North Shore Community Health’s Outpatient Substance Use Disorder Treatment Among the Best in MA and the Country
SALEM, Mass. — North Shore Community Health (NSCH)’s outpatient substance use disorder program is among the best nationwide. The health center achieved first- and second-quartile performance in two key quality measures placing it among leading substance use disorder providers nationwide. In the Health Resources and Services Administration’s 2025 Uniform Data System (UDS) national comparison report, NSCH ranked in the first quartile for treatment engagement and the second quartile for treatment initiation.
NSCH’s treatment engagement rate is nearly 70% higher than all of Massachusetts’s health centers and 33% higher than its peers nationally. The North Shore Health Center’s treatment initiation rate was 13% higher than other Massachusetts’s health centers’ initiation rate and 4% higher than its peers nationally.
“Engagement” measures patients remaining in care after their first visit and is the more challenging of the two measures. NSCH’s high engagement highlights the organization’s success in supporting continuity of care and sustained recovery.
“These results reflect the dedication of our teams in helping patients not only begin treatment but remain connected to the care and support that can make sustained recovery possible,” said Dr. Amer El-Haddad, Chief Medical Officer of North Shore Community Health. “North Shore Community Health is very proud of the excellent care provided by our Recovery Service Team,” said Maggie Brennan, President and CEO of NSCH. “Their ‘no wrong door’ approach to treatment is clearly proving to be successful in getting and keeping folks in care. This approach is patient-centered and tailored to meet people where they are in their recovery journeys.”
NSCH also recently secured funding through the RIZE Massachusetts Foundation, Linkages to Care (LinC): Scaling Effective Models grant initiative. RIZE distributed $620,000 to community-based organizations throughout Eastern and Central Massachusetts, awarding $135,000 to NSCH to support a one-year initiative and marks the third time NSCH has been selected as a RIZE grant recipient.
NSCH provides comprehensive substance use disorder treatment (SUD) as part of its integrated, community-based healthcare services. The health center provides this care to more than 600 residents of the North Shore and Cape Ann.
About North Shore Community Health
North Shore Community Health (NSCH), www.nschi.org, operates family medicine practices in Salem, Peabody, and Gloucester, serving over 16,000 patients annually. NSCH provides comprehensive primary care, dental, behavioral health, and substance use disorder treatment regardless of a patient’s insurance status or ability to pay. Learn more at nschi.org.
Media Contacts
Michea McCaffrey
michea.mccaffrey@nschi.org
978-825-1109
www.nschi.org