Worcester, MA – On July 1, 2019, Family Health Center of Worcester assumed responsibility for the Homeless Outreach and Advocacy Program (FHCW-HOAP) at 162 Chandler Street, Worcester MA to provide comprehensive medical and behavioral health care for adults who are homeless or living in temporary housing. The program had previously been administered by Community Healthlink.
“The new FHCW-HOAP program speaks to the heart of our mission to provide access to care for all of the residents in Greater Worcester and South Worcester County, regardless of ability to pay,” said Lou Brady, President and CEO of Family Health Center of Worcester. “Family Health Center is meeting the health care needs of the homeless through our Worcester Health Care for the Homeless programs which include our longstanding Health Care for Homeless Families Program at 26 Queen Street, and our new FHCW-HOAP at 162 Chandler Street,” said Brady.
“Community health centers have played a critical role in providing health care and other services to underserved communities across the United States,” said U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern. “I’m proud to have worked with the Family Health Center of Worcester and other community partners to secure this Health Care for the Homeless grant, which will provide $1.7 million to expand essential health care services to our most vulnerable, including over 2,200 individuals currently experiencing homelessness.”
Since 1998, Family Health Center of Worcester and Community Healthlink have collaborated to provide care for all homeless populations by serving adults at Community Healthlink and caring for homeless families at Family Health Center. The Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center joined this collaboration in recent years to provide care for displaced families living in motels and unstable housing. This collaborative approach continues with Family Health Center as the new administrator of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant to support a network of health center services for area residents who lack housing or are living in temporary or transitional housing.
“As we learn more about the needs of the adult patients experiencing homelessness, we will be expanding services at FHCW-HOAP to include health benefits enrollment, dental care, vision care, pharmacy and specialized dermatology screenings,” said Brady. “We are grateful to the important network of community partners who are working with us to care for this vulnerable population by providing food, shelter, clothing, and other services throughout Worcester.”
About Family Health Center of Worcester: Family Health Center of Worcester, Inc. is a Federally Qualified Health Center with a mission to improve the health and well-being of all residents in the Greater Worcester area, especially culturally-diverse populations, by providing access to affordable, high quality, integrated, comprehensive, and respectful primary health care and social services, regardless of patients’ ability to pay. Family Health Center has 17 locations in Worcester, Southbridge, Webster, and Millbury. Family Health Center is a HRSA-recognized National Quality Leader. www.FHCW.org
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Press Release
