TURNERS FALLS – Faced with increased demand for primary health care, the Community Health Center of Franklin County plans to open a branch in Turners Falls sometime between December 2024 and March 2025, where primary health care will be available to everyone regardless of insurance, income or identity.
The center purchased the property at 8 Burnham St., previously owned by Baystate Franklin Medical Center, last summer for $825,000. Before Baystate Franklin acquired it in January 2020, it was home to Connecticut River Internists. Given the property’s history as a doctor’s office, only modest renovations are needed before the Community Health Center of Franklin County can open.
With another location at 8 Burnham Street, the center is helping to address the lack of primary care options. Dr. Allison van der Velden, CEO of the Community Health Center of Franklin County, said new staff have been hired and some of the existing staff will also move into the space when it opens. Van der Velden emphasized that the health center is now accepting patients as the expansion continues.
Van der Velden said in a July 2023 interview about the purchase that the company was looking for its next growth opportunity and quickly made the most of its locations at 102 Main St. in Greenfield and 119 New Athol Road in Orange. Although van der Velden had originally hoped to open the new Turners Falls facility in early 2024, construction was delayed and the opening date was pushed back.
Van der Velden describes the community health center concept as “the best-kept secret in healthcare” because of its unique structure.
“There are about 1,400 community health centers in the United States that are federally qualified health centers (FQHCs). We serve 32.5 million patients in the United States, or about one in 10 people nationwide,” van der Velden explained.
An FQHC is a primary care medical center that receives federal funding and has a nonprofit structure to serve communities facing barriers to health care. According to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, an FQHC can “provide equitable health care to people who are geographically isolated and economically or medically vulnerable. This includes programs that provide health services to people with HIV, pregnant women, mothers and their families, low-income people, rural residents, American Indians and Alaska Natives, and people who do not otherwise have access to quality health care.”
Van der Velden explained that the Community Health Center of Franklin County was established in 1997 after the community health center structure gained prominence in the United States. The health centers are funded with federal grants.
“Some of the most impactful activities of FQHCs are growing in a way that is driven by community needs,” explained van der Velden. “We participate in assessing community health needs and really try to respond to community needs in ways that other organizations cannot or do not do.”
A community health needs assessment looks at certain material conditions in a region that influence how care is handled in a community health centre. Van der Velden notes that access to primary care alone is a community need, and people often seek non-urgent care at urgent care centres or emergency departments rather than going to a GP.
By taking into account situations such as housing shortages, insurance barriers, addictions and financial constraints, patient care can be better tailored, van der Velden said.
“Of course we cannot solve the housing crisis. We are a medical centre, but we have the resources to connect people to systems and help them navigate the systems that already exist,” said van der Velden.
Medical and dental care is available through community health centers with integrated delivery systems, meaning primary care addresses a wide range of health needs. Mental health and telehealth services are also offered, according to the Community Health Center of Franklin County website.
At the health centers in Orange, Greenfield and Baystate Franklin in Franklin County, her organization employs about 135 people in administrative and health care positions, van der Velden said, extending the focus on the community to employment.
“We are really investing in quality jobs,” said van der Velden. “This is in line with our mission to be a respectful, quality employer because our employees are also part of the community and we know that economic incentives contribute to their health.”
A unique aspect of the Community Health Center’s care model is that no one seeking treatment is turned away. According to the Community Health Center of Franklin County website, “federal and state funding allows us to offer services through the Massachusetts Health Safety Net and a sliding discount scale.” That discount scale, van der Velden explained, is based on the federal poverty level, allowing payment for services to be made more affordable for those seeking them.
“If you don’t have any (medical) problems and just need care, come to us,” said van der Velden. “We are here for you and you are supporting a non-profit health facility when you come to us for treatment.”
Erin-Leigh Hoffman can be reached at [email protected].
