Ellen Jones will relocate to Patriot Square in Dennis in 2020 – and we need your help to do it!

Harbor’s Ellen Jones Community Dental Center will move to Patriot Square in Dennis in the spring of 2020!  We also plan to expand our non-profit dental center  in our new location and offer more appointments.

But we need to raise $300,000 to help offset expenses.

Cape Cod Healthcare CEO Michael Lauf (second from right) presents CCHC’s $100K match commitment to Harbor Health’s CEO Chuck Jones (right) and members of the dental care team at Ellen Jones Community Dental Center, Dr. Joao Costa, lead dentist; Erin Mullaney, administrative director of dental services; and Aline Martins, dental assistant.

To kickstart our fundraising efforts, Cape Cod Healthcare (CCHC) has pledged to match every donation to the Ellen Jones Relocation and Expansion Fund up to $100,000!

DONATE NOW

Cape Cod Healthcare Visits Ellen Jones

Last week, Cape Cod Healthcare’s (CCHC) CEO Michael Lauf, vice president of strategy and government affairs Paul Niedzwiecki, and members of the CCHC Community Benefits team visited the current location of Ellen Jones at Cape Cod Technical High School in Harwich.

“We’re grateful to you for getting us started in such a big way,” Harbor’s president and CEO Chuck Jones told the CCHC team during their tour of Ellen Jones.

“Your commitment will help provide dental care to more patients.  And it will also help engage the Cape community in supporting our efforts at Ellen Jones.”

“Making sure all residents of our region can get high-quality healthcare where we live and work is a top priority,” CCHC’s Paul Niedzwiecki explained.

“We welcome the opportunity to support Harbor’s efforts to sustain local, affordable access to dental care – which is vital to maintaining good overall health.”

Why is Ellen Jones Moving?

Ellen Jones is currently located inside Cape Cod Technical High School.  Students participating in the school’s dental assisting program currently work alongside dental staff at Ellen Jones.  Students have the opportunity to practice the skills they learn in the classroom with real patients.

The school plans to move to a new building at the end of this school year.  The dental center is not moving with the school.

With over 3,300 patients and a long wait list, the dental center needs to expand to meet growing community needs.  Harbor plans to continue the partnership with Cape Cod Tech’s dental assisting program.

Our new location is 10 minutes from the school and will offer an enhanced learning environment for students.

Why Did We Choose Patriot Square?

Harbor wanted the dental center to stay on the lower Cape, where it has been for the past 19 years and over a third of the patients at Ellen Jones live.  Patriot Square is accessible by public transportation and is close to the highway, making it more convenient for patients.

You Can Help!

We need to raise $300,000 to offset the costs of moving and building out a new space.  CCHC will match every donation to the Ellen Jones Relocation and Expansion Fund.

That means your donation will instantly make double the difference!

Low income and uninsured patients have few if any options for dental care on the lower Cape.  We stretch our resources every day to serve residents in need.  Now we need your help to keep local, affordable dental care accessible to everyone on Cape Cod.

To make an online donation to the Ellen Jones Relocation and Expansion Fund, please visit hhsi.us/DonateEllenJones 

You can also contact Susan Lit, chief strategy and performance officer, at [email protected] to talk more about contributing to the Ellen Jones Relocation and Expansion Fund.

Harbor Health Services, Inc. recently became aware of a data privacy event that may affect the security of the personal information of a limited number of patients who had an appointment at Harbor Community Health Center – Plymouth.

We take this incident very seriously and the confidentiality, privacy, and security of the information provided to us is one of our highest priorities.

What Happened?

Timeline

June 11, 2019 – Harbor Health discovered suspicious activity occurring within a Harbor Health Plymouth employee email account.  We immediately started an investigation into the nature and scope of the activity.

June 24, 2019 – Harbor Health’s third-party forensic investigators determined that on June 11, 2019 an unauthorized actor had accessed the employee email account for a period of approximately 40 minutes.

July 30, 2019 – The investigation confirmed that personal information relating to a limited number of patients who had an appointment at our Plymouth health center was contained in the email account.

Harbor Health is unable to determine which emails, if any, were viewed without authorization.

Because we are unable to rule out access to any particular email, we are reviewing the entire contents of the affected email account and will mail affected patients notification letters when the process is complete. 

While the review of the contents is ongoing, the types of information that were potentially accessible includes patient names and appointment information such as time, date, provider name, and appointment type.

What Are We Doing in Response to this Incident? 

The security of our patients’ information is extremely important to us and we apologize for any difficulty and concern this incident may cause.

As part of our ongoing commitment to the security of the information in our care, we changed the employee’s email credentials and implemented additional security measures. We are also reviewing our existing policies and procedures to further enhance the security of our network.

We take this incident very seriously and are providing information below so that you can take the steps you feel are appropriate.

What Can I Do in Response to this Incident?

We encourage you to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud.

As a best practice, if you receive a notice from us that your information was accessible, you should review your financial account statements, credit reports and explanation of benefits forms for suspicious activity.

If you see any unauthorized charges, promptly contact the bank or credit card company.  We also recommend reviewing your credit report for inquiries from companies that you have not contacted, accounts you did not open and debts on our accounts that you cannot explain.

Under U.S. law you are entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus.  To order your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228.  You may also contact the three major credit bureaus directly to request a free copy of your credit report.

You have the right to place a “security freeze” on your credit report, which will prohibit a consumer reporting agency from releasing information in your credit report without your express authorization.  The security freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent.  However, you should be aware that using a security freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application you make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit.  Pursuant to federal law, you cannot be charged to place or lift a security freeze on your credit report.  Should you wish to place a security freeze, please contact the major consumer reporting agencies listed below:

In order to request a security freeze, you will need to provide the following information:

1. Your full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.);
2. Social Security number;
3. Date of birth;
4. If you have moved in the past five (5) years, provide the addresses where you have lived over the prior five years;
5. Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill;
6. A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver’s license or ID card, military identification, etc.);
7. If you are a victim of identity theft, include a copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft.

The credit reporting agencies have one (1) to three (3) business days after receiving your request to place a security freeze on your credit file report, based upon the method of the request.  The credit bureaus must also send written confirmation to you within five (5) business days and provide you with the process by which you may remove the security freeze, including an authentication mechanism.

Upon receiving a direct request from you to remove a security freeze and upon receiving proper identification from you, the consumer reporting agency shall remove a security freeze within one (1) hour after receiving the request by telephone for removal or within three (3) business days after receiving the request by mail for removal.

As an alternative to a security freeze, you have the right to place an initial or extended “fraud alert” on your file at no cost.  An initial fraud alert is a 1-year alert that is placed on a consumer’s credit file.  Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer’s credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer’s identity before extending new credit.

If you are a victim of identity theft, you are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years.  Should you wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any one of the agencies listed above.

Under Massachusetts law, you have the right to obtain any police report filed in regard to this incident.  If you are the victim of identity theft, you also have the right to file a police report and obtain a copy of it.

You can also further educate yourself regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, security freezes, and the steps you can take to protect yourself, by contacting the consumer reporting agencies, your state Attorney General, or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

The Federal Trade Commission can be reached at:

600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20580

www.identitytheft.gov

1-877-ID-THEFT (877-438-4338)
TTY: 866-653-4261

The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them.  You can also obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above.

For More Information

We understand that you may have questions about this incident that are not addressed in this notice. For more information regarding the event, please contact our dedicated call center at 1-800-939-4170, Monday through Friday, 9:00 am  to 8:00 pm ET (excluding US holidays). You can also write to us at 1135 Morton Street, Mattapan, MA 02126.

Come Throw A Spare For Dental Care on September 20 at Ten Pin Eatery in Hyannis

Tickets are on sale now for our Throw A Spare For Dental Care bowling fundraiser for Harbor Health’s Ellen Jones Community Dental Center!

Enjoy a fun-filled family night of bowling, tasty buffet, and exciting prize drawing for a cause that will make you smile!

EVENT DETAILS

Friday, September 20
5 pm – 9 pm
Ten Pin Eatery, Hyannis.

All proceeds will benefit the non-profit dental center’s efforts to relocate and expand in 2020.

Tickets range in price from $15-$40.  Ticket options include bowling in the VIP room or bowling deck, bowling time, and buffet only.  Bowling tickets include 2 hours of bowling, shoe rental, and access to the buffet throughout the event.

To learn more about the event and purchase tickets, visit hhsi.us/throwaspare

Who Will You Help?

Harbor Health opened Ellen Jones Community Dental Center nearly 20 years ago to provide access to oral health care for thousands of Cape residents who lack dental insurance, or whose insurance was not accepted by any other local dentists. Even today, Ellen Jones remains one of the only dental practices that welcomes patients with MassHealth or no dental insurance.

With over 3,000 patients and a long wait list, the Center needs to expand to meet growing community needs.

Every ticket to the event will help make affordable dental care more accessible to everyone living on Cape Cod.  So if a fun night of bowling doesn’t put a smile on your face, helping make dental care accessible for everyone on Cape Cod sure will!

PURCHASE TICKETS NOW

Thank You Sponsors!

Thank you to our presenting sponsors Rogers & Gray and Colliers International|Boston, our photo fun sponsor JBS Printing, and to Crest, Freedom Cruise Line, Nauset Disposal, and Shepley for contributing to our exciting prize drawing taking place live at Throw A Spare!

Increasing access to fresh fruits and vegetables for our community

Harbor Health is proudly supporting the 2019 Ashmont Farmers Market!  The 2019 season kicks off on Friday, June 28.

The 2019 market will run every Friday, 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm, through October 18. The market takes place at the Ashmont MBTA Plaza, 1900 Dorchester Avenue.

The Greater Ashmont Main Street founded the Ashmont Farmers Market in 2008. Over the last 11 years, the Friday market has become an important way for local residents to get fresh fruit and vegetables!

Increasing Access to Healthy Foods

At Harbor Health, we believe that nothing should stand in the way of your health.  No one should have to choose between food and getting the healthcare they need.

Eating healthy, nutritious foods is also essential to your overall health!

Patients at our Daniel Driscoll-Neponset Health Center and Geiger Gibson Community Health Center can get fresh fruits and vegetables in a convenient location at the Ashmont Farmers Market.  The market also donates food left at the end of the market to the Daily Table in Dorchester, a not-for-profit grocery store.

You can use cash, credit and debit cards, and SNAP/EBT, HIP at the Ashmont Farmers Market. 

For more information about Harbor Health’s food insecurity prevention programs, please visit hhsi.us/programs-and-services/food-access

September 20 bowling benefit to support relocation and expansion of Ellen Jones

PURCHASE TICKETS NOW

Harbor Health is excited to announce its first annual “Throw a Spare For Dental Care” bowling fundraiser!  The event will support our efforts to relocate and expand Ellen Jones Community Dental Center in 2020.

Read our announcement about relocation efforts

Save the Date!

“Throw a Spare for Dental Care” Bowling Benefit for Ellen Jones
Friday, September 20, 2019
5 pm – 9 pm
Ten Pin Eatery, Hyannis, Massachusetts

Tickets for the event will go on sale in late July.  You can choose a bowling time at 5 pm or 7 pm.  You can also choose your location on the action-packed bowling deck or in the plush VIP room.  Not much of a bowler?  You can still support Ellen Jones and enjoy the buffet with a special ticket offer.

Stay tuned for more ticket information coming soon!

Call for Sponsors!

The “Throw a Spare For Dental Care” event offers a variety of sponsorship opportunities to fit the budgets and resources of businesses and individuals. In-kind donations and prizes for a drawing at the event are also appreciated.

To learn more about sponsorships and other options for supporting the event, download sponsorship information or contact Ami Bowen at (617) 533-2358 or [email protected].

Ellen Jones provides dental care to more than 3,000 patients each year. The center is one of the only practices on the Cape providing dental services to MassHealth, underinsured, and uninsured patients. And the demand for its local, affordable dental services is increasing.

Every sponsorship, contribution, and ticket to the event will help make affordable healthcare more accessible to everyone living on Cape Cod.

Mark your calendars and we hope to see you at the event!

Announcing our plans to relocate and expand in 2020!

Harbor Health is happy to announce that our Ellen Jones Community Dental Center in Harwich, Massachusetts, will be relocating and expanding next year to meet the growing needs of our patients!

The dental center is currently located at Cape Cod Technical High School.  Cape Cod Tech is building a new school and moving to a new location.  We also want to expand our space so we can provide care to even more Cape residents who need affordable dental services.

We are working on finalizing a new location in the Harwich-Dennis area now.  Look for updates on our new location and when it will open soon!

Ellen Jones will be located at its current location at least through the end of this year.  Our patients should rest assured that when it is time to move, we do not anticipate any disruption in service.

Please download our announcement to patients for more information.

Ellen Jones opened in 2000 in response to the dental care crisis on Cape Cod. Ellen Jones is one of the only dental practices that accepts MassHealth, underinsured, and uninsured patients on the Cape.  Today, we care for more than 3,000 patients each year – and we love to see them all smile.

The entire dental care team at Ellen Jones looks forward to being a part of keeping you healthy in our new location!

Need to make an appointment at Ellen Jones? Call (508) 778-5400.

The Exercise of the Month is Chair Leg Lifts

Getting exercise and physical activity is very important to your health in many ways!  Not only does physical activity help reduce the risk of obesity and chronic health issues, but it’s also very beneficial for your brain, too.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, exercises that elevate your heart rate, “will increase the blood flow to your brain and body, providing additional nourishment while reducing potential dementia risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol.”

June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, so it’s great month to get started with a new plan to keep your brain and body healthy with exercise.

To make getting exercise more convenient and accessible to the community, Harbor Health is sharing fitness challenges with a new featured exercise each month!

Each challenge is built around simple exercises for many different levels of fitness.  Our goal is to make it possible for someone to do them anywhere, anytime, without equipment, indoors or outdoors.

The exercise of the month this June is the Chair Leg Lift! This exercise works your abdominal muscles.  Having strong abdominal muscles helps maintain good posture and balance, as well as reduce back pain.

Follow Along!

Here’s how you do a chair leg lift:

• Sit on edge of a chair.  Your knees should be bent with your feet flat on the floor.
• Grab the sides of the chair or edge of the couch and lean back slightly.
• Pull your knees toward your chest as you crunch your upper body forward with your abdominal muscles (don’t use your arms!).
• Lower feet almost to floor, but don’t let them touch until you have completed all your repetitions.
• Go slow – don’t let gravity drag your legs down

Click or tap the button below to download the full June Fitness Challenge calendar and add reps each day!

[button type=”info” size=”lg” link=”https://www.hhsi.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Harbor-June-2019-fitness-challenge.pdf”]Download the June Fitness Challenge Calendar[/button]

REMEMBER – If you don’t already exercise or you’re unsure of your health status, talk with your provider before starting a new program!

Looking for a new a primary care provider? You can find a provider at Harbor Community Health Center near you.

Check out free and low-cost exercise options close to Harbor community health center locations…

Free Summer Fitness Series in Boston!

The Boston Public Health Commission, the Boston Parks & Recreation Department, and Blue Cross Blue Shield MA are once again sponsoring the Boston Parks Summer Fitness Series!  The series runs every week starting Monday, June 3 through Saturday, September 28 and offers FREE fitness classes in Boston Parks across Boston’s neighborhoods.  All are welcome!

To see the complete list of classes, times, and locations near you, visit bphc.org/summerfitness!

Income Eligible Programs for BlueBikes!

Bike riding is good exercise and a healthy transportation option.  BlueBikes is Metro Boston’s affordable and convenient public bike share system, with over 260 stations across Metro Boston, including Dorchester and Mattapan. 

Bluebikes offers discounted memberships to anyone who receives public assistance or has a qualifying income.  To find a guided registration location near you, visit bluebikes.com/pricing/income-eligible-program/guided-registration.

Harbor Health is wearing green to show support for access to mental health care

May is Mental Health Month and a time to focus on the  issue of access to mental health care in our community.

According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness, 1 in 5 people will be affected by mental illness in their lifetimes.

In Massachusetts, Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation recently found that more than half (56.8%) of adults who tried to get care for mental health or substance use disorders reported difficulties getting it.  Access to care is also difficult for children and teens.  The Parent and Professional Advocacy League (PPAL) says that 79% of children aged 6 to 17 with mental disorders do not receive appropriate care.

Our teams across all our locations wore green on May 8 to show our support for the PPAL​’s “Light It Up Green” campaign and providing access to mental health care to everyone in our community.  See our photos from around Harbor Health below!

Behavioral Health Care at Harbor Health

Harbor Health’s community health centers offer behavioral health care services to our patients.  We also offer recovery services at our Dorchester, Plymouth, and Hyannis health centers.  Talk to your primary care provider for mental health resources for you or a family member – we want to help!

Photos from Around Harbor Health

Over 400 WIC families enjoyed free admission at Franklin Park Zoo

The Massachusetts Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program celebrated WIC Day on May 2!  WIC Day helped raise awareness for the  WIC program and its services, and also brought participating families together at a variety of free, interactive, community events at different locations across the state.

Harbor Health’s Dorchester South/South Boston WIC program co-hosted the WIC Day celebration event at the Franklin Park Zoo.  WIC families received free admission to the zoo and our WIC team organized face painting and other kid-friendly activities.

In spite of the cold and wet weather, over 400 WIC participants and their families turned out to celebrate!

THANK YOU to Zoo New England for generously providing free admission to WIC families!

What is WIC?

WIC is “good food and a whole lot more!”  The program provides nutrition and health education, healthy foods, breastfeeding support, and other services free of charge for eligible Massachusetts families.  Pregnant women, postpartum women, and children 0-5 years of age can participate in the program.

WIC is for all kinds of families!  Married and single parents, as well as working or unemployed parents can apply!  Fathers, mothers, grandparents, foster parents or other legal guardians of children age 0-5 can also apply.

Harbor Health’s Dorchester South/South Boston WIC program has office hours at Daniel Driscoll-Neponset Health Center, DotHouse Health, Codman Square Community Health Center, and at mobile sites in South Boston.  You can find a Dorchester South/South Boston WIC office near you.

Making Physical Activity More Accessible for All!

Getting physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health and mental well-being.  But finding time, a safe location, and affordable options for exercise can be extremely hard to do.

To make getting exercise more convenient and accessible to the community, we’re sharing fitness challenges with a new exercise each month! The challenges are built around simple exercises for many different levels of fitness.  Our goal is to make it possible for someone to do them anywhere, anytime, without equipment, indoors or outdoors.

The exercise of the month this May is Tricep Dips! The tricep is the muscle that run on the backside of your upper arm, from your shoulder to your elbow.  This exercise is intend to help you build strength and tone in your arms.

Follow Along!

Here’s how you do a tricep dip:

• Position your hands shoulder-width apart on a secured bench, stable chair, couch, or bed,  or use the floor.
• Slide your butt off the front of the bench or chair with your legs extended out in front of you.
• Straighten your arms, keeping a little bend in your elbows to keep tension on your triceps and off your elbow joints.
• Slowly bend your elbows to lower your body toward the floor until your elbows are at about a 90-degree angle.
• Keep your back close to the bench or chair.
• Once you reach the bottom of the movement, press down into the bench to straighten your elbows, returning to the starting position.
• Repeat!

Make sure to keep your shoulders down as you lower and raise your body. To modify the exercise, bend your legs for more support and work up to extending them as you make progress.

Click or tap the button below to download the full May Fitness Challenge calendar and add reps each day!

[button type=”info” size=”lg” link=”https://www.hhsi.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Harbor-May-2019-fitness-challenge.pdf”]Download the MayFitness Challenge Calendar[/button]

REMEMBER – If you don’t already exercise or you’re unsure of your health status, talk with your provider before starting a new program!

Looking for a new a primary care provider? You can find a provider at Harbor Community Health Center near you.

Free Summer Fitness Series in Boston!

The Boston Public Health Commission, the Boston Parks & Recreation Department, and Blue Cross Blue Shield MA are once again sponsoring the Boston Parks Summer Fitness Series!  The series runs every week starting Monday, June 3 through Saturday, September 28 and offers FREE fitness classes in Boston Parks across Boston’s neighborhoods.  All are welcome!

To see the complete list of classes, times, and locations, visit bphc.org/summerfitness!

You can also go to The Boston Parks Summer Fitness Series launch event on May 30, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm in Copley Square!