South Cove Community Health Center celebrated its 45th Anniversary at the JFK Library & Museum on Saturday, September 9, 2017. 

  

Eugene Welch with James Fong (1st SCCHC Executive Director)

To recognize each honoree, South Cove commissioned documentary film director Kenneth Eng to put together short videos providing a glimpse into Helen Chin Schlichte, Amy Guen and Eugene Welch's incredible life journeys and accomplishments.  South Cove was also extremely pleased to have three special guests, Jamie Katz, Sr. VP and General Counsel of BIDMC, Dr. Stephen Tang, founder and long time South Cove Board Member, and Eric Tiberi, COO of South Cove, each knowing the honoree in different capacities, to present the award.  

 

L to R: Nelson Liu, Helen Chin Schlichte, Eugene Welch and Jamie Katz

Helen Chin Schlichte is the eldest of nine children. From early childhood, she followed her father around who worked as an interpreter for Chinese elders needing medical attention, it was at that young age, she began to understand the meaningful work of helping others.  When her father passed away, her mother raised nine children and ran a laundry service without taking welfare.  Her long public service career began first in 1949 where she had a summer job working as the State House clerk.  After graduating from Boston University, she began full-time employment in the House Speaker's Office and came up through the ranks to work in the executive branch of the government.  When she retired in 2003 as the Assistant to the Secretary for Administration and Finance, she had served 13 A&F Secretaries and 12 Governors!  In addition to her exemplary career, Helen has always dedicated and committed herself to serving the community, having served on the board of numerous non-profits.  As the co-founder of South Cove Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, she assisted on the expansion and the relocation of the facility, she is also the Chair Emeritus of the Kwong Kow Chinese School board of directors.

In accepting her award, Chin Schlichte stated that helping others also benefits yourself because "you get satisfaction knowing you have a positive impact on somebody's life. "   She dedicated her award to her parents and her late husband George Schlichte.

Amy Guen was born in Boston and raised on Oxford Street in Chinatown, the eldest of six in the family with two younger brothers and three younger sisters.  Her brothers, Billy and Frank Chin are long time community advocates as well, together they are affectionately known as Auntie Amy, Uncle Billy and Uncle Frank.  Guen is a trailblazing social worker who advocated for hospice care, which was not available at the time and served on the State's first social work licensing board.  Her calling as a social worker and community activist led her to found agencies such the Asian American Civic Association, the Greater Boston Chinese Golden Age Center, South Cove Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and South Cove Community Health Center, all of which carry out meaningful work to serve those in need.  This past June, 65 years after graduating from the Boston College School of Social Work, she was bestowed the honorary doctorate degree by her alma mater in recognition of her tireless community advocacy work. 

 

Guen echoed Chin Schlichte's sentiments in the sense that helping others is self-fulfillment, "being needed is important in life," and she encouraged all to volunteer. 

 

 

Under his leadership, Eugene turned the health center around financially and steered it into a series of expansion both in facilities and in staffing.  With 4 clinics in Boston and Quincy, and the 5th one in Malden opening in 2018, the results speak for themselves. 

 

In appreciation of his contributions to South Cove, the Board commissioned artiest Peter Ng to paint a portrait of Eugene Welch to be hung at the health center as a permanent tribute to him.

 

In his usual humble self, Eugene thanked the Board but credits the incredible team that he works with and also the patients that the health center serves because there would be no health center without patients. 

 

Heading into its 46th year, Eugene vows to continue the mission of serving the underserved with high quality care that is affordable and accessible to all.

 

The three honorees pose for a group picture

The evening also featured instrumental performance by the Fenway Quartet and lion dance by the Wah Lum Kung Fu and Tai Chi Academy. 

Photos courtesy of Chutze Chou and Bruce Wahl.

As some sort of healthcare reform is imminent at both the federal and state levels, here at South Cove we try to stay abreast of changes and ahead of the curve all the while maintaining quality of care and keeping a balanced budget.  The latest effort involves working on a Medicare ACO.   

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services define ACOs as "groups of doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers, who come together voluntarily to give coordinate d high quality care to the Medicare patients they serve." A well-oiled ACO helps ensure that patients receive the right care at the right time, it could also reduce unnecessary duplication of services and prevent medical errors, a win-win for both the patients and the ACO.

  

South Cove has been in talks with several players including BIDMC, BIDCO, Bowdoin Street Health Center, and Tufts Public Health Plan on forming an ACO.  This is no small feat and would also mean that the health center would bear some financial risk, which is unprecedented, but we see it as a necessary move because of the proposal to change from fee-for-service to a global payment per patient per year for all MassHealth patients.  

 

South Cove is partnering with BIDMC as the hospital base and Tufts Public Health Plan as the insurance piece, together we will negotiate a rate with the State and be part of the risk contract.  As the State and the administration set forth to reform healthcare delivery, it is crucial to expand South Cove's network.  By being part of an ACO, we want to succeed in both delivering well-coordinated care and spending health care dollars more wisely, so that ultimately all parties, the patients, the ACO and the Medicare program, will benefit.   

Michael Choi is the latest addition to South Cove's dental department.  Upon completion of his residency at South Cove this past summer, he was hired as a full time dentist.  

Michael graduated from the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in 2016.  Hailed from New Jersey with Korean heritage, Michael has made Boston his new home and South Cove his extended family!  When not in his scrub taking care of patients, Michael practices martial arts such as the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo, other interests include wrestling, boxing, and a variety of outdoor activities: fishing, hunting, camping and hiking.

At the 145 South Street clinic, the EI (Early Intervention) program also took its kids to different departments at the site for trick-or-treating.

About the EI Program:

South Cove's EI Program has been running for over 25 years.  Enrollment is based on eligibility determined by evaluation procedures approved by the Department of Public Health and carried out by child development specialists.  

Photos courtesy of Sam Ma.

 

640 Washington Street, Brighton, MA 02135

http://www.scchc.org