Contact: Richard P. Gulla
Tel: 781-434-7101
Email: rgulla@mms.org
Waltham, Mass. -- April 5, 2011 -- The Massachusetts Medical
Society and Alliance Charitable Foundation has awarded 10 grants
totaling $149,500 to agencies across the state to support health
and medical services that address HIV/AIDS, homelessness, STD
prevention, chronic disease, mental health, tuberculosis,
healthy lifestyles, and health literacy for youth, adults, and
seniors.
Six agencies are receiving grants for the first time; four have
previously received grants. The recipients, awards, and purposes of
the grants, with links to their websites.
AIDS Project Worcester, $32,000, to expand the
organization's free and anonymous HIV testing services to include
testing for sexually transmitted infections. For over 20 years, the
organization has been providing comprehensive services to support
the medical care and service needs of persons living with HIV/AIDS
and those at greatest risk for the disease. www.aidsprojectworcester.org
MetroWest Free Medical Program, Sudbury,
$25,000, to expand services provided by volunteer physicians at the
Sudbury and Framingham locations to include routine screening for
chronic disease and to improve the health literacy of patients. The
agency, which received Foundation grants in 2009 and 2010, provides
free care to uninsured people in the region. www.metrowestfreemedicalprogram.org/
Lynn Community Health Center, $25,000, to
increase the health education and outreach efforts of its Teen
Health Ambassadors in the areas of pregnancy prevention, STD/HIV
education and prevention, domestic violence assessment and
education, and access to health care services. LCHC is now the
largest provider of primary care services in Lynn. In 2010,
it provided over 150,000 medical, behavioral health and
dental visits to 33,286 patients - reaching more than one in three
Lynn residents and 45 percent of all Lynn children under the age of
19. www.lchcnet.org
Amherst Survival Center, $15,000, to support a
part-time clinic coordinator who will work with patients to connect
them with primary care and specialty services, arrange
transportation, serve as an advocate, and keep track of
appointments and medications. Since 1976, the organization has
promoted the health and well being of residents of Franklin and
Hampshire counties with programs to help people meet basic needs.
www.amherstsurvival.org
Father Bill's & MainSpring, headquartered
in Quincy and serving homeless individuals in the Quincy and
Brockton areas, $15,000, to support the MainSpring Clinic Project
in Brockton that provides basic medical care, tests , and
screenings and helps patients with insurance and referrals to
primary care physicians. This is the third grant to the agency from
the Foundation. www.fatherbillsmainspring.org/
Boys & Girls Clubs of MetroWest,
Marlborough, $10,000, to support the agency's Triple Play Program
for Marlborough youth in grades 2-7. The program demonstrates how
eating right, keeping fit and forming positive relationships can
lead to a healthy lifestyle. The Boys and Girls Club of MetroWest
serves 3,200 youth each year in Marlborough, Hudson, and
Framingham. www.bgcmetrowest.org
Duffy Health Center, Hyannis, $7,500, to expand
the Office-Based Opioid Treatment Program started in 2004, which
provides a comprehensive patient support system during the
transition from addiction to recovery. Last year, Duffy providers
cared for 2,604 patients, with more than 25,000 visits, six times
the rate of more traditional community health centers. The agency
received a grant from the Foundation in 2003 to provide primary
health care and social services to the homeless. www.duffyhealthcenter.org
Open Door Free Medical Program, Hudson, $7,500,
to support expansion of its physician-led volunteer initiative to
include a mental health component. Open Door Free Medical Program
is a community-based outreach program run by the First United
Methodist Church of Hudson that provides free, walk-in medical care
for those in the Marlborough/Hudson area who lack health insurance.
The agency received previous grants from the Foundation in 2009 and
2010.
Milford Regional Medical Center, Milford,
$7,500, to support efforts of volunteer medical staff and community
partners in its tuberculosis program. Milford Regional Medical
Center (MRMC) serves the healthcare needs of residents in 20
communities in Central Massachusetts, an area whose population is
approaching 250,000. An outpatient tuberculosis clinic was
established in 2007 as the need for treatment escalated among
non-U.S. born residents. www.milfordregional.org
Hearth, Inc., Boston, $5,000, to support the
agency's Outreach Program that provides housing search, placement,
and stabilization services to homeless elders and prevention
services to elders at risk of homelessness. Hearth develops and
operates affordable housing for homeless and low-income elders,
assists elders in locating affordable options in other community
housing, and provides important support and stabilization services,
all necessary to ensure permanent housing placements for elders in
need. www.hearth-home.org
The 10 awards bring the total amount of grants made by the
Foundation to more than $2.1 million since its inception in 2000.
Among the 74 programs supported are those addressing homelessness,
sexual abuse and domestic violence, hunger, and health care for the
uninsured and underinsured. More information on the MMS and
Alliance Charitable Foundation may be found at www.mmsfoundation.org.
The Foundation is a supporting organization of the Massachusetts
Medical Society, the statewide association of physicians, and the
MMS Alliance, the organization of physicians' spouses committed to
promoting good health among the citizens of Massachusetts and to
advancing the health and well being of the medical family. The
Foundation's mission is to support the charitable and educational
activities of the Society and Alliance and address issues affecting
the health, benefit, and welfare of the community.
The Massachusetts Medical Society, with nearly 23,000 physicians
and student members, is dedicated to educating and advocating for
the patients and physicians of Massachusetts. The Society publishes
the New England Journal of Medicine, a leading global medical
journal and web site, and Journal Watch alerts and newsletters
covering 13 specialties. The Society is also a leader in continuing
medical education for health care professionals throughout
Massachusetts, conducting a variety of medical education programs
for physicians and health care professionals. Founded in 1781, MMS
is the oldest continuously operating medical society in the
country.
