In addition to the items below, we have bittersweet news to share: MPHA is bidding a fond farewell to our Director of Development and Special Projects, Andrea Freeman, who will be leaving MPHA at the end of June to run for Mayor of Leominster! Andrea’s previous work as our Field Director brought her into contact with many of you, and she has been a key member of our tight-knit team for the past nine years. She will be greatly missed!

Today, the Joint Committee on Public Health will host a hearing on the Statewide Accelerated Public Health for Every Community Act (SAPHE 2.0). This critical bill will transform our local public health system by ensuring minimum standards for every community, increasing local capacity, and establishing sustainable state funding. Thank you to everyone who submitted testimony for today's hearing. Stay tuned for more info on how you can help this bill become law!

MPHA is currently recruiting for a full-time Director of Development, a part-time Central & Western MA Campaign Coordinator, and a fall student intern. Help us find great candidates by sharing these openings with your networks!

We look forward to honoring Michael Curry, Esq. the CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, and Martha Velez, Director of Human Services for the City of Lawrence, at our virtual Spring Awards Breakfast on June 4th at 9:00 AM. We are also thrilled to announce that Leon W. Russell, Chairman of the NAACP Board of Directors, and Kendrys Vasquez, Mayor of Lawrence, will be presenting the awards! The event will feature a surprise tribute to our Commonwealth's local public health heroes. Register today to join us for a morning of reconnection, inspiration and celebration. Tickets are available on "pay what you can" basis.

The MA House Budget process wrapped up last week, and MPHA helped secure additional funding for Regional Transit Authorities and funds to help lift children out of deep poverty. THANK YOU to everyone who took action to make these victories possible! There will be more opportunities to speak up for health equity as the budget process moves to the Senate.

Last week, MPHA and our partners in the Vaccine Equity Now! Coalition issued a press release praising the Baker Administration for shifting resources from mass vaccination sites to regional collaboratives in hard-hit communities and mobile vaccination clinics. We also called for clear benchmarks to measure progress in closing the state’s persistent racial gaps in vaccine distribution.

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