CMC West Side Neighborhood Health Center to join Manchester Community Health Center to expand primary care to underserved population

The Catholic Medical Center (CMC) West Side Neighborhood Health Center and the Manchester Community Health Center (MCHC) today announce a new collaborative project to significantly increase access to high quality health care to medically underserved on Manchester’s West Side.

The Catholic Medical Center (CMC) West Side Neighborhood Health Center and the Manchester Community Health Center (MCHC) today announce a new collaborative project to significantly increase access to high quality health care to medically underserved on Manchester’s West Side.

MCHC and the West Side  Neighborhood Health Center have for many years provided primary care health services to the medically underserved populations of Manchester. This new project will allow MCHC, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), to establish an access point on the West Side of Manchester while enabling the West Side Neighborhood Health Center to expand capacity from 1,000 to 4,000 people.

The project, which is consistent with recommendations of a 2014 neighborhood improvement plan, was made possible through $650,000 in ongoing annual funding for MCHC from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to open a clinic on the West Side. The area was identified as a priority census tract in Manchester—designated as medically underserved by HRSA— because of its high concentration of low-income housing and resettled immigrants and refugees.

“The West Side Neighborhood Health Center has served as an essential source of primary health care for individuals facing significant challenges with health insurance, employment and transportation in our community,” said Paul Mertzic, CMC’s Executive Director of Community Health Services. “This collaboration significantly expands the clinic’s ability to serve people in serious need of essential health care.” “This is a wonderful opportunity to build on the progress CMC has achieved by creating a convenient, trusted resource for care and expanding capacity in an area where statistically speaking we expect to see higher rates of chronic illnesses, childhood obesity and mortality,” said MCHC President and CEO Kris McCracken.

“As Mayor of the Queen City I am so very excited to see the West Side Neighborhood Health Center become a reality,” said Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas. “I would like to thank both Catholic Medical Center and the Manchester Community Health Center for collaborating on this important project. I know that these two organizations will be able to accomplish so much for the residents on the West Side of Manchester. By expanding the existing clinic and adding more medical providers, more residents will have access to health care and that is a wonderful thing,”

MCHC will assume operations and staffing of the Center. CMC will provide space and specific support services, such as biomedical engineering and sterile processing. “The collaboration is consistent with our mission to provide health, healing and hope to all and is aligned with our Catholic identity,” said Mertzic. Under MCHC, the West Side Neighborhood Health Center will abide by the Ethical & Religious Directives and relevant policies of CMC.

CMC is a licensed acute care, 330-bed hospital that provides full medical-surgical care with more than 25 subspecialties, comprehensive cardiac care, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services, a 24-hour emergency department, outpatient behavioral health services, diagnostic imaging, and is home to the award winning New England Heart & Vascular Institute.

MCHC is a nonprofit 501( c )( 3 ) organization offering comprehensive health care since 1993. As a FQHC, MCHC offers high-quality, comprehensive, and family-oriented primary health care and support services to eliminate health disparities and expand access to care.

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number H80CS00571 and title Health Center Cluster for grant amount $566,667(10/1/15 - 5/31/16). This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.
 

Photo: West Side Neighborhood Health Center patient Nanda Lal Nepal with MCHC interpreter Rajesh Koirala.

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