September 26, 2023

Dr. Alison Curcio Appointed as Chief of Patient Walk-In Center at Lowell Community Health Center

Lowell Community Health Center is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Alison Curcio as the new Chief of the Patient Walk-In Center. Dr. Curcio brings with her 18 years of frontline emergency medicine experience and specialized training in Simulation Medicine aimed at enhancing patient safety and care quality. She has also previously contributed to the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, developing protocols for optimized medication use in Emergency Departments.

Dr. Curcio received her undergraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, completed her medical education at Emory University School of Medicine, and subsequently pursued a residency in Emergency Medicine through the Harvard program at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

Susan West Levine, CEO of Lowell Community Health Center, praised the appointment, stating, “We are exceptionally fortunate to have Dr. Curcio join our team. With her years of frontline emergency medicine experience and specialized training in Simulation Medicine, she brings significant expertise to our health center. Dr. Curcio will be instrumental in developing a service model that better guides patients to the most appropriate care settings, thereby reducing unnecessary emergency room visits. Her leadership will be key to expanding our Walk-In Center’s services to better meet the healthcare needs of our community.”

Dr. Alison Curcio expressed her enthusiasm, saying, “I am excited to work with such an incredible team at the Patient Walk-In Center, and at the health center, and to be able to continue and expand upon the tremendous services provided by the walk-in center.”

Dr. Kumble Rajesh, Chief Medical Officer of Lowell Community Health Center, highlighted the significance of her expertise, noting, “Dr. Curcio’s vast experience in emergency medicine will be invaluable in optimizing and expanding our services at the Patient Walk-In Center and to the patients we serve.”

About the Patient Walk-In Center

The Patient Walk-In Center offers a range of Immediate Care walk-in services for Lowell Community Health Center patients. Services include, but are not limited to, sick visits, joint injuries, stitches, assistance with sprains and back pain, treatment of skin infections such as poison ivy, non-severe allergy management, ear lavage, and on-the-spot testing for conditions like COVID-19, pregnancy, urinary infections, vaginal infections, sore throats, and flu.

Click Here – To learn about the Patient Walk-In Center and its hours.

January 19, 2023

Lowell Community Health Center Announces Appointment of New Chief Operating Officer 

(Lowell, MA) – Lowell Community Health Center (Lowell CHC) has announced that Elizabeth Hale DNP, RN, CENP, will assume the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective immediately.  

Dr. Elizabeth Hale DNP, RN, CENP

Dr. Hale currently serves as Lowell CHC’s Chief Clinical Officer overseeing all clinical operations including nursing, clinical pharmacy, infection prevention, quality, integrated care management, behavioral health, occupational health, school-based health centers, and laboratory services. In this new and expanded role, Dr. Hale will continue to provide oversight for these services, and in addition will work to assure that our health center operations are aligned and integrated across our organization, with a focus on patient access, equity, experience, and quality of care.   

“I am delighted that Beth has accepted this challenge,” said Susan West Levine, CEO of Lowell CHC. “Beth’s knowledge of health care operations and commitment to excellent patient care make her a tremendous leader for the COO role.”  

Levine continued, “Beth will launch a broad, solutions-oriented operations team comprised of leaders across the organization that will focus on continuous performance improvement, identify timely solutions to operational challenges, ensure compliance with regulatory agencies, and provide a forum to respond to urgent matters as they arise.”    

Dr. Hale joined Lowell CHC in September 2015 as Chief of Clinical Services. During her tenure, she earned her Doctorate in Nursing Practice from the University of New Hampshire and served as Incident Commander, successfully leading us, and our community, through the COVID pandemic response and, now, recovery.  

Dr. Hale earned both her MSN in Nursing and her Doctorate in Nursing Practice from the University of New Hampshire. Prior to working at Lowell CHC, she served as Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at Lawrence General Hospital and, prior to that, as Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at the Elliot Hospital in Manchester, NH.  

June 29, 2021

US Senator Elizabeth Warren Visits Lowell CHC

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren visited Lowell Community Health Center on June 29 to celebrate the work of the health center in our community, thank our staff for their frontline work on the COVID-19 pandemic, and to applaud the patient- and community-focused use of the $5.3 million in HRS) funding for COVID response and recovery, as well as the $800,000 for capital improvements to our first floor. Senator Warren echoed Lowell CHC CEO Susan West Levine’s passionate advocacy for long-term, stable funding for CHCs as a key component of public health. We are deeply grateful for Senator Warren’s support.

Read more at the Lowell Sun
July 2, 2021

COVID-19 Vaccination Equity Report

As part of demonstrating Lowell Community Health Center’s commitment to equity, inclusion, and combatting racism, we are continuing to produce a COVID-19 Vaccination Equity Report. This report provides details from our vaccine distribution here at the Health Center.

Read the report
January 22, 2021

Lowell CHC leadership talk COVID-19 on “African Diaspora Connects”

Mercy Anampiu, Director of Community Health Programs, and Beth Hale, Chief of Clinical Services, talk about COVID-19 on “African Diaspora Connects.” Host Kibathi Gaturu reminds us all that “COVID is real.” And he should know, as he recently recovered after contracting COVID and believes he contracted it during a night out with friends.

COVID Talk: African Diaspora Connects
January 6, 2021

Lowell CHC leading effort to inform and vaccinate residents

“Community health organizations, including Lowell Community Health Center, Greater Lowell Health Alliance, and Lowell General Hospital, are working with trusted community aid organizations in a unified effort to distribute timely and accurate information about the vaccine rollout.”

Read more at the Lowell Sun
January 4, 2021

Pace Of Coronavirus Vaccination Lags Supply In Mass.

Read comments from Lowell CHC Director of Clinical Services, Elizabeth Hale, in this recent piece on WBUR. “So far in Massachusetts, the pace of vaccinating residents against COVID-19 is way behind supplies of coronavirus vaccines. The latest update Monday from Gov. Charlie Baker shows about 40% of the doses delivered to Massachusetts have been injected and, state data released last week shows, 92% have gone to hospital staff.”

Read more at WBUR
November 17, 2020

Lowell CHC ranks among top 100 women-led businesses in MA

“For the second year in a row, the Lowell Community Health Center (Lowell CHC) was ranked as one of the top 100 women-led businesses in Massachusetts by the Boston Globe Magazine-Commonwealth Institute.”

Read more at the Lowell Sun
February 22, 2019

Lowell CHC Participates in Opioid Forum with Congresswoman Trahan

“After hearing the dire opioid stories from local first responders, law enforcement, health-care providers and those who have lost loved ones to the crisis, U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan could confidently state that the model of care is clearly broken. That longer-term recovery plans are key in the fight against this insidious disease. And there’s a workforce shortage, not enough people have access to treatment, the funding model needs to change, and the system is not designed to proactively help people who are struggling.”

Read more at the Lowell Sun
August 26, 2018

Rebecca Williams

Rebecca Williams has joined Lowell Community Health Center as director of integrated care and case management to advance the health center’s work with the Wellforce Care Plan ACO. 

Read more at Merrimack Valley Magazine