Worcester Business Journal

Worcester Business Journal 7 S P E C I A L A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N | Business Profiles 2023 I n 2022, Kennedy Community Health celebrat- ed its 50th anniversary. During the past five decades, we have been providing a wide range of services from primary care to dental to vision to substance use to gender affirming health services. In recent years, we have been heavily focused on ad- dressing health disparities and inequities highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. As our nation transitions to managing COVID-19 over the long term, we will continue to provide education regarding the importance of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and ensure continued access to the vaccine, particularly for our marginalized and disen- franchised populations. is means that we must always make ourselves available to our patients and the community. Our clinical team remains vigilant in staying on top of the latest information about the virus and encourages our patients to receive the vaccine as well as other import- ant immunizations. As trusted leaders in health care, we paved the way in implementing COVID vaccine mandates among our staff to increase confidence in the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. is work has continued over the past three years by broadening our reach and providing access to the COVID-19 and other lifesaving, routine immunizations for patients and our communities. In the coming year, Kennedy Community Health plans several facility openings and overall growth, which will support our ability to expand opportunities and accessibility for individuals to health care and, in particular, to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine. In the immediate future, we will be opening a new health center at 605 Lincoln Street, Worcester, and a new, larger health center in Milford to replace the smaller medical practice that has been serving this area since 2014. Both of these openings will support our continued growth and provide access to affordable and equitable health care for the region. It will also mean more locations to offer the COVID-19 vaccine. Although the health emergency is ending, Kennedy Community Health will remain a strong advocate for receiving the vaccine to ensure the public health of the communities we serve. Kennedy Community Health was born and has grown from the community. We have a majority con- sumer board, which means that we're led by individu- als who receive care at the Health Center and uniquely understand the needs of the community. During the pandemic, the board and leadership understood the importance of protecting our patients, our staff, and our facilities. Recognizing the inequalities and injus- tices in our health care delivery system, we partnered and continue to collaborate with local organizations to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine. Community is at the heart of everything we do at Kennedy Community Health, and the key to our suc- cess. We are a trusted leader in health care, particularly among hard-to-reach or historically marginalized pop- ulations. We successfully administered 46,213 Covid vaccines in 2022 and aim to continue to build trust and confidence in this and all vaccines by conducting outreach and education on their safety and efficacy. At Kennedy Community Health, we believe that ev- eryone has a right to accessible, high quality, compre- hensive, integrated, and compassionate health care. n Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center: Addressing the Community's Most Pressing Needs Street Address: 115 NE Cutoff, Bldg. 2, Suite 200, Worcester, MA 01606 Phone Number: 800-853-2288 Website: www.kennedychc.org Product or Service Description: Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center (Kennedy Community Health) helps people live healthier lives by providing accessible, inclusive and comprehensive health care to over 31,000 individuals who live or work in Central MA and MetroWest. Number of Employees: 450 Head of Company and Title: Stephen J. Kerrigan, President and CEO Year Founded: 1972 Business Profiles 2023 Staff administering COVID-19 vaccines to other staff members

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