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Community Benefits and Community Health Initiatives

We're dedicated to improving the health of members of our communities.
Tufts Medical Center Infusion Center patient speaks with Krista Tucker, RN, during treatment.

Tufts Medical Center established the Office of Community Benefits and Community Health Initiatives (CBCHI) to respond to the challenges of an increasingly complex healthcare delivery environment, to meet the changing needs of Tufts Medical Center's diverse patient population and to focus on public health and disease prevention.

CBCHI coordinates and facilitates a range of community-oriented activities, promotes collaborative efforts, and provides technical assistance to Tufts Medical Center departments in their community health outreach and improvement efforts.

In addition to reporting on the Medical Center's community benefits activities, it provides funding and technical support for health education, outreach, and prevention projects at local community-based organizations and health centers. We organize community outreach participation and efforts and seek to improve the overall health, well-being and health knowledge of residents in the communities the hospital serves.

Tufts Medical Center is committed to improving the health and well-being of, and to reducing health disparities and inequities in, the communities we serve. We seek to identify current and emerging health needs, collaborate with community partners, provide culturally and linguistically appropriate health services and resources, and address community health needs through education, prevention, and treatment.

CBCHI program highlights

Our programs include:

The Asian Health Initiative (AHI) identifies public health issues of particular prevalence or concern to the local Asian community and seeks to work collaboratively with local community-based organizations to help address those health issues in a culturally and linguistically appropriate setting. Current community partner organizations are focusing on reducing tobacco and nicotine use. Learn more about AHI

The Dorchester Health Initiative (DHI) addresses health issues disproportionately affecting residents of the various Dorchester neighborhoods by partnering with local organizations and programs to address identified health priorities. Current community partners are focused on challenges related to behavioral health (including violence, mental health, and substance use) with an emphasis on youth and families. Learn more about DHI

The South Boston Health Initiative partners with community organizations to address health challenges that affect residents of the South Boston community. At South Boston Community Health Center (SBCHC), Tufts MC supports programs working to improve behavioral health by preventing violence, connecting substance users to appropriate care and treatment, and a food pantry, developed in response to community members’ concerns over food security. Tufts MC also supports Gavin Foundation’s Cushing House, a residential substance use treatment program for young men, where they can receive the medical and social support they need to overcome addiction, reconnect with their families, and reengage with positive educational and job opportunities.

Founded in 2006, Tufts MC’s High School Summer Internship Program seeks to improve the social determinants of health for local youth by providing employment, positive mentorship and role models, and personal and professional learning opportunities in a safe space within the hospital and community nonprofit settings. The program provide dozens of BPS high school students with the opportunity to learn about diverse career options in the healthcare field, such as pediatrics, outpatient clinics, finance, and IT. Students come from surrounding neighborhoods including Chinatown, Dorchester, South End, and South Boston. Student interns benefit from a structured seven-week program during which they support their respective departments and participate in weekly enrichment workshops. Many students participate in the internship program for two summers, and some former interns have been hired part- or full-time by the Medical Center.

2022 Community Benefits grantees
Community Benefit Reports and Community Health Needs Assessments

Tufts Medical Center completes an annual Community Benefit Report to the State Attorney General’s Office that highlights our efforts to promote health and well-being of the broader community, with health priorities determined and identified in our tri-annual Community Health Needs Assessment.  

Tufts Medical Center completes a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) every three years to identify health needs of our priority communities and guide our community health improvement efforts. In developing the CHNA, we review local public health data as well as input from health advocates and local community members, under the guidance of an advisory committee.

We welcome your comments to inform our next CHNA and implementation strategy.  Comments may be submitted by email to CHNA@tuftsmedicalcenter.org or by mail to the Office of Community Benefits and Community Health Initiatives at 800 Washington Street, Box 116, Boston, MA 02111.

Contact us

Community Benefits and Community Health Initiatives
Tufts Medical Center
800 Washington Street, Box #116
Boston, MA  02111
617.636.1626
Fax: 617.636.8891

Staff
Sherry Dong
Executive Director
617.636.1628
sherry.dong@tuftsmedicine.org

Kris King
Program Director
kris.king@tuftsmedicine.org

Lisa Hy
Program Manager
lisa.hy@tuftsmedicine.org

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