East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBNHC)

In 1970 the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center began a commitment to provide community-based, comprehensive primary care for all, regardless of their ability to pay. Since that time, the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center has become one of the largest centers in New England.

The mission of the health center is as follows:

"provide easily accessible, comprehensive, affordable, quality health care to all who wish it".

The East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBNHC)is a nonprofit organization that has been meeting the health care needs of the "CREW" area (Chelsea, Revere, East Boston and Winthrop), since 1970.
In a health care system that poses challenges for insured and uninsured patients alike, EBNHC focuses on the primary care physicians as the "key manager" of patient care throughout a complex continuum of prevention, primary, acute, specialty, rehabilitive, and palliative care. The EBNHC model of quality care is fueled by its ability to encourage access to needed services through its 24-hour urgent care system. By always being available, patients from a variety of backgrounds and economic conditions can receive high quality medical care while obtaining assistance in navigating through the complex maze of social service, mental health and insurance programs. In this manner, EBNHC avoids the fragmentation of services for its patients, and provides a comprehensive system of care under the leadership of the primary care physician who advocates for and manages patient care.

The health center offers a complete range of services from pediatrics to geriatrics, including a 24-hour urgent care unit, specialty services, HIV services and a large Elder Service Plan program.

Volunteer opportunities include: mentoring, reading to children in Pediatrics, greeting patients as they enter the health center, providing assistance and support to patients by escorting them to appointments, secretarial, reception and data entry support is needed in most departments. Some qualified students also provide clinical assistance and patient advocacy when appropriate. The Elder Service Plan Program provides many volunteer opportunities within their Adult Day Health Centers, which include recreation assistant, meal server, companion visiting and secretarial support. There is always a need for bilingual individuals to provide interpreting services for all clinical departments, which is great clinical exposure for individuals pursuing medical fields. We pride ourselves on tailoring each volunteer opportunity to meet the interest and skills of potential volunteers.

Visit the EBNHC site