About CCHI

Collaborating with Communities to Create Positive Impact

Good health begins with healthy communities that have access to healthy foods, safe places for children to play and positive activities for teens. Communities must also have access to a health care system with programs to prevent, screen for and treat conditions such as asthma, obesity, cancer, domestic violence and substance abuse. To achieve these ends takes a collaborative approach.

Working with our community and hospital partners, the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Community Health Improvement brings together the people and resources to address challenging health problems—and promote policy and system change—that will foster measurable and sustainable improvement.

Our Communities and Populations

CCHI carries out its work in Chelsea, Revere and Charlestown, where Mass General has maintained health care centers for more than 40 years. CCHI programs also work with Boston youth and special populations such as the homeless, immigrants and refugees to improve their health status. Since 1995, CCHI has partnered with the communities it serves to assess needs and to create programs that:

• Reduce and prevent substance use disorders
• Intervene in the cycle of violence
• Tackle the obesity epidemic by increasing access to healthy food and physical activity
• Increase access to care for vulnerable populations such as immigrants and refugees, seniors and homeless people
• Prevent cancers through early detection and screening
• Generate interest in science and health careers among youth