Founded 1933 Tax ID no. 04-2619517 | Type 501c3 Focus Primary care | |
Location Boston, Massachusetts, United States Area served Boston, Massachusetts, United States & national | ||
Whittier Street Health Center is a Federally Qualified Health Center that provides primary care and support services to primarily low-income, racially and ethnically diverse populations mostly from the Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan neighborhoods of Boston, Massachusetts.
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History
Founded in 1933 as a well-baby clinic, Whittier Street Health Center initially focused on women’s health. Since then, Whittier has expanded its services to more than 40 different programs, including eye care, dental services, physical therapy, and specialized clinics focused on chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, and HIV.
In 2011, Whittier was among four organizations recognized by Mayor Thomas Menino and the City of Boston at the Second Annual Mayoral Prize for Innovations in Primary Care. The award was for Whittier's Building Vibrant Communities Program, a partnership with the Boston Housing Authority in which health coordinators connect public housing residents with medical care and community services.
In January 2012, Whittier opened its newly constructed, Silver LEED-certified, 78,900 square foot facility. The $38 million cost was partly funded through a $12 million Human Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant. The health center’s new building gives it capacity to provide up to 220,000 visits annually, or about 70-80,000 patients.
In 2013, Whittier received a $9.5 million grant from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration to combat the chronic conditions prevalent in the communities served by the health center and to expand health care services. The grant enables Whittier to provide services to patients in the Roxbury and North Dorchester neighborhoods who had been served by the Roxbury Comprehensive Community Health Center (RoxComp), which was put in receivership in April 2013. The grant will be distributed in $1.9 million increments every year for five years for planned initiatives including community engagement forums, outreach and education, financial counseling, health insurance enrollment, and transportation and support services.
Whittier Street Health Center has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts by the Boston Globe and The Commonwealth Institute. The committee considered both nonprofit and for-profit organizations with careful review of each company's revenue, operating budget, number of full-time employees in the state, workplace and management diversity, and innovative projects. On Friday, October 24, 2014, the committee recognized President and CEO Frederica M. Williams for her exceptional leadership and Whittier's ever present foothold in championing equitable access to high quality, cost-effective health care for diverse populations. On October 2016, she was recognized by the Boston Business Journal as part of their 2016 Power 50 list celebrating “Influential Bostonians.” and covered in their "2016 Women of Influence" article series.
Accreditation, Recognition, and Certifications
Whittier Street Health Center is accredited by the Joint Commission and recognized by the NCQA as a Level 3 Patient-Centered Medical Home. Its new building received Silver LEED certification from the US Green Building Council.
The outpatient addiction program at Whittier Street Health Center in Roxbury was mentioned in The Boston Globe's article "In Boston, Some Areas Bear Brunt of Opioid Overdoses" on August 6, 2016 for the Health Center's expertise in opioid treatment and use of the antioverdose drug Narcan.
Whittier Street Health Center, one of Boston's leading community health centers, is aiming to change these startling statistics with the opening of its new Wellness and Fitness Club. The Health Center is taking a revolutionary approach to addressing health disparities. Patients are issued or can request a Prescription for Health from their Primary Care Physician, Psychiatrist or Bay State Physical Therapist. Whittier's patients and one of our family medicine physicians, Dr. Mothusi Chilume were featured on WCVB's (ABC) TV's Chronicle show on June 29, 2016 at 7.30pm.
Programs
Whittier provides the following primary care programs: Adult Medicine, Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Dental/Orthodontic, Health Benefits, Laboratory, OB/GYN, Orthopedic, Radiology, Urgent Care, the Wellness and Fitness Club, and WIC. The health center also offers a range of public health programs such as the Dana-Farber Community Cancer Center.