Few leaders in Central Massachusetts fight as fiercely to provide health care regardless of an individual’s ability to pay like Kerrigan, and this past year, he set records.
Kerrigan has advocated on a statewide level to protect Massachusetts residents against the President Donald Trump Administration’s threats to cut federal funding to organizations standing by their diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives as he stands firmly that the health center will never yield to these ultimatums.
Amid the federal chaos, Kerrigan has managed to increase the health center’s number of unduplicated patients served to 34,734, the highest number in the organization’s 52-year history. The nonprofit saw its total visits increase by 161,183, an 8.4% increase from fiscal 2023, and again, the highest number in the health center’s history: medical visits rose by 4.8% to 87,070, the most ever, and its dental visits jumped by 16%.
Under Kerrigan’s leadership, the Kennedy Community Health Center received Advanced Practice Provider Fellowships Accreditation with Distinction for its Advanced Practice Provider Residency program in 2024, a recognition of the health center’s ability to transition physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses to new practice environments.Â
Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.
