CityLine: Chelsea’s new healthcare partnership
Addressing social determinants of health in diverse communities
Updated: October 27, 2024 12:33 PM EDT
I’m Karen Holmes Ward. LA COLABORATIVA has been supporting the Latino population of Greater Boston for over 35 years. Now, the organization is working with General Brigham to launch a new community initiative in Chelsea. It is called “The Bridge to Health” or “Puente de la Salud”. The goal is to provide La Collaborativa Survival Center with health services and programs to prevent health problems, including screening for conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes, and importantly, to provide those services regardless of the patient’s financial status. is to provide. Having this clinic means you can finally get the help you need without worrying about how much it will cost. The clinic also features a state-of-the-art teaching kitchen that provides nutritional support, counseling and how to adopt healthy habits. And now, ALEX TRAIN has joined us. He is LA COLABORATIVA’s Chief Operating Officer and Dr. Priya Sarin Gupta, Medical Director of Community-Based Clinical Programs at Brigham Mass General and Medical Director of Bridges to Health. How are you both doing? I’m glad to be here. Thank you so much, Karen. Nice to meet you, Alex. As we heard earlier, cost is a huge barrier to receiving medical care. What prevents people from accessing health care in Chelsea and similar communities?Therefore, the barriers to communities seeking health care are wide-ranging. Back in 2020, Chelsea was the epicenter of the pandemic. Our founder, Gladys Vega, and leader, Dean Paulino, have knocked on thousands of doors to build trust with residents and build bridges between community and health care. What we found was that the two major barriers residents were experiencing were both mistrust and cost. Whether it’s your insurance status or simply the co-pay required at the doctor’s office. These are expenses that are unaffordable for many low-income households, and we’re really excited to partner with MGB to finally address this issue. Dr. Gupta, you’ve spent quite a bit of time in the community. What health issues are we going to target first? So we’re going to use data from organizations like LA COLABORATIVA, based on community needs, and some of the health conditions that we’re going to focus on first. , we first came up with the health conditions we were going to target. We focus on hypertension, diabetes, maternal health, and cancer screening. So, Dr. Gupta, Mass General has been opening community health centers in Chelsea for decades. How is this approach different? Right. Therefore, this initiative further strengthens care. In fact, in addition to working closely with community partners, we have also worked closely with community health center leaders to design this effort. And the idea is to really leverage the quality care that Brigham provides in our brick-and-mortar locations, the clinical care that we provide, and partner with community organizations to help people where they are, where they live, and in their communities. is to provide. work. Can you tell us about how you plan to expand the medical options available to residents? Some of the main ways we plan to strengthen care are to focus on helping individuals navigate the health system and supporting the reduction of social risk factors, and to put this component into practice. I think it should be incorporated. It’s something that focuses very specifically on illness, disease, conditions, like, you know, food insecurity. But we’re approaching it from the angle we’re working from. So you’re complementing someone’s health outcomes. You know, they call it managed care. Because you have to manage it yourself. It’s very confusing. During the pandemic, LA COLABORATIVA expanded its mission, opening a food bank and even providing health care. In an effort to overcome racism, we are partnering with Mass General to open mass vaccination sites in neighborhoods. Alex, how did that experience help you establish this new concept? That experience was really foundational in establishing this new concept. As you know, our residents face tremendous obstacles to quality, whether it’s the lack of trust, the lack of multilingual doctors, or the affordability issues that arise in the medical field. Continuing care. So what our experience and Gladys Vega’s experience during the pandemic really produced was this vision of an integrated health center built into our survival centers in trusted locations. But more importantly, it works with navigation services. Mr. Thor. Gonzalez can see a doctor about her diabetes, but she also wants to be paired with a youth who can help her access the pantry, run errands, and maintain a high level of quality of life. You can also. I think that’s the real dividing line. This is from a traditional clinic setting. That means a more comprehensive service. Absolutely, absolutely. Therefore, the influx of new immigrants into the community added an additional layer of need. I’ll try to imagine it. How are new partnerships helping you address that mission and serve new residents? Great question. As you know, Chelsea has been a gateway community for decades, welcoming wave after wave of immigrants. So what we are experiencing now with new arrivals from Chile, Venezuela and Haiti is no different than what we experienced a decade ago with the arrival of unaccompanied minors. . So both of our experiences shape how we build the program. However, what is more important is how to build a bridge between new immigrants and medical care. Because all of this is predicated both on building a trusting relationship and being able to take care of all your needs, including housing, job assistance, and health insurance. Otherwise, they will not be able to focus on their health. Therefore, we prioritize this type of comprehensive service approach before we take a closer look at any chronic illness they may be facing. Alex, it must be so exciting for you to see this come to fruition. What do you think when you see this coming out? We’re surprised by this. You know, our partnership with General Brigham has been great. They are our long-standing partners. Our community responds very positively to this on a daily basis. When I come in here, I’m talking to residents who haven’t seen a doctor in decades. They can connect with Priya and her team and seek housing and food assistance in an integrated environment. Dr. Gupta, from your perspective, do you think this partnership is a filler for you and for you?I’m sure it will be exciting to see this announcement. It’s very exciting. I think this work really champions what we, as Mass General Brigham, know we’re doing the best we can. This leverages clinical care and Laborativa what they do best. And I think the biggest gap that I would like to move the needle on is health disparities around high blood pressure, diabetes, preventable chronic diseases, but we’re seeing too much of this happening without addressing the needs of these communities. It’s been a long time. But I think the other gap that we’re addressing is getting more people into health care in the first place. That way, you know, we can improve morbidity and extend life, but also reduce suffering. Do you plan to measure long-term results and see how this service has impacted your community? Yes, that’s true. So we’re working closely with LA COLABORATIVA to track health outcomes and all the different ways we’re making an impact so that this model really serves as a model for the state and the nation. We’re going to do the best we can. Take care of the individuals and communities who need us most. I see, this is great. Thank you so much, Alex. tray
CityLine: Chelsea’s new healthcare partnership
Addressing social determinants of health in diverse communities
Updated: October 27, 2024 12:33 PM EDT
La Colaborativa is working with General Brigham to launch a new community initiative in Chelsea. “Bridge to Health” brings medical services and programs to prevent health problems, including screening for conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes, to La Collaborativa Survival Center in Chelsea, and provides those services regardless of a patient’s financial status. Provide. Elaborating on this innovative program are Alex Train, chief operating officer of La Colaborativa, and Dr. Priya Sarin Gupta, medical director of community-based clinical programs at Massachusetts General Brigham.
CHELSEA, MA —
La Colaborativa is working with General Brigham to launch a new community initiative in Chelsea. “Bridge to Health” brings medical services and programs to prevent health problems, including screening for conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes, to La Collaborativa Survival Center in Chelsea, and provides those services regardless of a patient’s financial status. Provide. Elaborating on this innovative program are Alex Train, chief operating officer of La Colaborativa, and Dr. Priya Sarin Gupta, medical director of community-based clinical programs at Massachusetts General Brigham.
