Dear Friends,

As we journey through 2024, our commitment to service remains steadfast at Whittier Street Health Center. I want to thank you for your continued support of our journey towards health equity. 

Exciting developments abound as we welcome Elaine S. Ullian, former CEO of Boston Medical Health Systems, to our Presidential Advisory Board, alongside the appointment of Dr. Raja Sayegh as Lead Physician for our Obstetrics & Gynecology Department.  Our focus remains on tackling disparities, such as maternal mortality rates among Black women, and pioneering holistic care through our Boston Health Equity Program, now targeting kidney disease. Amid local challenges like the migrant surge and pharmacy closures, our Day Engagement Center and onsite pharmacy stand as pillars of support for our communities.

As we gear up for our 24th annual Men's Health Summit themed: Unleash the Power of Health: Awareness. Prevention. Education. Family, we're reminded of the power of collaboration in advancing our mission. The success of our 2024 Toast, honoring Dr. Jeffrey Leiden, underscores this collaborative spirit. With your continued support, we're poised to achieve health equity and social justice, making strides toward a healthier, more equitable future for all.



Continue reading to explore all the exciting developments and initiatives we've undertaken this year.

Whittier’s Boston Health Equity Program takes on Kidney Disease

Whittier’s Boston Health Equity Program (BHEP) is a system of care for people with chronic illnesses and those at risk that fully integrates innovative community outreach, linkage to social services, wellness support, and care coordination with a focus on eliminating health disparities and their associated costs. The population health management system stratifies all patients according to their conditions and social factors so that appropriate services can be provided by Whittier’s multidisciplinary team.

Whittier’s BHEP incorporates the social determinants of health and the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes. These are the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the daily conditions of life. BHEP currently tracks several chronic conditions and diseases prevalent in the communities we serve including cancer, diabetes, hypertension, Hepatitis C, HIV, Behavioral Health, Asthma, and Obesity, and have seen improvements in the health of our patients and life expectancy since the launch in 2012.



In the coming year, Whittier Street Health Center, through our Center for Health Equity Research, looks to target Kidney disease, a chronic illness that 1 in 3 Americans are a risk of. Kidney disease disproportionately impacts Black/African Americans who are 3 times more likely to suffer kidney failure (National Kidney Foundation). High blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity are more prevalent in minority populations, increasing the risk of kidney disease. However, lack of access to quality healthcare is a crucial factor influencing health outcomes.

Community-Based Research: Building Trust and Engaging BIPOC Communities in Clinical Trials

Whittier’s Center for Health Equity Research will expand its services to include clinical trials in partnership with academic institutions and biotech companies. With the support of funding from the Biden-Harris Administration Moonshot Grant awarded to Whittier Street Health Center, we will launch genetics testing for women with a family history of breast cancer. This early detection and disease prevention strategy will ensure patients have access to excellent treatment regardless of their ability to pay for services. 

Whittier Extends Day Engagement Hours Amidst Massachusetts Migrant Surge

Due to a variety of geopolitical factors, Massachusetts has seen a surge in migrants seeking asylum within the state. In December 2023, Governor Maura Healy’s Administration reported approximately 3,500 migrants in the state’s emergency shelter system. As a non-profit health center, Whittier’s aims to assist unhoused migrants, with comprehensive health needs through our Day Engagement Center.

In October 2022, we launched our Day Engagement Center to provide a comfortable, safe space for unhoused adults. The center also addresses basic needs and fosters linkage to Whittier's medical, behavioral health, and recovery services. To date, we have served more than 500 homeless individuals with significant health and social needs. Many are engaged in recovery services, linkage to care, and social services including housing and jobs. Our staff uses a therapeutic milieu approach to encourage healthier lifestyles and habits while giving access to healthcare and social services.

In addition to medical care, the center offers food, beverages, clothing, and personal hygiene products to all participants as well as a daily selection of activities and services such as topical workshops, sexual health education, meditation, and other self-care groups.

Whittier’s Day Engagement Center hours are set to be extended this summer, to adjust to growing needs. 

Dr. Raja Sayegh has been appointed as the Lead Physician for Whittier’s Obstetrics & Gynecology (OB/GYN) Department

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Raja Sayegh has been appointed as the Lead Physician for Whittier’s Obstetrics & Gynecology (OB/GYN) department to lead our efforts to improve the health and well-being of our patients from diverse backgrounds.

Dr. Sayegh grew up in Lebanon and attended the American University of Beirut where he obtained his medical degree. After completing his residency training in OB/GYN at Tufts Medical Center, he joined the OB/GYN department at Boston City Hospital (later renamed Boston Medical Health System) where he practiced for 26 years before accepting his current position at Whittier Street Health Center.

“Throughout my career, I have been inspired by the "Vision 2030 goal" of making Boston the healthiest urban population in the world, and by the work at Boston's urban health centers which is essential to the success of the mission. In my new capacity as the Lead OB/GYN physician at Whittier, I look forward to teaming up with dedicated, like-minded, and service-oriented individuals to advance this worthy goal in the vulnerable communities served by the health center,” said Dr. Sayegh.

According to a new study published in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association – maternal death rates remain the highest among Black women, and those high rates have more than doubled over the last twenty years.

At Whittier, we understand that a woman’s health care needs change and evolve over her lifetime. That’s why we are proud to offer comprehensive, high-quality, and supportive care from the most routine to high-risk procedures. The OB/GYN team supports women throughout all stages of life and is deeply committed to compassionate and patient-focused care.

The 2024 Toast of Dr. Jeffrey Leiden is a Major Success

Our annual fundraising event, the 2024 Toast, honored Dr. Jeffrey Leiden, Executive Chairman of the Board, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, and was a great success! Throughout his long career, Jeff has been hailed for his brilliance in medicine and science and his amazing mix of genius, leadership and compassion. He has consistently demonstrated an impressive ability to execute his vision of developing drugs to address the underlying causes of diseases, not just treatments. Patients around the world and in the City of Boston are living healthier lives due to the medical breakthroughs led by Jeff and Vertex. 

I want to thank all of our guests, sponsors, donors, program participants, and Dr. Leiden for helping us raise over $1.1 million. This is critical financial support for our health center’s 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 our diverse patient populations is greatly appreciated. With your support, 100% of our social services programs to address the social determinants of health are free of charge and we provide healthcare services to patients regardless of their ability to pay.

Emmy award-winning journalist and WCVB Investigative Reporter, Brittany Johnson was our "Toast Mistress”. Our Toasters were: Joe Nolan, Chairman, President & CEO, Eversource Energy, Dr. Reshma Kewalramani, President, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Betsy Nabel and Dr. Gary Nabel of ModeX Therapeutics, Dr. Joan Reede, Dean of for Diversity and Community Partnerships, Harvard Medical School, Paul Burton, Journalist, Channel 4 (Boston), Former Congressman Joe Kennedy, and Dr. Sangeeta N. Bhatia, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research.

Thank you for your continued support! With your partnership and support, and the dedication of our colleagues, patients, and the communities we serve, WE WILL ACHIEVE HEALTH EQUITY!

Former CEO of Boston Medical Health Systems, Elaine S. Ullian, joins Whittier's President's Advisory Council

We are excited to announce the appointment of Elaine S. Ullian to Whittier Street Health Center’s President's Advisory Council (PAC). The PAC was formed in 2012 to provide strategic guidance on how we can care for the growing and changing needs of the community we serve, and support our mission to address health equity, social justice, and the economic well-being of our diverse patient populations.

Ms. Ullian served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Boston Medical Health Systems (formerly Boston Medical Center) from 1996 to 2010. Before this role, Ms. Ullian served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Boston University Medical Center Hospital, President and Chief Executive Officer of Faulkner Hospital, and Director of Hologic, Inc. and Thermo Fisher Scientific. Ms. Ullian’s comprehensive experience across the nonprofit and healthcare sectors will prove crucial as Whittier embarks on a multitude of campaigns next Fiscal year. 

Whittier Street Health Center is Recognized with Three AHA Awards

Whittier Street Health Center has been awarded the Target: BP Silver Certificate of Recognition; Target: Type 2 Diabetes Gold Certificate of Recognition and the Check. Change. Control. Cholesterol Gold Certificate of Recognition by the American Heart Association for our outstanding efforts to improve the overall health of our diverse patient population.

Our dedicated team at Whittier has worked tirelessly to implement evidence-based practices and initiatives aimed at preventing and managing these critical cardiovascular risk factors. The American Heart Association's acknowledgment is a testament to the high standards of care we uphold and the positive impact we strive to make on the health and well-being of our patients.

Whittier Street Health Center is honored with 3 HRSA Awards and Recognized as PCMH

Whittier Street Health Center was honored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) with three 2023 Community Health Quality Recognition (CHQR) awards: the 2023 Advancing Health Information Technology (HIT) for Quality badge, the 2023 Addressing Social Risk Factors badge, and the 2023 COVID-19 Public Health Champion badge. Whittier Street Health Center was also recognized as a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) in 2023 by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).

Whittier’s dedicated team consistently strives to implement the very best evidence-based practices and initiatives as part of our comprehensive healthcare services, ensuring that we provide exceptional quality of care for our diverse patients.

To learn more about our programs and services, please click on the link below for a short video on our efforts to serve as a BEACON OF HOPE: CHAMPIONING HEALTH EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE!

This video highlights how Whittier breaks barriers to health for underserved individuals by providing culturally competent care ensuring health and wellness holistically.

Warm regards,

Frederica Williams

President and CEO