(Boston Business Journal) Health care news recently has seemed like an avalanche of bad news: spiraling medical costs, closing hospitals, insurance nightmares that only exacerbate the trauma of patients dealing with persistent and dangerous threats to their own well-being. At the Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center, though, we’ve got a good and uplifting story to tell, one that has not only led and will continue to result in improved health outcomes but has also fostered a community to whom we all owe a debt of gratitude.
The Veteran Outreach Center, located on Blue Hill Avenue on the Roxbury-Dorchester line and serving all of Boston’s neighborhoods and beyond, has within the past year become a revitalized resource for one of Boston’s most deserving and underserved populations.
As president and CEO of HSNHC, I’m blessed with the opportunity to see real-life, enduring improvements in the health and well-being of all of our patients and clients. But speaking as a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps myself, there is little more gratifying to me than being part of an organization that can make a true and lasting difference in the lives of those who have served our country.
Our specialized Veteran Outreach Center, with a building of its own across the street from Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center (HSNHC) is the only such facility in Boston and, sadly, one of the few of its kind in the entire country. As a federally qualified health center (FQHC) in one of Boston’s most historically underserved neighborhoods, HSNHC already serves as the primary health resource to many in the greater Dorchester and Roxbury areas through the delivery of comprehensive, patient-centered medical care.
But fresh, experienced leadership at the Veteran Outreach Center leadership has rejuvenated this facility, in particular. Under new Program Director Kathy King, herself a veteran of the U.S. Army Reserve, this underappreciated and oft-overlooked community gathering place has become a place for vets to come together, share stories, form lasting friendships, all while availing themselves of the Center’s new and improved services.
Through our partnership with the nation-leading Executive Office of Veterans Services (EOVS) and Secretary Jon Santiago, we’ve been able to continue our expansion. In addition to the approximately $260,000 in state funding we receive annually for our programs, we recently received a $50,000 grant to upgrade our facilities. Our Veteran Outreach Center is building momentum, and it’s directly helping those who have earned the benefits.
We’ve seen a sharp increase in the number of veterans — of all ages and experiences — coming through our doors and being welcomed. Once inside, they find a suite of new and improved services, including:
- a six-week computer course helping veterans advance their technology and communication skills; at a recent graduation ceremony for those completing the course, some proud alumni wore suits and derby hats. Working with Comcast, we’re able to proudly present each alum with their own laptop upon completion of the course;
- healthier free meals aimed at combating diabetes and other maladies that can benefit from improved diets;
- developing a partnership with MassHire, the state’s career center that offers employment and training services for both employers and job seekers
- “game days,” with veterans playing Scrabble, checkers, and teaching each other chess.
Our top-shelf staff, from outreach coordinator Assiatu Bah greeting everyone who walks in with a cheerful smile, to Dr. Cyril Ubiem, our senior vice president for programs and services, to our affiliation with Boston Medical Center’s Accountable Care Organization, the HSNHC Veteran Outreach Center offers world-class care in a friendly, communal setting where veterans feel right at home. Some vets come in, including some who drive fair distances to do so, not to receive care, but to hang out with friends, grab a quick and healthy meal, and spend time around those who have had similar experiences.
Ours is an upbeat, community-oriented facility that offers the appropriate level of care for those who have earned it like few others. Amid what too often seems like a flood tide of discouraging news about our nation’s health care system broadly, our Veteran Outreach Center is an outlier, with real impact on our community, and on resources available to a population to whom we all owe our gratitude.