Health

HEALTH • September 21, 2015 29 Welcome to the Oasis at Dodge Park A Revolutionary Residential Care Facility for the Elderly and those diagnosed with Dementia and Alzheimer's disease in Central Massachusetts ReseRvAtions being ACCepted - opening FAll 2015 1 0 2 R a n d o l p h R o a d , W o R c e s t e R • a t t h e s i t e o f t h e o l d o d d f e l l o W s h o m e on its head," Anthes said. And like Hunt, Anthes said the health center has long been managing their patients' health care, rather than treating patients only when they're sick, without the bigger picture of the patient's health care needs. For exam- ple, integrating behavioral health has always been part of the Family Health Center's mission, since its inception in 1972. Dr. Brian Sullivan, assistant medi- cal director at Kennedy CHC, said he can't say for sure that community health centers are ahead in terms of efficient health care delivery, but fed- eral funding for population health management initiatives does enable centers to do more than the average provider in that arena. For example, the Kennedy CHC has designed can- cer prevention classes for populations that are found to be at particular risk. But community health centers have challenges too. Sullivan said hiring is a struggle, because centers on average pay less than market value. That means that the clinicians they hire are often more mission-driven. This is true of Sullivan, who did social work before he was a doctor. "I like the patients and I like the people I work with," Sullivan said. "Patients are typically disadvantaged as a group and are often very grate- ful for the services you provide." Even if hiring is a challenge, com- munity health centers will continue to play a large part on the supply of health care providers across the Bay State and beyond. For one thing, community health centers received a huge influx of funding under the Obama Administration. Both the Family Health Center of Worcester, and the Kennedy CHC, have reno- vated space and expanded their foot- prints. Kennedy was able to open a Milford site, and Family Health Center of Worcester boosted medi- cal capacity by 30 percent, and den- tal capacity by 40 percent, through a project that was completed at its flagship location on Queen Street in Worcester earlier this year. "We basically have a new health center, which we're thrilled about," Anthes said. COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS Continued from Page 21 Rola Saab, MD, performs a pediatric examination on Annie Cheng. PHOTO/EDD COTE

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