Our Story

Our Story

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Founded on February 25, 2002, CHC has over 22 years of experience as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) serving insured, underinsured, uninsured, low income, publicly housed, and homeless populations in 36 communities in North Central Massachusetts.

Our vision is to be the leading healthcare center, committed to eliminating barriers to care and building a healthier tomorrow for the communities we serve.

At CHC, everyone is welcomed as a patient, regardless of insurance status, income, or ability to pay for services. CHC serves as a multi-site “one-stop shop” for health care by offering primary family medical care, preventative and restorative dental care, oral surgery, behavioral health services, substance use disorder treatment, and integrated specialty services including optometry, acupuncture, nutrition consultations, and podiatry.

What is a community health center? Watch this video to learn more.

Our service area is made up of cities, towns, and villages spanning Franklin, Worcester, and Middlesex Counties and include:

*Where CHC sites are located.
  • Acton
  • Ashburnham
  • Ashby
  • Athol
  • Ayer
  • Baldwinville
  • Barre
  • Boxborough
  • Clinton
  • Devens
  • East Templeton
  • Fitchburg*
  • Gardner*
  • Gilbertville/Hardwick
  • Groton
  • Harvard
  • Hubbardston
  • Lancaster
  • Leominster*
  • Littleton
  • Lunenburg
  • New Braintree
  • Orange
  • Pepperell
  • Phillipston
  • Princeton
  • Royalston
  • Rutland
  • Shirley
  • Sterling
  • South Lancaster
  • Templeton
  • Townsend
  • Westminster
  • West Townsend
  • Winchendon

In response to a Community Needs Assessment, CHC opened on February 25, 2002 as one primary care practice in Fitchburg providing medical services to the underserved. Since then our Fitchburg location has blossomed to include a variety of services within a LEED-certified facility constructed and opened in 2014. 

Based on the need of surrounding communities, CHC opened a facility in Gardner in 2005 and one in Leominster in 2008.

In 2008, CHC organized a mobile unit to provide direct care to our homeless population. This mobile unit supported such a great community need that it became CHC’s second permanent site in Fitchburg in 2017 at 130 Water Street in Fitchburg - a location with access to public transportation and proximity to other business that fulfill basic needs to best support its primary patient population.

Mission, Vision & Values

Our mission is to provide high quality, affordable healthcare in our community.

Our vision is to be the leading healthcare center, committed to eliminating barriers to care and building a healthier tomorrow for the communities we serve.

Our Values

High Quality Care

We strive to provide the highest quality care to our patients.

Accessible Care

We help our patients overcome barriers to care.

Patient Satisfaction

We treat our patients with kindness, respect, and in a timely manner.

Team Work

We work together to make CHC a more efficient organization and improve overall performance. 

Staff Satisfaction & Engagement

We foster a positive work environment. We know that employees who enjoy their work and are engaged in our mission deliver excellent services.

Life/Work Balance

We encourage our employees to maintain a healthy balance between work, family, and other activities.

Building The Future

We create sustainable relationships with partners to help develop a skilled future healthcare workforce, provide educational opportunities for employees to grow, improve care and increase opportunities for our patients.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

We encourage diversity to create and ensure fair and impartial treatment, and an inclusive environment for all employees to feel a sense of belonging, giving additional experience and point of views t help improve our work environment.