Whittier Street Health Center, a community health center with a mission to serve as a center of excellence that provides high quality and accessible health care and social services that achieve health equity, social justice, and the economic well-being of a diverse patient population, has planned and hosted a range of events in celebration of National Minority Health Month.
Organized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health and its partners, the 2022 National Minority Health Month’s theme is “Give Your Community a Boost!” The theme focuses on the continued importance of COVID-19 vaccination, including boosters, as one of the strongest tools available to protect communities from COVID-19, which has disproportionately affected communities of color. “Give Your Community a Boost!” also supports the many other efforts happening in communities across the country to advance health equity.
In support of this theme, Whittier Street Health Center continues to offer COVID vaccines and boosters, as well as encourage community members to visit the vaccine clinic, located on the fifth floor of the Tremont Street location, or to check the schedule of the Whittier Mobile Van. Additionally, Whittier Street Health Center recently issued a Vaccine Facts/COVID-19 Booster Q&A to help share information regarding the importance of being boosted.
Whittier Street Health Center also held a National Youth HIV + AIDS Awareness Day on April 8. The event featured free HIV screening and testing, educational activities, programs and social department vendors, and gifts for the participating youths.
Additionally, Whittier Street Health Center is taking the opportunity to address the mental and behavioral health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. Although minorities are just as likely as non-minorities to experience mental health disorders, they are far less likely to receive treatment, have less access to mental health services, and often receive a poorer quality of mental health care.
“National Minority Health Month provides a great opportunity to bring up these important health topics and build more awareness within the communities we serve,” said Frederica M. Williams, president and CEO of Whittier Street Health Center. “We especially want to continue to stress the importance of getting vaccinated and boosted, as minorities have definitely been greatly impacted by the devastating outcomes of the pandemic, as well as focus on mental health and minority groups. While these are not new issues, we feel it’s important to take advantage of this opportunity to shine some light on them, which will hopefully continue the conversation on these issues – and the action – forward.”
About Whittier Street Health Center
Whittier Street Health Center is an independently licensed community health care center with a mission of providing high quality, reliable and accessible primary healthcare for diverse populations while promoting wellness and eliminating health and social disparities. A champion of equitable access to high quality, patient-focused care, social justice and economic equity, Whittier Street Health Center is accredited by The Joint Commission (TJC), certified by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as a Patient-Centered Medical Home, and recognized by the NCQA for its Behavioral Health Integration. Through its locations in Roxbury and North Dorchester, and its Mobile Health Van program, Whittier Street Health Center serves more than 30,000 patients and 20,000 community outreach visits annually; its ethnically and racially diverse patient base is primarily made up of individuals from Roxbury, Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, the South End and greater Boston. Approximately 36% of Whittier’s patients are uninsured. Whittier Street Health Center provides a comprehensive array of 40 healthcare programs and services designed to meet the primary health care, behavioral health, and social needs of the community. For more information, please visit www.wshc.org as well as Facebook (www.facebook.com/WhittierStreetHealthCenter), Twitter (@Whittier_Boston), or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/whittier-street-health-center), or call 617-989-3221.
