U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) and its Health Resources and Services Administration commends EBNHC on tour of Boston health center.
Boston, MA (August 9, 2022) – In honor of National Health Center Week, August 7th- 13th, East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBNHC) had the privilege of hosting Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as part of an annual celebration dedicated to raising awareness of the mission and contributions of the nation’s health centers in providing access to affordable, high quality, cost-effective health care to the underserved.
“East Boston Neighborhood Health Center has always been on the front lines in service to their communities—they were there long before COVID-19 and will continue to be there long after. So today, we celebrate you for your hard work, dedication, and sacrifice. We recognize you for stepping up and stepping in when your communities need you the most. We honor you for being at the heart of what we stand for at HRSA. Thank you for all that you do to make our communities healthier,” said Jeffrey Beard, Region 1 HRSA Intergovernmental and External Affairs Regional Administrator.
On Tuesday, August 9, Massachusetts-based HRSA regional leadership visited EBNHC’s Maverick Square and Gove Street locations in East Boston to acknowledge the health center’s work and thank staff for their commitment. The visit provided an opportunity to strengthen existing relationships, create new connections, and identify additional areas for partnership and innovation.
“On behalf of HHS and Secretary Becerra, I would like to applaud the incredible work of East Boston Neighborhood Health Center to ensure people in your community can access and receive vital primary care services, regardless of their financial situation. East Boston Neighborhood Health Center is a beacon of strength, service, and quality care, especially in providing equitable care for medically underserved communities,” said Everett Handford, Region 1 HHS Regional Director.
During the visit, EBNHC and HRSA discussed timely care delivery topics such as maternal child and women’s health, behavioral health and COVID-19 response and recovery.
“At East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, we have been committed to providing high-quality innovative community-based health care for more than 50 years,” said Greg Wilmot, President and CEO of EBNHC. “We are incredibly honored that HRSA has taken the time to recognize the critical contributions of our health center team in advancing health equity, in addition to reflecting on the vital role community health centers play across Massachusetts and the U.S.”
During National Health Center Week, HRSA highlighted that community health centers provide care to over 30 million patients, or 1 in 11 people in the United States. This includes 1 in 9 children and adolescents and 1 in 3 people living in poverty.
The number of health center patients has increased from 21.1 million patients in 2012 to 30.2 million patients in 2021. This increase illustrates health centers’ critical role in providing accessible, high-quality primary care to medically underserved patients during the past decade, and throughout COVID-19 response and recovery.
About East Boston Neighborhood Health Center
The East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBNHC) has been a vital part of its community for more than 50 years, providing easily accessible, high-quality health care to all. EBNHC provides approximately 500,000 visits per year and employs nearly 1,500 employees – more than any other ambulatory care center in New England. EBNHC’s service area includes East Boston and the surrounding communities of Chelsea, Revere, Everett, Winthrop, and Boston’s South End, Roxbury, and Dorchester neighborhoods. For more information, please visit www.ebnhc.org.
