Lahey Hospital & Medical Center Awards Nearly $1M in Community-based Health Initiative Grants to Three Local Organizations
Funding Will Support Housing Programs, Mental Health and Substance Use Services Across The Region
Burlington, MA – Lahey Hospital & Medical Center (LHMC), part of Beth Israel Lahey Health (BILH), has awarded nearly $1 million in grants through its Community-based Health Initiative to three local organizations to support housing programs and mental health and substance use services throughout the region.
Building on LHMC’s longstanding commitment to the community, the funding seeks to empower local nonprofit organizations to address key areas of need and to support the health care priorities of the communities they serve.
“These grants provide community organizations with critical resources to further develop and implement programs and services that bolster the health and well-being of their local residents,” said Susan Moffatt-Bruce, MD, PhD, president of Lahey Hospital & Medical Center. “We are proud to support these organizations and the important work they are doing in their communities.”
The grant recipients include:
Community Teamwork Inc. (CTI), Lowell: As Greater Lowell’s Community Action Agency, CTI mobilizes resources for individuals who are low-resourced. Its nearly $500,000 grant award will provide families experiencing homelessness with Secure Jobs services, which includes personalized employment services, job readiness skills training, a year of stabilization services and assistance aimed at eliminating barriers to employment and connecting families with suitable employers.
"We are grateful for the funding from Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, which will allow us to aid the homeless families and migrants currently being housed in the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center,” said Carl Howell, chief executive officer of Community Teamwork Inc. “This project provides these families with our Secure Jobs services in order to help them find employment, which we know will lead to self-sufficiency, economic stability and affordable housing opportunities."
Greater Lowell Health Alliance (GLHA), Lowell: With a focus on addressing health inequities and the social determinants that drive them, GLHA’s $235,000 grant award will expand the Khmer Older Adult Action Group (KOAAG), which engages older Cambodian adults as paid community ambassadors to identify community needs and implement interventions. The group will identify, plan and execute programs, educational sessions, trainings, and/or events to address what they determine are the most critical issues generating poor mental and physical health within their community.
"The Greater Lowell Health Alliance is incredibly excited and grateful for this funding from Lahey Hospital & Medical Center that will support the work of our Khmer Older Adult Action Group,” said Hannah Tello, PhD, director of projects and evaluation, Greater Lowell Health Alliance. “This group of Cambodian elders, led by a Cambodian resident, will hold the reins to design and implement community health programs that resonate most deeply with their own needs and aspirations. This partnership helps us advance our goals of fostering meaningful community engagement and ensuring our efforts to improve the mental and physical health of our community members are both relevant and impactful. We believe strongly that community members know what they need; thanks to this funding, we will leverage the right resources to make it happen."
YMCA of Metro North/Torigian Family YMCA, Peabody: YMCA of Metro North/Torigian Family YMCA’s $260,000 grant will enhance its Torigian Family YMCA Youth Mental Health Support and Substance Use Prevention Program, seeking to address the pressing mental and behavioral health concerns of children and teens in the community. The funds will support a youth behavioral analyst position and further substance use prevention and behavioral health services for young people.
"We are immensely grateful to Lahey Hospital & Medical Center for this grant, which enables us to expand our impact on young people in our care," said Cara Green, executive director of the Torigian Family YMCA. "This support allows us to continue our work as a vital community partner at the forefront of helping children and teens navigate stress and mental health issues and provide them a healthy, safe and supportive place to utilize in the community.”
The grants will be provided over three years.
This community health investment has been allocated as part of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Determination of Need process for the relocation and expansion of LHMC’s Radiation Oncology Department. The new, modernized clinic will provide patients access to high-quality cancer care in the community. It is expected to open later this year.
About Lahey Hospital & Medical Center
Lahey Hospital & Medical Center (LHMC) is a world-renowned tertiary academic medical center known for its innovative technology, pioneering medical treatments and leading-edge research. As a physician-led hospital, LHMC offers a legacy of care and education committed to putting the patient at the center through a multidisciplinary, collaborative and team-based approach. LHMC’s research efforts and clinical trials cross numerous medical disciplines, providing patients with access to the latest options in treatment and care.
LHMC is a part of Beth Israel Lahey Health, a health care system that brings together academic medical centers and teaching hospitals, community and specialty hospitals, more than 4,700 physicians and 39,000 employees in a shared mission to expand access to great care and advance the science and practice of medicine through groundbreaking research and education.
