18,262 Days Ago
Fifty years ago, a group of Wesleyan University students and town activists came together to set up a Free Clinic in Middletown. Convinced we could make change in our community, we turned a second floor apartment into a Dental and Medical Clinic – it was the generation of tie-dye and beaded curtains, and a slight scent of incense wafted through the rooms.
You might be thinking this is the story of a small organization that got larger over the ensuing 50 years. However, the real story is that we started large – with the simple proposition that “Health Care is a Right and Not a Privilege.” We have spent 50 years growing into this clarion call for fundamental rights.
Yes, we have grown over the 50 years, as have our staff, Board and number of supporters. Expanding from that second floor apartment into communities across Connecticut brought us fresh ideas and introduced us to new, diverse patient populations. Today we are in 243 locations (34 farms, 8 shelters, 185 schools and 16 fixed Community Health Center sites) where we provide comprehensive primary Medical, Dental and Behavioral health care to 145,000 patients.
Along the way, we established four national programs: the Weitzman Institute, to evaluate, study and publish on new delivery models of care; Nurse Practitioner residencies; Medical Assistant training; and tele-health eConsults, ensuring our patients gain early access to specialists in 40 specialty areas.
For some of you, our only encounter was during the pandemic when we ran Connecticut’s four mass vaccination sites and did COVID-19 testing reaching 750,000 residents.
We have a saying at CHC that “We are proud of what we have accomplished, but we didn’t do this on our own and can’t move forward alone.” Thank you to our many community partners and friends for helping us on our journey and for your commitment to that clarion call for justice.
For more information on CHC, visit: www.chc1.com. For more information on Weitzman Institute, visit: www.weitzmaninstitute.org.
Peace and Health