A new health initiative in Chelsea is aiming to address some of the most preventable and treatable diseases that affect the city’s residents.
People will be able to get affordable healthcare services, nutrition counseling, cooking classes and help accessing prescriptions through the initiative, called Bridge to Health/Puente a la Salud. The program is a partnership between Mass General Brigham and local nonprofit service agency La Colaborativa, and is integrated with La Colaborativa’s existing programs and food pantry.
Dr. Elsie Taveras, the chief community health and health equity officer for Mass General Brigham, said they want to improve clinical outcomes for hypertension and diabetes. But, she said, a doctor’s visit and medication can only go so far.
“I know that in order to improve outcomes for a typical patient that lives in Chelsea that has hypertension or diabetes, I can titrate your medication and make sure that you are on the right medicines,” Taveras said. “But if that was all I did — and I didn’t pay attention or screen and identify that you are housing insecure, or you are food insecure, or you don’t have a refrigerator to refrigerate your medication, or you have difficulty paying for your medications, or trouble with transportation trying to get to your visits, or you are unemployed — then I have missed the opportunity to optimize your care.”
Gladys Vega, president of La Colaborativa, said addressing social determinants of health is a key part of her organization’s mission and programming.
“The hope [is that] people will come in, [we’ll] do their regular tests, check for cardiovascular diseases, check also for diabetes, teach people how we can prolong our life by eating healthier — not changing our recipes, but incorporating those healthy items in those diets that we normally don’t use,” Vega said.
She said she believes the new initiative will have an impact in the community, especially with new immigrants, for whom La Colaborativa is often a first stop for assistance and information.
“Many members of our community don’t have routine care, because they cannot afford it,” said Vega. “If you have health insurance that only covers emergencies, then your routine care doesn’t happen.”
Taveras said the initiative will bill health insurance, but no patients will be turned away for services because of an inability to pay. She added that the initiative is an important addition to Mass General Brigham’s presence in Chelsea, which includes a community care center and a mobile medical van.
The program’s first cooking class starts Thursday, and patients will start receiving medical care on Friday. Taveras said she expects Bridge to Health/Puente a la Salud will assist around 20 people a day.
