Community health centers are community-based and patient-directed organizations that serve populations with limited access to health care. 

Ambulatory care services are provided in settings such as dialysis clinics, ambulatory surgical centers, hospital outpatient departments, and the offices of physicians and other health professionals.

There are a total of eight Community Health Centers (CHCs) in Region 3. Six of the Region 3 CHCs maintain MOUs for sharing staff and belong to the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers (also known as the ‘League’), a non-profit, statewide association of the 50 community health centers across the state.

One of the goals for Community Health Centers and Large Ambulatory Care Practices and their staffs is to develop existing Emergency Preparedness Plans and become “disaster ready” so that they are able to expand their response capabilities in times of need. A second goal of CHCs and LACPs is to provide urgent care and if/when indicated, provide medical countermeasures to their respective patients within their medical home, thus mitigating surge into the local Emergency Departments (EDs) and Local Boards of Health Emergency Dispensing Sites (EDS).