Community Health Center of Cape Cod is expanding addiction treatment services. The health center has launched its Structured Outpatient Addictions Program (SOAP) for individuals who may be just leaving detox or are in need of daily, more structured outpatient support. This program is unique as it focuses on substance use treatment through intensive counseling and access to primary care services, but also addresses many of the other areas in patients’ lives, which might interfere with individual recovery such as access to employment, housing, food assistance and more.

CHC’s SOAP program is a full-day program that meets Monday-Friday from 8:30am-3:30pm. Patients are expected to attend for 1-2 weeks. Each morning consists of four behavioral groups focused on various topics, including recovery skills, relationship issues, self-esteem, and managing difficult emotions. The afternoon is comprised of presentations from various partner-agencies within the community in order to connect patients with needed services, such as Mass Rehab and Housing Assistance Program (HAC). Weekly yoga classes and nutrition classes will also be offered. Additionally, participants have the opportunity to have individual sessions with clinicians throughout the week.

In addition to this SOAP Program, the Health Center also offers medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program for substance use disorder using Suboxone or Vivitrol and an outpatient treatment group called Step Forward for individuals who may be contemplating steps to recovery. To learn more about the addictions programming at CHC of Cape Cod, please visit us online at https://chcofcapecod.org/services/addictions, or call 508-477-7090 ext. 3106 to schedule an appointment.

Walk-in services are available for Community Health Center of Cape Cod patients at the Mashpee location to make care as convenient and accessible as possible. Walk-in care is for sick visits, such as flu, cold, cough, sore throat and other minor illness or injury. The Walk-in team is comprised of CHC Primary Care Providers, Nurse Practitioners, Medical Assistants and Registered Nurses.

Walk-in care is available for registered patients of CHC of Cape Cod. To come for a Walk-in visit, patients can check-in at the front desk of the Mashpee office, on the top floor. They will be seen by a provider as soon as possible. To become a new patient at the Health Center, visit during business hours, call 508-477-7090 or register online at chcofcapecod.org.

The hours for Walk-in care in Mashpee are Monday through Thursday from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM, Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, and Saturday from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM. In addition to Walk-in services, the Health Center offers integrated primary care, behavioral health care, dental care, gynecology, optometry, addiction recovery services, on-site affordable prescriptions and other services.

Community Health Center of Cape Cod has opened a public retail pharmacy in their newly- renovated Bourne office at 123 Waterhouse Drive, just one mile south of the Bourne Bridge. The pharmacy is open to all individuals, whether or not they receive their primary care at the Health Center, for all retail prescription needs. Staffed with two pharmacists, Madeleine Bergin and John Correira, the CHC pharmacy provides personalized and professional service, and most insurances are accepted. Pharmacy services include new prescriptions, refill prescriptions, adult immunizations and mail service. A temporary sliding scale is available for patients whose insurance is not yet active, and CHC pharmacists can transfer medications from a customer’s current pharmacy to CHC.

The Bourne pharmacy hours of operation are Monday through Thursday, from 9 AM to 7 PM, and Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM. The team in the CHC Pharmacy can serve as a valuable resource to make sure customers fully understand their medications, learn about any possible harmful interactions and find alternatives to reduce cost and the number of medications they are taking. In addition to Pharmacy services, the Health Center offers primary care, behavioral health, dental, optometry, women’s health, addictions treatment and more. For more information, visit us online at chcofcapecod.org/services/pharmacy or call 508-477-0004.

Click here to read the article in January 2018’s Cape Cod Magazine.

Click here to read a Cape Cod Times interview with CHC’s CEO Karen Gardner on the potential fate of health programs after federal funding cuts.

Community Health Center of Cape Cod has promoted Kristy Brown, DO to Associate Medical Director for Quality Improvement. Dr. Brown will continue her role as a primary care provider, and her expanded responsibilities include reviewing and analyzing organizational quality improvement data and working closely with teams to identify opportunities, best practices and spread improvement. Quality improvement continues to be a primary focus at the Health Center, as the staff is continually looking to identify ways to improve the organization and the health of the community served. The Health Center started a Lean Oversight Committee to provide oversight, education, and resources to staff to foster a culture of sustained continuous improvement using best practices to provide exceptional patient care.

Dr. Brown’s promotion follows her staff recognition for outstanding contributions to Community Health Center of Cape Cod in FY 2017. While working part-time, she carried a panel of 700 patients, served as supervising medical provider and mentor, and led team quality improvement efforts resulting in benchmark chronic disease and health maintenance performance. Community Health Center of Cape Cod is just one of 13 health centers in Massachusetts this year to receive a Health Center Quality Leader Award by the Bureau of Primary Care.

Dr. Brown is board certified in family medicine. Prior to joining the Community Health Center of Cape Cod team, she was Assistant Professor in Family Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester, where she did her residency and clinical training. She was also a clinical lecturer in family medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Assistant Residency Director of Family Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School, Ypsilanti Family Practice Clinic in Ypsilanti, MI. She received her medical degree from University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, and her undergraduate degree from University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

Cape Cod Times– Community Health Center of Cape Cod has been recognized by the Bureau of Primary Health Care as a Health Center Quality Leader, according to a statement from the Mashpee-based health organization.

The center was one of just 13 health centers in Massachusetts to receive the award, which covers the 2016 calendar year.

Each February, the health center submits a uniform data submission report to the federal government, which includes a number of productivity and outcome measures from the prior year. For 2016, the outcomes ranked in the top 25 percent of all health centers nationwide for four measures: cervical cancer screening, adults screened for tobacco use, controlling high blood pressure and managing diabetes, the statement says.

The Bureau of Primary Health care is part of the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

To listen to the interview, click here.

CHC of Cape Cod’s Nutritionist Dena Irwin will teach a free class on navigating the grocery store aisles this Wednesday, December 13, at 1 pm. The class will include tricks and tips for making healthy, nutritious, and affordable choices at the grocery store, along with a guide to reading food labels.

Event Date: Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Time: 1 pm- 2 pm

Location: CHC of Cape Cod, Mashpee Location
Administration Conference Room, Upper Level
107 Commercial Street, Mashpee, MA 02649

Media Contact: Alex Speck

Media Contact Phone: (917) 509-6813 (day of event)

Media Contact Email: [email protected]

For more information about the class, contact Alex Speck in the Development Office at 508-477-5990, or email Alex Speck.

Community Health Center of Cape Cod’s Addiction Program has received certification from the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services (BSAS). CHC of Cape Cod is the only community health center in Southeastern Massachusetts with this accreditation. The BSAS certification is necessary to run and expand CHC’s Structured Outpatient Addictions Program set to launch in January. To obtain certification, CHC’s Addictions Program staff created new policies and procedures, separate from those of the Health Center. The BSAS certification ensures that insurance companies can reimburse the Health Center for visits and allows for Department of Public Health funding. This funding is instrumental in improving and expanding the Health Center’s Addictions Programs.

CHC’s SOAP program is a full-day outpatient addictions treatment program that will be available to all individuals, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. There will be same-day access to the program, and no one will be turned away. The main component of the SOAP program will focus on assessing patients’ barriers to care and to address substance abuse and co-occurring conditions. The objective of the program will be to assist individuals in establishing and reaching self-identified goals to maintain employment, stay in school, engage with family, be a contributing member of the community, maintain sobriety and achieve stable housing. A Medication-Assisted Treatment programs is also already in place and available.