February 22, 2024

February is American Heart Month!

By Dr. Cara Marshall, Program Director for the Lowell Community Health Center | TuftsMedicine | Family Medicine Residency Program

Doing things like moving around more and eating healthy food can really help your heart stay strong. Here are some tips from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to keep your heart healthy.

Take Action for Your Heart: Get Started!

The following tips are from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s “Take Action for Your Heart: Get Started!” toolkit. Download the full National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute toolkit here.

  1. Get Enough Sleep: Try to sleep 7-9 hours each night and go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Avoid exercise close to bedtime and stay away from caffeine and nicotine.
  • Stay at a Healthy Weight: Choose healthy snacks like fruits and veggies, drink lots of water, do exercises like walking or running, and keep track of what you eat.
  • Eat Better: Eat balanced meals with less saturated fat, salt, and sugar. Try to eat more fish, less meat, and more meatless meals.
  • Be Active: Adults should exercise for about 2 ½ hours each week. Use the stairs, walk more, and do muscle-strengthening activities. Even short 10-minute activities count!
  • Stop Smoking: Quit smoking as it’s bad for your heart. Set a quit date, ask for help from your healthcare provider or support groups, and get extra support if needed.
  • Control Cholesterol and Blood Sugar: Eat heart-healthy foods and manage your weight. If you have diabetes, watch your blood sugar levels closely.
  • Manage Stress: Use relaxation techniques, consider meditation or yoga, and find ways to lower your stress.
  • Control Blood Pressure: Keep track of your blood pressure, use a home monitor, and maintain it in a healthy range.
  • Practice Self-Care and Find Support: Do something good for your heart every day, go to your healthcare provider when needed, get support from family and friends, and join groups for exercise or weight management.

For more detailed information, you can visit hearttruth.gov.

January 30, 2024

Dr. Cara Marshall Named Inaugural Director of Family Medical Residency Program

LOWELL, MA — [1/30/24] — Lowell Community Health Center (Lowell CHC) is pleased to announce Cara Marshall, M.D., as the Inaugural Director of its planned Family Medical Residency Program. Dr. Marshall’s extensive academic and professional journey, particularly in social medicine and community health, positions her ideally for the directorship.

Read the article in The Sun for news coverage of this announcement.

The Family Medicine Residency Program will be a key component of Lowell Community Health Center’s planned Health Justice Learning InstituteÓ and is set to become only the second accredited Teaching Health Center in Massachusetts operated by a Federally Qualified Health Center.

“Dr. Marshall’s addition to our team is a significant milestone for Lowell CHC. Her background in family medicine, commitment to equity and community health, and her dedication to fostering educational rigor are exactly what we need,” stated Dr. Kumble Rajesh, Chief Medical Officer of Lowell CHC. “Our program will emphasize a healthcare education that is grounded in community needs, practitioner leadership, and antiracism, and Dr. Marshall will be instrumental in embedding these values into our new residency initiative.”

A graduate of the University of Florida College of Medicine through an accelerated B.S./M.D. program, Dr. Marshall completed her residency at Montefiore Medical Center’s Residency Program in Social Medicine. She has been recognized with several accolades, notably the Family Medicine Educator of the Year by the Massachusetts Academy of Family Physicians. Dr. Marshall brings experience in curriculum development and resident supervision from her previous roles. She has contributed to several initiatives on diversity and health equity.

Dr. Marshall noted, “joining Lowell CHC is an extraordinary chance to impact the future of family medicine and the delivery of healthcare within the community. We will be training doctors in Lowell, for Lowell.”

The residency will occupy a state-of-the-art 16,000-square-foot facility on the 5th floor of Lowell CHC, opening its doors to six residents annually starting in 2026. By year 3, the Family Medicine Residency program will provide more than 5,000 residents of Greater Lowell with 18 new Primary Care Providers.

Program residents will hone their skills, fully aware of the impacts of the social determinants of health such as racism and privilege, alongside other members of the care team. Our distinctive programs and innovative modelÓ will empower our next generation of physicians to be collaborative and committed to equity in their practice. The Residency will help prepare a diverse workforce to meet the growing need for cultural proficiency in healthcare settings – meaningfully & sustainably. Earlier this year, Lowell CHC received a $500,000 planning grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for this residency program, developed in collaboration with Tufts Medicine. Collaborating with Tufts Medicine will enable Lowell CHC to meet rigorous accreditation standards which require resources beyond the health center, including inpatient hospital rotations for rounding, access to a medical library, and on-call rooms for residents to sleep during rotations. The medical residents will rotate between Lowell CHC and Tufts Medicine-affiliated hospitals, including Lowell General Hospital.