History & Stories

In 2020, Lowell Community Health Center celebrated it’s 50th Anniversary. One way we honored the Health Center’s legacy was by celebrating the people we’ve served, the people who have served, and those in the community who have sustained us for five decades. Throughout the year, we shared many of their stories with you — one each week. Our tradition of storytelling continued through the pandemic, connecting us even in isolation, and helping us reconnect and heal in the time since. You can read many of these stories below.

History

It all began with a bold idea. That everyone deserved access to quality health care.

Your community health center is rooted in the belief that everyone in Greater Lowell deserves access to quality, affordable health care.

In 1965, the national community health center movement launched as part of President Johnson’s War on Poverty. The first two CHC’s were located in Boston’s Columbia Point neighborhood and in rural Mississippi.

Planting the seed in Lowell

In 1970, the movement came to Lowell. That was when Lowell General Hospital (LGH) established a small, community-based clinic in an apartment at the Shaughnessy Terrace public housing complex. The clinic focused on prenatal and pediatric care, all easily accessible to residents.

Photo caption: Lowell CHC employees during the early years (top) and an artist rendering of the Shaughnessy Terrace public housing complex, site of our first clinic in 1970 (bottom).

Stories

Meet the Hypertension Team: Collaboration in Action

According to the World Health Organization, less than half of adults with hypertension, or chronic high blood pressure, are diagnosed and treated. It is the leading cause of premature death worldwide. “Blood pressure is an important health metric for a reason,” explains Dr. Mukund Gupta, an Adult Medicine physician at Read More

Meet Gricelda: A Vision Restored

When Gricelda arrived from Cuba, she knew she would have to start over in many ways. There, she was settled in her life, her career, with plenty of friends and family to lean on. What she brought with her, however, was determination and a strong sense of faith. She knew Read More

Meet Alessandra: A Voice for Change

“The Health Center feels like home. To be able to walk into a place and feel like you belong, where you see yourself represented, I can’t even put into words.” Alessandra’s warm, steady gaze and poised demeanor make it almost impossible to believe it when she describes herself as a Read More

Meet Narin: Clinical Pharmacy

"To me, every case feels personal. I treat every patient like a family member." - Narin, PharmD, Lowell CHC Clinical Pharmacist At Lowell CHC, our Clinical Pharmacists work closely within care teams to help patients optimize their medications, with an emphasis on prevention and quality of life. What does this Read More

Meet Lisa: A Journey to Wellness

“Knowing I have a team here at the Health Center that believes in me and cares about me, it makes me feel like I can care about me. It’s that extra person rooting me on.” Read More

Meet Dr. Kuan: Passion & Perseverance

"It's the best job in the world. My mission is to serve - to put other's needs before my own every single day. Some days are harder than others, but if I can help just one person, that's enough to keep me going.” How did Dr. Joshua Kuan end up Read More

Meet Sylvia

Sylvia is in her 60s, and often works more than 40 hours a week – even suffering through severe pain in her teeth. Sylvia needed dentures. It couldn’t wait any longer. “We see a lot of patients pushing through and just accepting constant pain,” laments Sorasmi, Dental Care Coordinator Supervisor, Read More

Meet Paola Daza Nunez: Doctor, Linguist, Reading Champion

Dr. Daza Nunez is carrying the torch for early literacy at Lowell CHC, where children receive brand new books during well-child visits through Reach out and Read. Dr. Nunez has always had a love of language and community health. She speaks English and Spanish and is working hard to perfect Read More

Michelle

Even over Zoom, Michelle has a voice and presence exuding warmth and confidence. It’s no wonder that she’s spent much of her career successfully recruiting talent for various organizations. Michelle is also a protective “mama bear,” always on alert, willing to do whatever it takes to fight for her three Read More