New England Health Centers Ramp Up Efforts, Provide Quality Healthcare To Trans Community

January 12, 2019

By: Michael Givens/TRT Assistant Editor

Excerpt:

With five sites across Peabody, Salem, and Gloucester, North Shore Community Health (NSCH) is ramping up its efforts to become a comprehensive healthcare facility, and that includes building its trans health program.

“As part of our mission to provide comprehensive primary health care to all of our patients, we decided to begin the important work of enhancing our transgender health services by giving dedicated training through the Fenway Institute to a team of primary care providers across all of our sites in Salem, Peabody and Gloucester as well as at the two high schools, Peabody Veteran Memorial High School and Salem High School, to competently address the specific needs of our current and future transgender patients,” said Damian Archer, chief medical officer at NSCH.

According to Archer, NSCH has completed two years of clinical training through Trans ECHO to prepare clinicians to serve trans patients and a curricula is being developed to train clinical and administrative staff to provide stigma-free and inclusive care to patients. NSCH even reached out to the LGBTQ community for mentorship and advice on how to best roll out the program and incorporate the training into its work.

Most notably, Archer said, “North Shore Community Health stands-out in the medical community of the North Shore as a federally qualified community health center because we are part of a movement to deliver social justice through the provision of equitable, high-quality health care.”

Perhaps NSCH’s work will signal healthcare best practices for the future, both locally and nationally.

For the full story please visit: New England Health Centers Ramp Up Efforts, Provide Quality Healthcare To Trans Community

Peabody High Class of ’14 supports Student Health Center

December 18, 2018christina aubinNews, UncategorizedNSCH, Peabody, Salem, Student Health Center

Peabody High Class of ’14 supports Student Health Center

By Ethan Forman Staff Writer

PEABODY — The class of 2014 at Peabody High has donated $1,000 to the school’s Student Health Center, to support mental health services.

Matthew Mogavero, co-resident of the class, said in an email that the class did not make a gift at graduation, but recently made the decision to make one to the health center, which is open to students at the high school when school is in session.

The center, operated by North Shore Community Health, provides medical services such as immunizations, urgent care visits, physicals and sports physicals, as well as mental health services, including counseling, individual therapy, group therapy, help with stopping drug or alcohol use, and stress management.

“The class officers polled some members of our class, and the overwhelming consensus was that our peers wanted these funds to go toward mental health services at the high school,” Mogavero said . He said many recent graduates are alarmed about the rising rates of suicide and mental illness among young people in the United States.

“This gift has prompted conversations between us graduates of how we felt we had so little support in high school when it came to mental health and self-care,” he said. “The stigma of mental illness and lack of supportive resources has led to many youth suffering in silence. We must stop that stigma and inaction.”

The Student Health Center opened to treat students at Peabody High in the spring of 2015, after Mogavero’s class had graduated.

Staff writer Ethan Forman can be reached at 978-338-2673, by email at eforman@salemnews.com or on Twitter at @TannerSalemNews.

Fresh Truck Mobile Market coming to Salem Family Health!!

ImageOctober 11, 2018christina aubinEvents, News

NORTH SHORE COMMUNITY HEALTH RECEIVES FEDERAL GRANT – Health Center will expand its substance abuse and behavioral health services.

October 1, 2018October 1, 2018christina aubinNewsCommunity Health Center, MAT, north shore community health center, Opiode

North Shore Community Health receives federal grant.

Health Center will expand its substance abuse and behavioral health services.

Salem, MA, September 26, 2018– North Shore Community Health received $371,000 in federal funding to expand its existing substance abuse and behavioral health treatment services. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) HRSA awarded $352 million to increase access to substance use disorder and mental health services through the Expanding Access to Quality Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health Services (SUD-MH) to 1,232 community health centers across the nation.

The awards support HHS’s Five-Point Opioid Strategy, which launched last year to empower local communities on the frontlines of the national epidemic. “HRSA is committed to fighting this crisis by supporting our grantees with resources, technical assistance, and training to integrate behavioral health care services into practice settings and communities,” said HRSA Administrator George Sigounas MS, Ph.D. “These funds enable HRSA grantees to continue to implement or expand substance use disorder and mental health services across the Nation.”

“Given that we are a medium size community health center; this is a very significant award. It affirms our commitment to participate in the efforts to combat the opioid abuse epidemic that is raging in the communities we serve,” said Margaret Brennan, CEO of North Shore Community Health. “We are currently seeing over 300 people who are struggling with substance abuse and the care we provide is very comprehensive. This funding will allow us to provide more care to those we are seeing now, expand to see new patients, and see more people who are struggling with behavioral health issues. With continuing support from the Federal Government and a new campaign we have launched to attract private giving, we are very proud of the success we have had over the last several years,” added Brennan.

North Shore Community Health is an NCQA certified Level 3 Patient Centered Medical Home with three family practice sites that include Salem, Peabody, and Gloucester Family Health Centers. These sites have medical, dental, substance abuse treatment, and behavioral health services and care for individuals and families of all ages. NSCH also has two School-Based Health Centers (Salem High School Teen Health Center and Peabody Veterans War Memorial High School Teen Health Center) and provides behavioral health care on site at Collins Middle School, Nathaniel Bowditch, Bates and Bentley Schools in Salem. No one seeking care at any of our sites will be denied access to services due to inability to pay as the health center uses a discounted/sliding fee scale based on family size and income. NSCH also provides translation services, outreach and enrollment services and health education. The health center is governed by a Board of Directors where more than 50% of the Board are also patients. North Shore Community Health is a member of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers and the National Association of Community Health Centers.

Schools address mental health needs for students

September 6, 2018christina aubinUncategorized

North Shore Community Health has partnered with Salem and Peabody school districts to offer services to their students.

To read more please click on this link…

NSCH Pride Salem 2018

ImageJune 25, 2018christina aubinEvents, News, Uncategorized

Community health centers appeal for state assistance

May 3, 2018christina aubinNews, Uncategorized

Community health centers appeal for state assistance

The Lowell Sun

Updated: 05/01/2018 04:36:17 PM EDT

By Katie Lannan

STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

Excerpt:

Dr. Damian Archer, the chief medical officer of North Shore Community Health, called it “absolutely necessary” to think about how to stabilize health care centers.

“We have demonstrated what our value is to the commonwealth, and I think we just need that support in order to carry that baton a little bit further down the track of helping health care to the next level,” he said.

Archer said workforce retention is among the greatest challenges facing community health centers, which can struggle to pay salaries that are competitive with other institutions.

“We can’t keep up pace with what their needs are,” he said of clinicians and other workers. “They come with these sort of golden hearts and want to do a lot of passionate, driven, compassionate work, but they have loans and they have other needs that need to be met, which we can’t really fight with.”

Salem Family Health Center designated as PCMH PRIME Certified

Posted Jan 31, 2018 at 2:48 PM

The Health Policy Commission recently announced that Salem Family Health Center has met the requirements to be designated as PCMH PRIME Certified.

The Massachusetts Health Policy Commission, in collaboration with NCQA, developed the PCMH PRIME Certification Program, which identifies criteria that are key to integrating behavioral health care into primary care and certifies practices that meet a majority of these criteria.

Practices meet PCMH PRIME criteria by demonstrating capabilities in a majority of the following areas:

• Behavioral Health Integration: Integration of behavioral health through agreements, co-location or provider integration.

• Comprehensive Health Assessment: Comprehensive health assessments that include screenings for behavioral health conditions, such as depression, post-partum depression, anxiety, developmental delays and substance use disorder.

• Identifying High-Risk Patients: A system for identifying high-risk patients for targeted care management.

• Referral Tracking and Follow-Up: Tracking and following up on referrals to specialists, including behavioral health care providers.

• Evidence-Based Decision Support: Using evidence-based guidelines to make decisions about support for mental health and substance use disorders.

• Addiction Treatment: Medication-assisted treatment for addiction.

PEABODY FAMILY HEALTH CENTER DESIGNATED AS PCMH PRIME CERTIFIED

January 23, 2018January 23, 2018christina aubinNews, Uncategorized

Peabody Family Health Center has met the requirements to be designated as PCMH PRIME Certified.

Salem, MA, January 23, 2018– The Health Policy Commission (HPC) has announced that Peabody Family Health Center has met the requirements to be designated as PCMH PRIME Certified.

The Massachusetts Health Policy Commission (HPC), in collaboration with NCQA, developed the PCMH PRIME Certification Program, which identifies criteria that are key to integrating behavioral health care into primary care and certifies practices that meet a majority of these criteria. Practices meet PCMH PRIME criteria by demonstrating capabilities in a majority of the following areas: Behavioral Health Integration: Integration of behavioral health through agreements, co-location or provider integration. Comprehensive Health Assessment: Comprehensive health assessments that include screenings for behavioral health conditions, such as depression, post-partum depression, anxiety, developmental delays and substance use disorder. Identifying High-Risk Patients: A system for identifying high-risk patients for targeted care management. Referral Tracking and Follow-Up: Tracking and following up on referrals to specialists, including behavioral healthcare providers. Evidence-Based Decision Support: Using evidence-based guidelines to make decisions about support for mental health and substance use disorders. Addiction Treatment: Medication-assisted treatment for addiction.

Peabody Family Health Center is one of North Shore Community Health three family practice sites that include Salem Family Health Center, Peabody Family Health Center, and Gloucester Family Health Center. These sites have medical, dental and behavioral health services and serve individuals and families of all ages. NSCHI also has two School-Based Health Centers (Salem High School Teen Health Center and Peabody Veterans War Memorial High School Teen Health Center). No one seeking care at any of our sites will ever be denied access to services due to inability to pay. We offer a discounted/sliding fee scale based on family size and income. You may apply for a discount at the front desk when you arrive at any of our sites. We also offer translation services, outreach and enrollment services and health education. We are governed by a Board of Directors where more than 50% of the Board are also patients. North Shore Community Health is a member of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers and the National Association of Community Health Centers.

GLOUCESTER FAMILY HEALTH CENTER DESIGNATED AS PCMH PRIME CERTIFIED

January 23, 2018January 23, 2018christina aubinNews, Uncategorized

Gloucester Family Health Center has met the requirements to be designated as PCMH PRIME Certified.

Salem, MA, January 23, 2018– The Health Policy Commission (HPC) has announced that Gloucester Family Health Center has met the requirements to be designated as PCMH PRIME Certified.

Gloucester Family Health Center is one of North Shore Community Health three family practice sites that include Salem Family Health Center, Peabody Family Health Center, and Gloucester Family Health Center. These sites have medical, dental and behavioral health services and serve individuals and families of all ages. NSCHI also has two School-Based Health Centers (Salem High School Teen Health Center and Peabody Veterans War Memorial High School Teen Health Center). No one seeking care at any of our sites will ever be denied access to services due to inability to pay. We offer a discounted/sliding fee scale based on family size and income. You may apply for a discount at the front desk when you arrive at any of our sites. We also offer translation services, outreach and enrollment services and health education. We are governed by a Board of Directors where more than 50% of the Board are also patients. North Shore Community Health is a member of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers and the National Association of Community Health Centers.