduction and treatment services.

Drug overdose deaths among Black Bostonians fell by nearly 60% last year. It's an achievement to be recognized, but much work remains, community health workers say.

08/05/2025

Did you know that the majority of health center board members are patients? Health centers are patient-centered, because they are patient-led.

Rita Sorrento exemplifies this philosophy. Rita has been a NeighborHealth patient and board member for over 30 years. She is currently serving as the board chair.

During Rita’s decades on the board, she has weighed in on decisions to build new facilities, expand interpretive services, add new Neighborhood PACE centers, and much more. The Revere Neighborhood PACE center, which provides medical care, social opportunities, and wellness activities for older adults, was dedicated in her name. Rita was further honored by being elected Consumer Representative for the National Association of Community Health Centers and has traveled to Washington DC to advocate for health centers.

The smaller scale decisions matter too. Whenever Rita visits NeighborHealth as a patient, she notes potential improvements in what she calls Rita’s Little Black Book. “It may be something very simple,” she says, “but if it's important to the patient, then it's important to everybody.” These concerns are later shared with the CEO during one of their regular meetings.

Other patients stop her in the grocery store or at church to share their questions and opinions. Rita says, “You have to have your eyes and ears open and listen to what people in the community are saying. And I think that's why board members are so important. We are the ambassadors.”

08/04/2025

Community health center staff carry out the mission of the health center movement every day, one patient at a time. This Staff Appreciation Day, we celebrate the clinical and non-clinical professionals dedicated to providing quality care and addressing health disparities in their communities.

Watch our 2025 Outstanding Health Center Employee Awardee videos to learn more about the superstars within our health centers.

⭐ Paulette St. Germain, a Registered Nurse at Codman Square Health Center, leads by example, going above and beyond for her patients and colleagues.

⭐ Eunice Lopes, an interpreter at New Bedford Community Health, gives voice to the nearly 50% of NBCHC patients who need services in a language other than English

⭐ Michael Schmittlein, the IT Manager at the Community Health Center of Franklin County, Inc., anticipates problems and solves them, enabling quality data CHCFC can rely on.

Who is a community health center employee that you appreciate? Shout them out in the comments.