On November 20, Community Health Center, Inc. (CHC) opened the doors to a state-of-the-art, 22,400-square-foot facility in Stamford, expanding primary care access to Connecticut’s most underserved residents.
The Stamford location is the first of three new health care facilities that CHC is opening across the state, all part of a $47 million undertaking made possible in part through PCDC financing. A CHC-renovated Hartford pediatric facility and new Middletown location will follow shortly.
“Community Health Center, Inc. is grateful to PCDC, Capital Impact Partners, BlueHub Capital, and Capital One Bank,” said Mark Masselli, Founder and CEO of CHC. “Their assistance leveraging New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) for this vital expansion means that thousands more will have access to dignified, equitable health care services. CHC is committed to building healthy communities across Connecticut, and we are thrilled to be providing expanded service offerings in Stamford.”
Both the Stamford and Hartford locations are structured around CHC’s nationally recognized “pod” model. This integrated approach ensures seamless delivery of care through a holistic view of patient health. One CHC pod typically houses seven exam rooms, behavioral health spaces, and a dental operatory, along with the requisite staff.
The Stamford facility’s three pods will accommodate women’s health, nutrition counseling, chronic disease management, and more, benefiting an area where 34 percent of residents are low-income or living in poverty. Previously, the Stamford clinic was housed in a homeless shelter, run in partnership with Inspirica, Inc. The facility had become overcrowded, with patients waiting two weeks or more to access services. With the new, larger center just a half mile away, CHC expects to expand primary care, behavioral health, and opioid treatment services.
Upon completion of the multi-site project, CHC will be able to reach an additional 16,000 patients, serving a total of 29,000 patients across the three centers. Most of these patients — primarily those living with chronic diseases — have had limited primary care options.
CHC’s three new and improved facilities will provide at-risk populations with an array of medical services, such as pediatric care, behavioral health counseling, comprehensive family medicine, women’s health services, and dental care.
“We congratulate CHC on its success today,” said Reema Fakih (left), Director of the Capital Investment NMTC Program at PCDC. “Combining access to care with quality, innovative service delivery to the uninsured, underinsured, and key populations such as chronic disease patients has been key to CHC’s mission for nearly half a century. We are pleased to have played a part in this success.”