Funding Received to Strengthen Health Care, School Programs

February 22, 2022 — The Community Health Center in Mashpee and United Way organizations based in Worcester and Boston recently received federal and state funding to, respectively, increase health care for underserved populations and strengthen school programs impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Community Health Center Granted $1M to Increase Virtual Health Care

Community Health Center (CHC) in Mashpee today announced it will receive $1,066,000 from the federal Department of Health and Human Services to increase health care access and quality for underserved populations through virtual care such as telehealth, remote patient monitoring, digital patient tools, and emerging health information technology platforms.

This grant will be used to advance quality outcomes in primary care by providing additional support for the many health care technologies available. CHC said the grant will enable it to enhance call center operations to integrate and assist with new patient registration and improve triage services with the use of self-diagnostic artificial intelligence technologies.

CHC will the funding will also help it improve and expand use of smart technologies for remote patient monitoring and integrate even more telehealth services to better reach individuals who are facing barriers to care.

United Way of Central Massachusetts Awarded $4.5M

The United Way of Central Massachusetts based in Worcester recently was awarded $4.5 million from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to fund and strengthen services afterschool and out-of-school programs impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, the Worcester Business Journal recently reported.

The United Way of Central Massachusetts applied for the funding on behalf of all United Ways in Central Massachusetts, including United Way of North Central Massachusetts and United Way of South Central Massachusetts, according to the report.

The funding, to be provided over two years, represents a major increase in the organization’s funding; the United Way of Central Massachusetts an annual budget of around $5.5 million.

United Way of Mass. Bay Also Gets $4.5M

The United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley based in Boston recently announced it also received $4.5 million in state funding to provide wraparound support to afterschool and out-of-school (OST) time programs to help recover from the impacts on student learning caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has shined a light on the urgent need to invest more robustly in out-of-school time programs to ensure that youth are engaged in their learning at every age, and remain on a pathway to postsecondary success,” said Bob Giannino, 0resident and CEO at United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley. “This funding will help us bridge the gaps so that school districts and OST providers are connected, thoughtfully involved, and effective in supporting the social emotional development of our young people, who need these wraparound supports now more than ever.”

The United Way said it will work with OST programs serving students in pre-K through grade 12, particularly agencies with a demonstrated history of providing comprehensive youth programming with a racial and trauma-informed lens.