Nearly 52 years ago, Mark Masselli founded Community Health Center Inc. (CHCI), which is now the state’s largest provider of medical, dental and behavioral health care for the underserved.

This week, he announced the launch of a health system intended to expand the effort to improve the health of underserved communities nationwide. 

Called the Moses/Weitzman Health System (MWHS), the not-for-profit organization is based in Middletown and is touted as the first health system in the United States dedicated to delivering primary care to underserved communities. 

“We have this history since 1972,” Masselli, CEO of both CHCI and MWHS, said in a telephone interview Friday with the Hartford Business Journal, “when we planted a different flag, that health care was a right and not a privilege, and we’ve rallied around that flag for 52 years. This is trying to build on that.”

He said MWHS wants to make sure that right also extends to having a system that “focuses on cultivating the health and well being of every individual who comes into the system.”

According to MWHS, its health system is comprised of several parts, each now with a national reach:

• Community Health Center Inc. in Middletown, a federally qualified health center that provides primary care via 17 centers across Connecticut; offers residencies for health care professionals; and hosts continuing education for professionals nationwide.
• The Weitzman Institute in Washington, D.C., which conducts research, education, and policy work.
• ConferMED, an eConsult platform that gives patients access to specialty care through their primary care providers.
• The Consortium for Advanced Practice Providers in Newport Beach, California, which accredits healthcare organizations to offer residency training for new advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and physician associates, and
• The National Institute for Medical Assistant Advancement (NIMAA), which is operated by CHCI and trains people to become medical assistants through online learning and continuous experience in clinic settings, and
• The Center for Key Populations, also affiliated with CHCI, specializes in caring for vulnerable populations, including the homeless, people with HIV/AIDS, the addicted and domestic violence victims.

MWHS said the center partners with global health organizations, with current and recent programs running in Jamaica, Uganda, Ukraine, Malaysia and Peru.

Masselli said MWHS’ mission is to strengthen health care and improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations across the country and, eventually, the world. Through clinical services, education, research, advocacy and partnerships, MWHS promotes an integrated, interdisciplinary model of health care with an emphasis on equity and justice, he said.

Masselli said 5 million people nationwide already have access to the MWHS health system via its eConsult platform, including 150,000 patients in Connecticut. There are also 1,400 community health center organizations with 10,000 locations nationwide, he said.

He noted that many residents in underserved communities may have a primary care physician, but that still may not mean they have access to quality healthcare. 

“We would argue … if it’s not team based, if it doesn’t have the sort of appropriate access to education and new ideas and development, it’s a good start but it may not be the place you want to end up,” he said. 

Part of MWHS’ efforts include training, he said, noting that last year the Weitzman Institute trained 25,000 healthcare professionals in team-based care. 

“Health care is always changing, and this new system will lead the way beyond the traditional four walls,” Masselli said. “We stand by our belief that to improve health systems, we must address many issues, leverage new technology, and be present in our communities.”

To learn more, visit https://www.mwhs1.com.