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!

Follow Along With the Harbor Health April Fitness Challenge!

April is National Minority Health Month! Harbor Health is proud to support the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service Office of Minority Health to promote physical activity and staying active and healthy not only in April, but all year long.

According to the 2nd edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans released last year, adults need at least 150-300 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each week with muscle-strengthening activities two or more days a week.

Unfortunately, the Office of Minority Health notes that right now, “more than half of minority adults do not meet the physical activity guidelines.”

To make getting physical activity more convenient and accessible to all of our patients and staff at Harbor Health, we’re sharing fitness challenges with a new exercise each month! The challenges are built around simple exercises you can do anywhere, anytime, a little at a time, without equipment to make it easier to exercise.

The exercise of the month in April is Seated Spinal Rotations!

Follow Along!

Here’s how you do a seated spinal rotation:

1. Sit up straight in your chair.
2. Cross your arms so each hand is resting on the opposite shoulder.
3. Rotate your whole upper body, twist from your hips, to one side. Keep your spine aligned. Only twist as far as you are comfortable.
4. Rotate back to the center. Repeat on the other side. Each side counts as one rotation, so today, you will do 5 rotations to each side, 10 in total.

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

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?

Find a Harbor Community Health Center near you now!

Visit hhsi.us/NPresidency to learn more and apply to the program!

We’re pleased to announce that Harbor Health is launching a Family Nurse Practitioner Residency Training Program!

The residency program is specifically intended for postgraduate family nurse practitioners who are committed to developing careers as primary care providers in the challenging setting of community health centers and other safety net settings..

We are proud to be a part of helping new family nurse practitioners develop the skills they need to care for underserved populations and assume future leadership roles in community health care!

The program includes precepted primary care sessions, specialty rotations, mentored independent clinics in an urban setting, didactic sessions, and quality improvement training.

Harbor will offer two residency slots for this intensive training program.  The FNP residency is a full-time, 12-month salaried position with a one-year employment commitment after completion of the program.

The training program will be based at Harbor’s community health centers in Dorchester and will run from September to the end of August the following year.

Harbor Health invites postgraduate family nurse practitioners (FNP) to apply! Bilingual candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

[button type=”info” size=”lg” link=”https://www.hhsi.us/npresidency/”] Learn more about the program [/button]

Supporters and Partners of Harbor’s FNP Residency Program

Harbor is able to offer two residency slots thanks to funding provided by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS).

We were one of six healthcare organizations selected to participate in the DSRIP Statewide Investments Family Nurse Practitioner Residency Training Program.  This program is administered by the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers and funded through the EOHHS.

We have partnered with the Community Health Center, Inc. of Middletown, Connecticut, to develop our residency program. The Community Health Center, Inc. launched the nation’s first formal postgraduate nurse practitioner residency training program in 2007 to support the transition from new NP to primary care provider.  

Ready to Learn More About the Program?

To learn more about Harbor Health’s Family Nurse Practitioner Residency program and apply, visit hhsi.us/npresidency.

Free Cooking Classes for Kids Underway During National Nutrition Month

[button type=”info” size=”lg” link=”#recipe1″] Get the Recipes [/button]

Kids were in the kitchen at Harbor Health’s Daniel Driscoll – Neponset Health Center in Dorchester for the first of four healthy cooking classes hosted at the health center. Our nutritionist Colleen and our health educators Iris and Ashley guided the young cooks through their first lesson which included peeling and baking sweet potatoes.

Helping kids learn to make nutritious food choices is one of the best ways to support their health!  Harbor’s healthy cooking classes focus on teaching kids about why different ingredients are good for them and how to prepare them in healthy and flavorful ways.

All the recipes include main ingredients that are affordable and easier to find at local grocery stores.

In this week’s session, the class prepared sweet potato and black bean tacos and a yogurt dip.  One member of the class said she’d never tried beans before, but was willing to give them a try – we were proud of her!  Another said she didn’t like one of the ingredients in the yogurt dip (avocado), so the class talked about how to substitute other ingredients.

March is National Nutrition Month, so we’re sharing the recipes below so you can try them out too.

ATTENTION PARENTS: There’s one spot left in this free session for 3rd and 4th graders – next class is Monday, March 25! Register at http://bit.ly/March19KidsCooking.

Did You Know…

Our nutritionist Colleen not only teaches this kids cooking class, but also sees patients at our Daniel Driscoll – Neponset (617-282-3200) and Geiger Gibson (617-288-1140) Community Health Centers.

Call to make an appointment with her to talk about diabetes, weight management, and healthy meal planning on a budget.

Follow the Recipes

Thank you to Kohl’s Healthy Family Fun for your generous support and making these free healthy cooking classes for kids in our community possible!