The Association of Behavioral HealthCare recognized Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo for his leadership in supporting expanded addiction treatment at an event at MGH Revere. Speaker DeLeo lent his strong leadership to a new law that, among other things, prohibits insurance companies from requiring authorizations prior to admission to medical detox. The Speaker said he accepted this award at MGH Revere with Revere CARES and CCHI, because, when he thinks of substance use disorders, he thinks of Revere CARES. Kitty Bowman of Revere CARES and Dr. Roger Pasinski of MGH Revere led the gathering in congratulating the speaker.    

Members of the Revere on the Move task force, part of the Revere CARES coalition, joined their neighbors to rebuild the Louis Pasteur Park. This was accomplished with a Common Backyard Program grant from the Mass. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and matching funds from CCHI and the City of Revere. The Environmental Affairs office lauded Revere CARES and the City for the rebuilding efforts that promote physical activity and develop stewardship of the neighborhood park.

CCHI's Danelle Marable and Erica Clarke were invited by the American Evaluation Association to present the Center's community coalition evaluation methods and the benefits of engaging stakeholders throughout the process. Erica described how involving coalition members and community stakeholders in the evaluation helps to develop buy-in, resulting in better data.    

The Boston Foundation recently awarded a five-year, $625,000 grant to MGH to launch of the First 1,000 Days Program, conception to age 2, led by Chief of General Academic Pediatrics Dr. Elsie M. Taveras. The program will engage several MGH departments, including the Center for Community Health Improvement, to create system-wide changes designed to prevent obesity, to promote healthy routines and behaviors and to reduce health disparities among vulnerable children and families.