Order for a hearing to discuss the possibility of allocating ARPA fund for the expansion of South Boston Community Health Center. On motion of Councilor Flynn and Murphy, Rule 12 was invoked to include Councilors Murphy and Flaherty as co-sponsors. Councilor Arroyo in the Chair.
Councilor Murphy, please have a chair. Docket 0637 will be assigned to the Committee on City Services, Innovation Technology. Mr. Clerk, please read Docket 0638. Duncan 0638 Council of Flynn offered the following quarter for a hearing to discuss the possibility of allocating our full fund funds for the expansion of South Boston Community Health Center. Thank you, Mr. Clark. The Chair now recognizes Council President. Flint Council. President Flint Clause. Thank you, Counsel Arroyo. May I add? Counselor Murphy in council as well as the original co-sponsors, please. Seeing no objections there. So added Councilor Flynn, the floor is yours. Thank you. The South Boston Community Health Center plays a critical role in our community. It provides many seniors with quality and compassionate medical care. We also have a strong behavioral and mental health component to it. We represent a large number of residents living in public housing and on some type of assistance. Many of the residents are from Mary Ellen McCormick. Many residents are from West Broadway Development. All the old colony, which is in Lynch as well. West Ninth Street. Which is another BP facility. Many of the patients that are at the South Boston Community Health Center, Health Center are communities of color. As I mentioned, 60% of the patients rely on some for some part of assistance. Many are living below the poverty line. During the height of the pandemic, the health center vaccinated over 35,000 people. There's also a vast increased demand, as I mentioned earlier, on behavioral health. I had the opportunity to visit recently and. The number of young people in students seeking mental health counseling or behavioral counseling is increasing dramatically. There is a proposed $20 million. For the continued COVID response another 8 million to augment behavioral health services. The expansion of the South Boston Community Health Center would would serve to fulfill both of these proposed uses under ARPA funding. They're expanding right next door. And again, part of that expansion is to the is to work on mental health counseling behavioral health counseling. I hope to have a hearing on this matter that it would be in the appropriate committee. But listen to residents, listen to the health center staff. Listen to patients, community activists, partners on on this proposal. Thank you, Councilor Rail. Thank you, Councilor Flynn. Councilor Flaherty. The floor is now yours. Thank you. Just to echo. The comments of my colleague and our council president, Cybersecurity Health Center does a phenomenal job, as do all of our community health centers. We are blessed. Not only do we talk about this all the time, we boast of some of the best hospitals in the world. We also have a network of community health centers that just provide front line care to some of our most vulnerable residents. And during COVID, I would argue that I believe it is the South Boston Community Health Center that stepped up and got right into so that COVID action, if you will council put in they were able to connect folks in our community particularly we have a Somali community that they service as well as the Dominican community and both of our local public housing developments. And as a result of that, they were able to expand the care and support other agencies like a local nursing home that was under siege at the time. So hats off not just to the South Boston Community Health Center, but to all of the community health centers, all the leaders, all those frontline workers that went to work every day helping all of our residents. And they're in need of some additional facilities and expansions and they want to expand their programs as to a sort of a lot of our other community health centers. So I wholeheartedly support this and look forward to an expedited hearing. Thank you, Councilor. Clarity. Councilor Murphy, the floor is yours. Thank you. So I'd like to start off by saying I am a patient at the South Boston Health Center, as is my family, and I'm also a board member on their fundraising committee. So I definitely know firsthand the great work they do and the strong role they play in that community. So not only is the South Boston Health Center the sole provider of primary and preventive care in South Boston, but it is also the first major health care provider located in the ever expanding South Boston waterfront. Funds would help the center prepare and expand this growing population. These funds would also combat inflation, especially with medical equipment supplies in their food pantry, which has seen a 50% increase in the amount of food distributed since the pandemic. They have done an amazing job feeding the people in the community. And in recent news, the health center has proven that the health center successfully rises to extraordinary challenges day to day in find safe ways to deliver care for their people. They did this especially during the pandemic. In 2021, the Massachusetts Health Quality Partners awarded South Boston Community Health Center for being one of the top practices in Massachusetts for patient experience in pediatric primary care. And in 2020, the Health Resources and Service Administration recognized them as the Health Center Quality Leader. This award is given to health centers that exemplify the best overall clinical performance among all health centers. And also lastly, in 2020, the health centers, overall clinical quality was in the top 30% of health centers nationwide. We know they're an amazing health care provider. They're also a great partner in the community and in the neighborhood. So with that being said, these funds would greatly benefit the health center and continue allow them to continue to deliver valuable care and services to their growing community. Thank you, Councilor Murphy. Would anyone else like to speak on this matter? Seeing no one? Would anyone else like to add their name? Mr. Clark, please add Councilor Bok. Councilor Baker. Councilor Bok. Councilor Braden. Councilor Coletta. Councilor Fernandez Anderson Councilor Lara, Councilor Emily and Councilor me here and please add my name. Mr. Clark, can you please read docket 063900. Sorry, I got to refer that to a committee. Docket 0638 will be referred to the Committee on Boston's COVID 19 recovery. Thank you, Ms.. Clark. Mr. Clark, can you please read Docket 0639.0639?