Three Central Mass. health centers included in $1M MassDevelopment program

Photo | Courtesy of Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center Steve Kerrigan, president & CEO of the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center, receives his flu vaccination.

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By Alexander MacDougall

Three community health centers in Central Massachusetts have been selected among 22 centers across the state by MassDevelopment for its Community Health Center Grant Program.

The grants, which total up to more than $1 million for all recipients, offer up to $50,000 to each recipient in order to fund projects such as construction, renovation, equipment, furniture, technology-related projects, as well as any needs pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The three Central Mass. community health centers that are among the recipients are Community Health Connections in Gardner, Community Healthlink in Worcester, and the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center in Worcester. The three centers received a grand total of $145,000 worth of grants.

“By providing affordable health care and social services to vulnerable populations across Massachusetts, community health centers are indispensable assets in our neighborhoods,” said MassDevelopment CEO Dan Rivera, in a press release. “As we try to bounce back from the pandemic, it’s as important as ever to support the critical capital projects and improvements of these organizations through our Community Health Center Grant Program.”

According to the release, Community Health Connections will use the grant money to support two urgent care rooms as part of its new service site in Gardner.

Community Healthlink will use the money to construct new restrooms at its Chandler Street location, while the Kennedy Health Center intends to utilize the grant to build glass screens at the reception areas at its new building on Lincoln Street.

"We are extremely grateful for MassDevelopment’s continued support of our mission,” said Stephen Kerrigan, president and CEO of the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center. “As we move forward into our post-pandemic world, this grant will cover the cost of installing protective screens for patient-facing staff working at our new Worcester health center site."