EOHHS Secretary and Undersecretary Visit North Central Region | | Local stakeholders gathered in Ayer to discuss health in the region. (Foundation photos) | | On May 19, Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) Secretary Kiame Mahaniah and Undersecretary Amy Rosenthal visited the Ayer region to meet with local stakeholders to discuss health challenges and opportunities in the North Central region. | | Secretary Mahaniah and Undersecretary Rosenthal | |  | The day began with a roundtable discussion about how the region has fared following the closure of Nashoba Valley Medical Center in August 2024. Participants included individuals who served on Governor Maura Healey's Nashoba Valley Health Planning Working Group. There was discussion of activities that have continued since the working group issued its final report in 2025, new services and opportunities to improve health in the region, and persistent challenges including the increased strain on first responders. | | |
The day included a driving tour of health care sites in the region, which highlighted the barriers to access due to long distances and little to no public transit. Stops included the former site of Nashoba Valley Medical Center, the construction site for the new UMass Memorial Health satellite emergency facility in Groton, Community Health Connections in Fitchburg, and the Fitchburg Free Clinic.
The day closed with a second roundtable discussion about ongoing efforts and future opportunities related to the Commonwealth’s Advancing Health Equity in Massachusetts (AHEM) initiative and the new Rural Health Transformation Program.
The Health Foundation is grateful to the EOHHS team for their visit and to all stakeholders who participated in the meaningful discussions throughout the day.
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Later that evening, our partners at the Health Equity Partnership of North Central Mass hosted a community listening session in Leominster focused on access to behavioral health and substance use disorder services in the region, particularly in light of the impending closure of Community Healthlink.
| | Groundbreaking for REC's Center for Urban Agriculture and Food Security | | |
The Regional Environmental Council (REC) celebrated the groundbreaking of its new Center for Urban Agriculture and Food Security in Worcester on June 3. State and local officials, community leaders, and partners came together to mark the occassion.
After years of planning, fundraising, and persistence, construction for the new center as well as site work for a new Community Greenhouse at their nearby urban farm is now underway. In March 2026, REC moved into its new headquarters, a historic firehouse at 108 Beacon Street. The farm, the firehouse, a warehouse, and other parcels will combine to form a new urban farming campus in Worcester’s Main South neighborhood.
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A 2023 Activation Fund grant in the amount of $95,000 from The Health Foundation helped build momentum for the campus.
The grant supported renovations and equipment to improve the safety and efficiency of REC's warehouse, which provides cold and dry storage, sorting, and loading dock space for REC's Mobile Farmers Market program. Improvements included the installation of electric heating and cooling units, an electric door for enhanced climate control in the warehouse, and new loading dock components, including a dock lift, door, and an outdoor canopy, to streamline the loading and unloading process.
| | A warm congratulations to Worcester Business Journal's (WBJ) 2026 Power 100 (paid article). Each year, the WBJ publishes a list of the most influential leaders in the Central Mass region. The Health Foundation's President & CEO Dr. Amie Shei is honored to receive this recognition for the third year in a row. | | | |
Association for Behavioral Healthcare Annual Meeting
On May 12, Dr. Shei delivered the keynote address at the 2026 Association for Behavioral Healthcare (ABH) Annual Meeting. ABH is the leading statewide association advancing, promoting, and preserving community-based mental health and substance use disorder treatment services for individuals and families.
The Health Foundation President & CEO Dr. Amie Shei and ABH President & CEO Lydia Conley. (ABH photo)
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The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation (BCBSMA Foundation) recently released “Call to Action: Solutions to Confront Pressing Health Care System Challenges” which outlines a framework for preserving health care access and coverage in Massachusetts amid rising costs, workforce challenges, and recent federal policy changes.
The report identifies five core, interconnected challenges that threaten the sustainability of Massachusetts’ health care system: coverage loss, unsustainable growth in health care spending, affordability challenges for consumers, workforce shortages, and administrative burdens. It serves as a roadmap for the next phase of reform, calling on public and private stakeholders to work together to develop and implement solutions that protect coverage, improve affordability, reduce barriers to care, and ensure a more sustainable health care system for the future.
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Request for Proposals
The BCBSMA Foundation has also announced a request for proposals for the OB3 Impacts Defense Fund - Mitigating Coverage Loss. This grant opportunity is focused on mitigating potential MassHealth coverage losses resulting from new federal requirements stemming from the passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OB3). The program will provide up to nine grants for up to $60,000 per year for up to two years to support outreach, education, and enrollment in Hampden, Hampshire, Berkshire, Worcester, and Bristol Counties, and the Cape and Islands. Details on eligibility and application instructions can be found here.
| | Nonprofit and Community Resources | | |
The following resources may be of interest to our nonprofit partners and community members.
Massachusetts Community Biodiversity Grants
The Community Biodiversity Grants Program is seeking proposals for projects that drive on-the-ground progress towards the state's Biodiversity Conservation Goals. The program will award grants between $20,000 and $150,000 to support local efforts to protect and restore biodiversity and bring nature to every neighborhood. The deadline for applications is Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
Annie E. Casey Foundation
The Annie E. Casey Foundation is recruiting for the second class of its Rising Leaders for Results Fellowship. They are looking for talented, highly motivated early-career professionals between the ages of 24-31 who desire to grow personally and professionally. The deadline for providing recommendations is Monday, June 22, 2026 and the application deadline is Monday, July 6, 2026.
Health Care For All
Health Care For All is conducting a survey in collaboration with the Massachusetts Division of Insurance to understand why many women or people who experience women‑specific preventive health needs in Massachusetts may not be taking advantage of all preventive health services that are guaranteed under state and federal law.
Fitchburg State University
Fitchburg State University is offering a Certificate in Dementia Crisis that is specifically designed to help professionals in a variety of areas of care learn how to respond effectively to a dementia-related situation, including EMS, hospital professionals, direct caregivers, and law enforcement.
| | The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts is dedicated to improving the health of those who live or work in Central Massachusetts, with particular emphasis on vulnerable populations and unmet needs. Through its unique and impactful approach to grantmaking, The Health Foundation supports community-identified health issues, with health defined broadly to include social determinants of health and with a focus on promoting health equity. As a health conversion foundation launched in 1999 following the sale of the not-for-profit HMO Central Massachusetts Health Care, Inc., The Health Foundation’s grants have totaled over $62 million to 250 unique organizations over its history. For more information, visit www.thfcm.org. |
| © 2026 The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts | | | | |
