Our Mission           Leadership

The South End Community Health Center’s (SECHC) vision and mission is to become our community’s leading choice for primary care; to act as a catalyst for improving community health in the broadest context; and to serve as a model for independent, fiscally sound, community-based health care.

Overview. Established in 1969, SECHC is an independent, community-based, comprehensive care organization located in a 35,000 square-foot facility at 1601 Washington Street. It is the largest provider of comprehensive care to Boston’s Latino population. SECHC’s mental health practice is twice as large as any Massachusetts health center. It was the first Massachusetts health center to immunize more than 95% of its pediatric patients (today it has a 97% immunization rate). 

Services. Using a Medical Home model that emphasizes coordination and centralization, SECHC provides the following core services: adult medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics, mental health, dental, eye care, and WIC (Women, Infants and Children). A social work team provides care coordination for high-risk patients.  In addition, SECHC has a Health Access and Prevention Department which coordinates outreach to underserved communities and provides prevention and care management services in the following areas: asthma, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and nutrition. SECHC will be launching two pilot initiatives in 2003: one targeting pediatric obesity; the other targeting gay and lesbian families.

Patients. SECHC serves a diverse population of over 13,000 patients who average 60,000 visits each year. The majority of patients are pediatric (62%) and female (60%). Ethnic breakdown is as follows: 61% Latino, 24% African-American, 15% Other. Over 1,000 of patients are homeless. Medicare and MassHealth patients account for 60% of SECHC’s visits, while free care patients account for 30% of the visits. 70% of the patients live within one mile of SECHC. 

SECHC’s strategic plan provides a road map for increasing patients from 13,000 to 15,000 within the next two years. Much of this growth is projected to derive from youth, homeless and the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered community.

Management. SECHC is a community-owned and operated non-profit health center. A 15-member, all consumer Board of Directors governs the Center.  The Center has 155 employees. More than half are bilingual in Spanish and English. 50% of all staff have been with SECHC for more than 10 years, including the first physician and nurse who were hired in 1969. SECHC’s annual budget is $9 million.   

Affiliations. SECHC is affiliated with the following medical institutions: Boston Medical Center, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital, Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller Mental Health Center and the New England College of Optometry.  Over 100 forms of insurance are accepted, including Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Harvard/Pilgrim Health Plans, Neighborhood Health Plan, Tufts Associated Health Plans.