Dear Friends,
I mentioned in our last e-news that twenty-four CCHI staff members of various racial and ethnic backgrounds spent 10 hours together over five weeks last spring in
Race Dialogues, a program developed and facilitated by the Boston YWCA. I want to share how transformative this experience was and how it will influence our work going forward.
One group exercise crystalized the experience for me. We all stood shoulder to shoulder in a straight line. The facilitators asked a series of questions. If your answer was yes, you took a step forward, if no a step back. "Did your parents own your home growing up?" "Have you ever been followed around by store security?" "Have any family members spent time in jail?" etc., etc. When the questions ended, all the black and brown people were standing in the back half of the room, and all the white people at the front.
As Shannon Lundin, our recovery outreach worker in Charlestown who is white said, "I grew up poor in public housing in Charlestown and experienced many of the things you asked about. But still, although I'm at the lower half of the white people, I am ahead of all of the people of color." Race matters.
I was most saddened to hear from multiple parents of color who grew up in other countries-sometimes very poor and distressed countries-but never felt "less than" until they arrived in the US. They now worry about their children internalizing those "less than" feelings here.
I have been astonished at the racial ugliness that has emerged from the shadows since the last election. I had no idea it was there to that extent. But I think that was just the privilege I enjoy as a white person who remained naïve about what people of color endure in this country every day. People like me can't be naïve any more.
We are going to continue the work of the Race Dialogues going forward at CCHI. We will look at our entire body of work and ensure that we have a diverse staff, including leadership, and include diverse community members.
As O'Neil Britton, MGH chief medical officer, said at a meeting recently, "Racism undermines America's credibility. It should never be tolerated in a civil society." It is up to us to face racism head on, to talk about it and to address it. There is an urgency to this mission. Now is well past time.
Best,
Joan Quinlan
Vice President, Community Health |
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Chelsea Wins the 2017 RWJF Culture of Health Prize
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C
helsea, Massachusetts, is one of eight winners of the 2017 RWJF Culture of Health Prize awarded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The Prize honors communities for their unwavering, innovative and collaborative efforts to ensure all residents have the opportunity to live healthier lives. And, we are so proud to be a part of it.
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Senator Warren Visits MGH Chelsea
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US Senator Elizabeth Warren recently came to MGH Chelsea HealthCenter to meet with community members, city leaders, and our Community Health Improvement team. Access to healthcare, immigration, DACA, and other concerns were discussed at a community roundtable. Senator Warren's visit coincided with the 2017 RWJF Culture of Health Prize announcement, and she was able to extend her warm congratulations in person.
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News from the Kraft Center
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The Center has just launched a new
website. And, they will soon be piloting an innovative mobile health program offering preventive care and addiction services.
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Community Coalition Updates
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Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Charlestown Coalition's Turn It Around youth group |
Coalitions Celebrate Recovery Month
The Charlestown Coalition, Revere CARES and the Healthy Chelsea coalitions all commemorated September's annual Recovery Month. Events in these three communities included candlelight vigils, educational workshops and community barbecues.
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh joined with the Charlestown Coalition's youth group, Turn it Around, on the evening of their candlelight vigil, remembering those who have passed and sharing hope with those whose lives have been impacted by substance use.
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Healthy Chelsea Receives DFC Funding
Congratulations to the Healthy Chelsea Coalition for receiving Drug Free Communities (DFC) funding from the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA). This is a highly competitive 5 to 10 year grant that will help Healthy Chelsea implement evidence based strategies to prevent youth substance use. "We are so excited to be able to expand upon our SUDs (substance use disorders) work, especially in the area of prevention," says Jennifer Kelly, Director of the coalition.
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Alister Francois Martin, MD |
2017 Summer Jobs Program Comes to a Close
A record breaking 198 students were employed on the Massachusetts General campus in 60 departments across the hospital this past summer as part of our annual program. Dr. Alister Francois Martin from the MGH Emergency Medicine Dept. was on hand for the wrap-up celebration and provided an engaging and inspirational keynote speech for the students and guests. We'll look forward to seeing some of these amazing young people back again next year!
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Leslie Aldrich, CCHI Associate Director, will travel to Princeton, New Jersey, in October as part of the group who will be accepting the
RWJF Culture of Health Prize
on behalf of the City of Chelsea.
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Sarah Oo, Director of Community Health Improvement in Chelsea, will be presenting at the National Cancer Policy Forum of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on Establishing Effective Patient Navigation Programs in Oncology, November 14th, in Washington, D.C.
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Ann-Marie Duffy-Keane, Director of Community Health Associates,
participated on a
Partnership for Community Health Forum, Stories from the Cutting Edge of Health Care Delivery on Sept. 26th. The panel presentation was entitled, A population health approach to chronic opioid dependence.
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