Donors Invest in the Future of Youth

We are grateful for the Cummings Foundation substantial investment of $500,000 for the CHA Career Pathways program.

For the first time, thanks to the generous support of the Cummings Foundation, CHA was a summer work site in partnership with Everett YouthWorks, Revere YouthWorks, and the Somerville Mayor’s Summer Jobs Program. CHA’s Community Health Improvement Career Pathways Program offered structured early career exploration and opportunities for youth and young adults interested in healthcare. This summer we welcomed our inaugural cohort to a 7-week exploration program; participants gained meaningful hands-on skills and experiences working within various CHA departments with supervision and mentorship. In addition, they attended weekly professional development training and workshops that strengthened their career readiness. Participants learned about the many fields in health and medicine, and gained meaningful connections that will further support their personal and professional goals.

Bear With Us

In June, CHA did its first ACL surgery using the BEAR procedure, a revolutionary way to repair torn anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) in the knee. BEAR, short for Bridge-Enhanced ACL Repair, is a new procedure approved by the FDA in 2020. Unlike traditional ACL surgeries, which use graft tissue from another part of the body, or a deceased donor, to reconstruct a new ACL, the BEAR procedure uses a special protein-enhanced implant to reconnect the torn ligament. The implant stimulates the body’s own healing power to allow the ACL to grow back on its own. 

According to Orthopedic Sports Medicine Surgeon Jason Freedman, MD, who brought the BEAR procedure to CHA, “ACL tears are one of the most common knee injuries, especially in younger athletes. The BEAR procedure offers a quicker surgery to restore the body’s own anatomy with less pain and potentially a faster recovery. This is exciting as it allows us to bring state-of-the-art care to our patients at CHA.

Beloved CHA oncology physician leaves a lasting gift.

Having spent 34 years at CHA working alongside exceptional colleagues, retired CHA Chief of Oncology, Lisa Weissmann, MD (right in photo) regards her time with CHA as invaluable. Dr. Weissmann made a significant gift to the CHA foundation earlier this year as a way of investing in and giving back to the place that gave her so much during her career. 

In Dr. Weissmann's honor, the CHA Foundation established the "Weissmann Oncology Survivorship Fund" to cover costs associated with survivorship opportunities for CHA oncology patients or current patients in any program with a current or previous cancer diagnosis. Patients often face additional challenges during and after treatment due to financial constraints. This fund will support rehabilitation, job and financial training, patient resources and accessible videos in multiple languages for our diverse patient populations. Dr. Weissmann's legacy gift will impact CHA patients and families lives for years to come.  

YOU too can help CHA provide care to those in need. Learn more by reaching out to our Foundation team (see contact information below).

The Unexpected

Even though the CHA Golf Invitational was cancelled due to heavy rain, it didn't dampen the commitment of the Golf Committee and all the sponsors. In lieu of the live auction, a drawing was held on September 27th extending the festivities to several lucky winners. We are grateful to all our sponsors and volunteers and send a special thank you to the Golf Committee (Jane Buley, Tom Leslie, Dennis Cataldo, Chris McTague, Paul Pezone, and Christian Lanphere) who worked so hard to organize the event.

The over $113,000 raised from the event supports community-based programs for our most at-risk patients. We look forward to seeing you at next year's tournament where you can continue to play with a purpose.

And, the Expected

The Cambridge Health Alliance Foundation supports CHA's vision of equity and excellence for every one, every time and it's mission to improve the health of our local communities. With your help, CHA can continue this work - providing outstanding health care, pursuing social justice and mitigating the social determinants of health that cause health disparities.

Contact Us

Susie Posner-Jones, Chief Development Officer

802-309-2174 or sdickin@challiance.org

Heather Johnston, Director of Development

617-591-4059 or hjohnston@challiance.org

Lauren Dorn-Jones, Major Gift Officer

339-223-2542 or ldornjones@challiance.org

Caitlyn O'Halloran - Prospect, Research and Grant Specialist

(781) 338-0272, cohalloran@challiance.org

Carly Colombo, Development Associate

617-591-4947 or lccolombo@challiance.org

Malanie Carvalho, Executive Assistant

781-397-6542 or mjcarvalho@challiance.org