Massachusetts Health Centers Awarded Nearly $16 Million In Federal Funding For COVID-19 Testing

Press Release

U.S. Representative Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08), joined U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and U.S. Representatives Richard E. Neal (D-MA-01), James P. McGovern (D-MA-02), William Keating (D-MA-09), Joseph P. Kennedy III (D-MA-04), Katherine Clark (D-MA-05), Seth Moulton (D-MA-06), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07) and Lori Trahan (D-MA-04) to announce that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded Massachusetts community health centers a total of $15,909,257 in new federal grants through the Expanding Capacity for Testing Program that was authorized by Congress in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The 38 health centers receiving grants include:

Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, Inc. (Boston) - $273,469
Brockton Neighborhood Health Center, Inc. (Brockton) - $630,289
Caring Health Center, Inc. (Springfield) - $391,969
Charles River Community Health (Brighton) - $330,934
Codman Square Health Center, Inc. (Dorchester) - $447,694
Community Health Center of Cape Cod (Mashpee) - $315,649
Community Health Center of Franklin County, Inc. (Greenfield) - $222,589
Community Health Connections, Inc. (Fitchburg) - $469,489
Community Health Programs, Inc. (Great Barrington) - $567,574
Dimock Community Health Center, Inc. (Roxbury) - $308,899
Dothouse Health, inc. (Dorchester) - $409,309
Duffy Health Center, Inc. (Hyannis) - $148,114
East Boston Neighborhood Health Center Corporation (Boston) - $1,213,924
Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center, Inc. (Worcester) - $529,324
Family Health Center of Worcester, Inc. (Worcester) - $533,344
Fenway Community Health Center, Inc. (Boston) - $602,524
Greater Lawrence Family Health Center, Inc. (Lawrence) - $942,379
Greater New Bedford Community Health Center, Inc. (New Bedford) - $457,699
Harbor Health Services, Inc. (Mattapan) - $619,774
Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center, Inc. (Dorchester) - $200,824
Healthfirst Family Care Center, Inc. (Fall River) - $376,669
Hilltown Community Health Centers, Inc. (Worthington) - $242,359
Holyoke Health Center, Inc. (Holyoke) - $429,589
Island Health Inc. (West Tisbury) - $144,859
Lowell Community Health Center, Inc. (Lowell) - $615,829
Lynn Community Health, Inc. (Lynn) - $715,054
Manet Community Health Center, Inc. (North Quincy) - $361,459
Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, Inc. (Boston) - $127,624
Mattapan Community Health Center, Inc. (Boston) - $238,549
North End Community Health Committee, Inc. (Boston) - $305,014
North Shore Community Health, Inc. (Boston) - $297,409
Outer Cape Health Services, Inc. (Wellfleet) - $356,539
South Boston Community Health Center, Inc. (Boston) - $343,519
South Cove Community Health Center, Inc. (Boston) - $627,259
South End Community Health Center, Inc. (Boston) - $300,769
City of Springfield (Springfield) - $146,404
Upham's Corner Health Committee, Inc. (Dorchester) - $265,534
Whittier Street Health Center (Roxbury) - $399,049
"Programs such as the Brockton Neighborhood Health Center, South Boston Community Health Center and Manet Health Center in Quincy provide care and support to the most vulnerable in our society," said Rep. Lynch. "I am very pleased to see community health centers receive this critical funding to help expand their coronavirus testing abilities and ensure everyone has access to the proper healthcare and resources throughout this pandemic."

"If we're serious about stopping this pandemic and getting our economy back up and running, then we must do everything we can to boost our testing capacity, especially in communities hardest hit by this pandemic," said Senator Warren. "I'm glad that our community health centers--which often serve our most vulnerable populations--received this critical funding, and I'll keep fighting with my delegation partners to ensure they have the resources they need to continue testing and caring for Massachusetts residents during this crisis."

"Supporting our community health centers will be key if we want to direct resources toward Massachuestts communities that have been hardest hit by this pandemic," said Senator Markey. "We will only get through this crisis and re-open our economy with more testing. This funding will provide resources to get more people tested, and ensure we can then provide the treatment they need. I will continue to work with the delegation and our state and local partners to ensure we support this important thread in the fabric of our social safety net."

"Health centers continue to play a pivotal role in combating this coronavirus pandemic," said Congressman Richard E. Neal. "With more access to testing, community health centers will be able to expand their work for the health and well-being of all they serve."

"As Massachusetts continues to expand our testing and contact tracing capabilities, it is critical that we provide our community health centers with the money they need to protect public health, said Congressman McGovern. "We cannot have a healthy economy without healthy workers and families. I'm glad we were able to overcome Republican opposition and get this important funding included in the CARES Act. The testing and tracing going on at our community health centers is absolutely critical and we must continue to support and empower them however we can."

"Families across Southeastern Massachusetts depend on community health centers for their health care needs - and these centers have been on the frontline during the COVID-19 crisis," said Congressman Bill Keating. "The $2.4 million in federal funds that our community health centers serving the 9th Congressional District will be receiving will go directly to purchase, administer, and expand capacity for COVID-19. Thank you to Greater New Bedford Community Health Center, Duffy Health Center, Outer Cape Health Services, Harbor Health Services, Community Health Center of Cape Cod, Island Health, and Healthfirst Family Care Center for all you do every day to keep our communities healthy."

"Our testing capacity will guide us as we begin to reopen and rebuild our economy," said Congressman Joe Kennedy III. "As community health centers stand on the frontlines of those efforts, this funding will help them protect their patients and our neighborhoods."

"The science couldn't be clearer: We can't safely reopen our economy and return to normal without extensive coronavirus testing, tracing and treatment in every community," said Congresswoman Clark. "This urgently needed federal funding for health centers in our state will ensure that Massachusetts families get the care they need to stop the spread and start us on a path toward recovery."

"The Greater New Bedford Community Health Center, Lynn Community Health, and all health centers across the state are leading the fight against the coronavirus, and we've got to do all we can to support them," Rep. Seth Moulton said. "They're operating at a loss right now to care for the sick, and Congress must step up. I hope this is just the start of what we are able to deliver."

"Our community health centers are on the frontlines of this pandemic, caring for some of our most vulnerable communities in the 7th district and across the country," said Congresswoman Pressley. "Because our CHCs are already doing the work in community, they're uniquely suited to provide testing to low-income communities and communities of color, who are being disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. This funding will help ensure that our testing resources are being allocated to the hardest hit neighborhoods so that we can fully understand the scale of this crisis and ultimately save lives."

"Health care heroes across the state, especially in Lawrence, Lowell, and Fitchburg, have gone above and beyond the call of duty to serve their communities. This funding shows them that we have their backs as we ask them to ramp up their efforts to expand access to testing in the coming weeks," said Congresswoman Lori Trahan.