The City of Lowell is closing the 2nd floor of the Edward Early Garage for cleaning on Tuesday, May 27.
Parking will not be permitted on that level starting at 8PM on Monday, May 26. Please use other levels of the garage.
Questions? Contact Lowellparking@lazparking.com.
For families with limited transportation and busy schedules, getting to the doctor’s office for routine checkups can be a challenge.
To bring care directly to Lowell children, Lowell Public Schools, UMass Lowell’s Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences and the Lowell Community Health Center joined forces to launch a Mobile Health Unit. The “clinic on wheels” travels to Lowell community schools, providing K-12 students with access to services such as checkups, sick visits and vaccinations.
At a Mobile Health Unit ribbon cutting at the Greenhalge Elementary School on May 5, local officials celebrated the launch of the community initiative.
“We’re thrilled to collaborate with our community partners to meet children where they are, breaking down barriers to care while providing experiences for our health sciences students,” said UMass Lowell’s Mary Gallant, dean of the Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences.
Lowell Public Schools Superintendent Liam Skinner praised the power of the partnership.
“In Lowell, this is what we do,” Skinner said. “We join together to find solutions to difficult problems. Thank you to everyone who made the Mobile Health Unit possible for our children and their families.”
Outfitted with two private exam rooms, a vaccination and blood collection area, and equipment to monitor vital signs, the Mobile Health Unit is staffed by Lowell Community Health Center licensed health care providers and community health workers. The unit will be a setting for career-connected experiences for UMass Lowell students. Students in the Solomont School of Nursing will earn clinical hours by assisting in delivering care, and students from all majors will collaborate to provide workshops that promote healthy living in areas such as nutrition, stress management and physical activity.
Susan Levine, CEO of the Lowell Community Health Center, said her team was exploring ways to expand school-based health care beyond their clinics at Lowell High School and Stoklosa Middle School when she learned UMass Lowell had a Mobile Health Unit and was looking for community partners.
“On day one, our team was delivering vaccines and helping families connect to primary care,” Levine said. “That’s the kind of access this mobile unit makes possible. Students can step into the unit, get the care they need, and return to class – healthy and ready to learn. We are grateful to UMass Lowell and Lowell Public Schools for helping to turn this vision into a reality.”
UMass Lowell’s Nicole Champagne, Zuckerberg College associate dean for academic affairs, worked closely with faculty and partners to bring health services to the children and youth of Lowell.
“We always had this vision that we’d use the Mobile Health Unit to travel to places where people are in need and immerse our students in community care,” Champagne said. “I’m grateful to all my colleagues and partners who united for the common good of our community.”
Lowell Community Health Center is proud to announce the recipients of this year’s DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses: Bridget Porter of Adult Medicine and Sophornna “SO” Nuon of the PASS (Cariño) Department. Presented during National Nurses Week, the DAISY Award is a national recognition that honors nurses who provide extraordinary care with compassion and dedication.
This year’s honorees represent the best of Lowell CHC’s mission in action. Both Bridget and Sophornna are known for the unwavering compassion they show patients and the steady support they offer their colleagues every day.
“Bridget and Sophornna are examples of what it means to lead with compassion and respect,” said Elizabeth Hale DNP, RN, CENP, Chief Operating Officer of Lowell Community Health Center. “Bridget is someone her colleagues rely on without hesitation—whether it’s helping a new teammate or bringing calm during a hectic moment. And Sophornna is that rare kind of caregiver whose empathy shows in every interaction —from taking extra time to explain a diagnosis to singing softly to help ease a patient’s fear. Their peers see them not just as nurses, but as role models.”
According to peer nominations, Bridget Porter is someone who “always goes above and beyond to ensure her patients’ needs are fully met.” Team members described her as “the one everyone turns to when things get stressful” and praised her calm demeanor, constant willingness to help, and leadership by example. She was also commended for mentoring new staff, jumping in wherever needed, and creating a supportive environment where patients and colleagues feel valued and cared for. Her coworkers consistently described her as compassionate, patient-focused, and uplifting.
Sophornna Nuon, affectionately known as “SO,” was similarly recognized by his colleagues for the compassion and calm he brings to his work. As shared in multiple nominations, he is known for singing to frightened patients, helping unhoused individuals access care, and offering kindness and support in every interaction. His peers called him a “natural leader” and “the purest soul,” highlighting how his calm presence and clinical skill make patients feel safe and respected—especially in sensitive situations.
The DAISY Award was created by the DAISY Foundation to honor the exceptional work nurses do every day. Lowell CHC is proud to have been the first community health center in the nation to present the award annually. This year marked the fourth year of honoring our nurses with the DAISY Award during National Nurses Week, held from May 6 to May 12.
The awards were presented during a ceremony recognizing this year’s honorees and the vital role nurses play at Lowell CHC.
About the DAISY Award
The DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Foundation was established in 1999 in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. The DAISY Award recognizes nurses whose clinical skill and compassionate care exemplify the kind of nurse that patients and families, as well as staff, remember and celebrate. Learn more at www.DAISYfoundation.org.
