LCHC informs critical Massachusetts Health Equity Blueprint recommendations for legislature

LCHC’s broad advocacy work is critical to our comprehensive mission. We are constantly informed through our close relationships in the Lynn community (including our staff and board members), and we take seriously the necessary mandate to be a bridge in elevating these needs to the political levels of institutional change. Without actively and boldly advocating for redesigned social systems to meet every social determinant of health, our community’s health status is severely limited.

Throughout 2020, our CEO Dr. Kiame Mahaniah was part of the Massachusetts Health Equity Task Force, a legislative task force appointed to make recommendations on health disparities made especially visible by the COVID-19 pandemic. You can read the complete press release here, and see Blueprint’s five key areas noted below.

For a summary, we recommend this news clip from Greater Boston’s nightly programming, interviewing MassLeague President & CEO Michael Curry and Dr. Mahaniah.

“A new report issued by a Massachusetts task force formed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic calls major steps to address health inequities in the state, including a cabinet-level position of Secretary of Equity. Jim Braude was joined by two of the experts who worked on the Health Equity task force…”

We are proud to be part of the groundswell in persistently promoting equity as a “north star” to guide every decision pertaining to COVID-19 response and beyond.

Five key areas from A Blueprint to Health Equity 

• Strengthen access to quality, affordable health care and other services
• Address social factors in health
• Strengthen the local and state public health system
• Integrate equity and resilience into emergency and disaster preparedness
• Create an “equity in all policies” approach and launch it by conducting an equity impact analysis

Related Material:

• Boston Globe Op-Ed by Tim Foley and Kiame Mahaniah: “Front-line health workers deserve ‘premium pay’: Only about 10 percent of the American Rescue Plan money is needed to bring relief to 200,000 hospital workers, 40,000 nursing home workers, and 20,000 community health center workers across the state.”
  • Tim Foley is executive vice President of SEIU 1199. Kiame Mahaniah is CEO of the Lynn Community Health Center.”
• Lynn Item Article: “Officials Support Driver’s Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants”
  • “LYNN — State Sen. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn), Mayor Thomas M. McGee and Lynn Community Health Center’s Chief Executive Officer Kiame Mahaniah were some of 80 people who testified in favor of a new mobility bill during the Massachusetts Transportation Committee’s hearing on Wednesday afternoon.”