Community Health Connections

Welcome Residents! CHC is proud to announce the newest cohort of our Family Nurse Practitioner Residency Program. Join us in welcoming Lindsey Farnsworth, NP, Linet Migiro, NP, Renee Vigneault, NP and Alexandria Harding, NP. "This 12-month post-graduate program offers professional development and skills training and prepares residents to care for culturally diverse and clinically complex patients, typically seen in community health centers. We are proud to be able to offer this residency program, which is coordinated by our Director of Nurse Practitioner Residency Program, Jessica Gray, FNP-C. Welcome residents! " -Mark Franciosa MD MBA FACHE CPE FACP, Chief Medical Officer.   To learn more about the residency, please reach out to Jessica Gray, FNP-C at jgray@chcfhc.org To learn more about Community Health Connections www.chcfhc.org

Your Community, Your Career, Your Health! At CHC we believe in empowering you to make a difference in your community while building a rewarding career and prioritizing your well-being. Join us in shaping a healthier future for all! www.chcfhc.org/careers Considering a job change? Thinking about a phased retirement? Just starting your career? CHC is growing & hiring! We're a multi-site nonprofit community health & urgent care center with locations in Leominster, Fitchburg and Gardner. Full-time (starts at 20 hours), part-time, flexible schedules and great benefits. (Yes, everyone says, "great benefits," but at CHC it's really true and worth checking out and comparing!) CHC also offers student loan forgiveness opportunities through Mass Repay/Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers. Questions? Contact our recruiters Brianna Ramsey, bramsey@chcfhc.org or Karina Colon, kcolon@chcfhc.org.  #newyear2025 #communityhealthcareer

Thank you to Fidelity Cooperative Bank and employees Brenda Woods, Towma Rastad, and Shawn Tolf for generously donating backpacks and time, to help us prepare for our upcoming Annual Homeless Memorial Breakfast. Each year, we gather together with our community friends and partners to remember those who have lost their lives while living on the streets. After the service, a hot breakfast is served to our homeless individuals and we distribute donated warm hats, mittens, socks and cold weather essentials, such as, hand/foot warmers and thermal blankets. "This year, thanks to Fidelity Bank, we’ll be providing these items to those in need in sturdy backpacks, that can be continually used, rather than throw-away plastic bags. The back packs will be put to good use. We are truly grateful for Fidelity's support!" - Angel Cosme, ACTION Site Director. For those interested, our ACTION HUB is always seeking donations and has an Amazon Wish List. Alternatively, the Amazon Wish List serves as a helpful guide for the types of items the HUB staff need to support the those coming to the center. https://lnkd.in/eAAVi8MK If you have any questions about making a donation, please contact Angel Cosme, acosme@chcfhc.org #FitchburgMA #unhoused #northcentralMASS #communityhealthcenter

Our Behavioral Health Department is pleased to announce that we are now accepting referrals for T.M.S (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) at our Fitchburg Community Health Center, 326 Nichols Road. "It's a big step forward in our mission to break down barriers and ensure everyone has access to the care they need to live healthier lives. We are thankful for our partnership with BrainsWay for assisting us in establishing this new treatment option, here in Fitchburg." - Arni Casareale, LMHC, Chief Behavioral Health Officer. For more information, please visit our website https://lnkd.in/eFf7hyTx 

Do you have student loans? CHC in partnership with the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers is offering Student Loan Repayment Incentive opportunities that range between $30,000-$300,000!    If you value innovation and community focused care for all, keep reading!    This incentive program is made possible through our community health center membership in the MA Repay Program, funded by the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers. Just announced: Eligible Behavioral health professionals can be awarded up to $30,000 for licensed behavioral health clinicians with a bachelor's degree, up to $50,000 for licensed or pre-licensed clinicians with a master's degree or higher, and up to $300,000 for psychiatrists and nurse practitioners with prescribing privileges. Primary care professionals' awards range from up to $50,000 for advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants, and up to $100,000 for primary care physicians.    Interested healthcare professionals who want to learn more about being part of a team dedicated to the overall health of our communities, would like more information about the incentive loan repayment program being offered by MA Repay and the Mass League, and are interested in discussing our career opportunities at Community Health Connections that include excellent benefits, (full-time benefits that start at 20 hours a week) please contact our Medical Recruiter, Brianna Ramsey at bramsey@chcfhc.org  www.chcfhc.org/careers

"Receiving the RIZE grant is a transformative milestone for our community health centers here in north central Massachusetts. It empowers us to enhance our support systems, ensuring overdose patients receive timely, compassionate and comprehensive care." - Ellyn Guinding, RN, MSN Chief Nursing Officer     Community Health Connections is proud to have received a Linkages to Care (LinC) grant from RIZE Massachusetts. This grant is intended to support people affected by opioid use disorder by strengthening linkages between community-based organizations and our local hospitals, here in north central Massachusetts. Pictured here is Annie Belmer, a member of our OBAT Team and Recovery Coach who is busy connecting and supporting overdose patients out in the community and working with our local hospital Emergency Rooms. (TY Annie for your late nights and commitment to this project and our residents who are struggling!)   Research shows that individuals who survive an overdose are at increased risk for future overdose, and linking individuals' post-overdose to ongoing services through outreach and engagement strategies is likely to save lives. Learn more about RIZE Massachusetts https://www.rizema.org #substanceusedisorder #addictioncare #linkagestocare  #FitchburgMA #LeominsterMA #GardnerMA

Celebrating our employees that go above and beyond for our patients! Congratulations to our employee of the month, Rachel Bordieri,RN ! "I've always had a strong interest in community health, since getting my undergrad degree Fitchburg State University and now as I am finishing my master's degree in nursing through Southern New Hampshire University. I enjoy being able to care for patients from all walks of life and love that our community health centers offer so many services lines (Medical, Dental, Behavioral Health, Substance Use Disorder Treatment, Optometry, and specialty services) under one roof. Treating the whole person allows us to improve health outcomes for our patients and I love being part of this health care model!"  Learn more about the community health and Community Health Connections career opportunities. www.chcfhc.org/careers

CHC is proud to announce that we now offer Urgent Care service in our tri-cities of Leominster, Gardner & Fitchburg, accessible to everyone, regardless of health insurance status or income. We are most grateful to our amazing team of healthcare professionals, committed to making our Urgent Care Services a reality! Our team of dedicated Urgent Care professionals, deliver high quality, compassionate care and ensure that everyone feels welcome and gets the care they deserve. Thank you, all! #Leominster #Fitchburg #Gardner #CommunityHealth www.chcfhc.org/urgent-care

"It's an honor to be here learning under experienced clinicians and providing excellent care to the community and those who need it most. " - Abby Laube, CHC Optometry extern and student at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences who is in her second clinical rotation at Fitchburg Community Health Center. "This experience has been wonderful so far - the preceptors are incredibly knowledgeable, supportive and kind. " CHC is proud to offer clinical internships/externships and residencies in our Medical, Dental, Behavioral Health, and Optometry departments. Our goal is to support new clinicians, so that they gain experience with direct patient care, learn to work collaboratively with our other service lines and experience first-hand the value of our community health model, which is to treat the whole person, under one roof, regardless of insurance status or income. Interested in learning more about Community Health? Send an inquiry to: hr@chcfhc.org www.chcfhc.org

We are most grateful to have Fitchburg State University in our backyard and as a community partner on many levels! This summer they connected us with a fantastic summer intern, Olivia (Livv) Welch for the Marketing & Communications Department. Most of her work was behind the scenes - taking pictures, researching, writing and designing. (we did find an action pic!) Thank you, Olivia, for your hard work and creative energy! #stayconnected #FitchburgStateUniversity #FitchburgMA