September 2023 - Issue #6 | |
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Encompass Project
The Boston Globe recently featured a Letter to the Editor from Foundation President & CEO Dr. Amie Shei and Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (MSPCC) Executive Director Nancy Allen Scannell about the need to better support foster and kinship parents across the state.
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Dr. Shei was a recent guest on former Senate President Harriette Chandler's program "The Chandler Chat" on WCCA TV. In the interview, they discuss the Foundation’s history and mission, current projects, and how Dr. Shei landed at the Foundation back in 2016. Dr. Shei also credited the former Senate President for her steadfast leadership in oral health and public health and her longstanding partnership with the Foundation. | |
You can watch the full interview here: | |
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Community Health Center
of Franklin County
Community Health Center of Franklin County (CHCFC), a nonprofit, federally qualified health center with full-service locations in Greenfield and Orange, received a 2022 Activation Fund grant for renovations at its Orange facility, which serves more than 3,500 patients per year.
In 2021, the CHCFC purchased a multi-unit property on Route 2A in Orange, formerly known as Aubuchon Plaza, and renamed it "Health Center Plaza." CHCFC’s primary care and dental clinics occupy two suites within the plaza, and other suites are leased to mission-adjacent organizations, such as Behavioral Health Network, GAAMHA, and Community Action Pioneer Valley, creating a “one-stop shop” for patients in need of support services who may have limited access to transportation.
The $88,000 Activation Fund grant enabled CHCFC to build out and furnish office space onsite to accommodate administrative, patient services, and community health worker staff, maximizing clinic space for direct patient care.
The additional space has also allowed CHCFC to bring its patient services department in-house, addressing barriers to access caused by its previous system of outsourcing this function to a call center with a complicated phone tree. As a result, patients can now make one phone call and speak directly with an onsite employee to register as a new patient, schedule an appointment, and arrange for interpretation or transportation assistance at the same time. While data are still being collected, CHCFC reports that the impact on patient experience has been overwhelmingly positive, as indicated by faster call response time and improved care coordination.
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CHCFC staff in the new meeting room and patient services space. (photos courtesy of CHCFC) | |
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The Foundation was pleased that the Fiscal Year 2024 state budget included landmark investments in regional transit across the Commonwealth following many years of advocacy and grantmaking related to transportation, which is an important social determinant of health. Among the noteworthy investments are $15 million for fare-free pilot programs and $19 million in new grant opportunities for innovation addressing priority issues such as rural connectivity and connectivity across RTA regions.
Some of the Foundation’s most significant transportation-related investments of time and funding include advocacy for a fare-free Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA), which is now the longest-running fare-free RTA in the state, and over $1.5 million in funding for the Quaboag Connector, a rural transportation system operated by the Quaboag Valley Community Development Corporation in collaboration with the Town of Ware and many other partners. The Quaboag Connector is considered by many in the transportation field as the “gold standard” for rural transportation, and it offers a promising model for other rural regions of the state and for last-mile transportation for the eventual West-East Rail.
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Meet-The-Donors: Central Massachusetts
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(L-R) Ms. Kelsa Zereski, President, Reliant Foundation; Dr. Amie Shei, President & CEO, The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts; Ms. Kimberly M. Salmon, AVP Community Relations, The Hanover Insurance Group; Mr. Peter Dunn, President & CEO, Greater Worcester Community Foundation; Mr. Steve Adams, President, Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts; Mr. Jonathan Cohen, Vice President of Community Impact, Greater Worcester Community Foundation. | |
On August 17, Dr. Shei joined fellow philanthropic leaders in the region as a panelist for Philanthropy Massachusetts’ Meet-The-Donors event focused on the Central Massachusetts region. During the 2.5-hour gathering, over 80 attendees had the opportunity to ask questions and hear from representatives of The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts, Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts, Greater Worcester Community Foundation, Hanover Insurance Group Foundation, and Reliant Foundation. | |
Guests in attendance at the event. (Photo credit: The Health Foundation) | |
(Photo credit: The Health Foundation) | |
This month will feature two important events related to the Private Well Program to Protect Public Health, a Round 5 Synergy Initiative project led by RCAP Solutions. Results from a recent statewide poll on drinking water quality and private wells conducted by the MassINC Polling Group will be publicly released at a State House event on September 20. Then, on September 27, the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources will hold a hearing on An Act Promoting Drinking Water Quality for All (S.482/H.902). The legislation is sponsored by Senator Jamie Eldridge, Representative Dan Sena, and Representative Smitty Pignatelli, and it was developed as part of this Synergy Initiative project in order to address drinking water inequities across the Commonwealth through policy change. For more information about these events, please e-mail Dr. Shei at ashei@hfcm.org. | |
The Foundation is pleased to announce the promotion of Jennie Blake, MSW to the role of Vice President for Programs, effective immediately. Ms. Blake joined the Foundation as Senior Program Officer in May of 2021, bringing her extensive experience in philanthropy and fundraising from the Atlanta area to Central Massachusetts. In her 2+ years serving as Senior Program Officer, Jennie has made many important contributions to the Foundation’s grantmaking, including leading recent refinements to our Activation Fund application process and piloting several equity-focused initiatives. Please join us in congratulating Ms. Blake on her well-deserved promotion! | |
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MassHealth Redetermination | |
The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts is dedicated to improving the health of those who live or work in Central Massachusetts, with particular emphasis on vulnerable populations and unmet needs. Through its unique and impactful approach to grantmaking, the Foundation supports community-identified health issues, with health defined broadly to include social determinants of health and with a focus on promoting health equity. As a health conversion foundation launched in 1999 following the sale of the non-for-profit HMO Central Massachusetts Health Care, Inc., the Foundation’s grants have totaled over $53 million to more than 220 unique organizations over its history. For more information, visit www.hfcm.org. | | |
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If you are interested in supporting this work, The Health Foundation Fund, Inc. is the 501(c)(3) fundraising affiliate that supports the purpose and mission of the Foundation through donations, memorial contributions and gifts of life insurance. Thank you for your consideration. | |
© 2023 The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts | | | | |
