About Us

Codman Square Health Center is a community-based, outpatient health care and multi-service center in the heart of Dorchester. We offer comprehensive care for the whole family, including primary, eyedentalurgent, and behavioral health care, as well as many medical specialties. In addition, we are a community organization that provides financial and wellness programming.

We opened our doors in 1979 with a dream: to build the best urban community in America. As part of this dream, we recognized that though health care begins by alleviating sickness, the journey to a true “culture of health” is achieved through the health of the whole person and community. Our two-physician staff that summer of 1979 may have been small, but our commitment to the community was deep. We have built a foundation of preventive and primary care services that engages consumers and embraces innovation — while never losing sight of our mission to provide access to care.

Original staff in 1979

Today, we are home to a staff of more than 300 multi-lingual and multi-cultural expert clinicians, medical staff and employees, most of whom reside in the neighborhoods surrounding Codman Square. We boast more than 115,000 client contacts each year, and have developed an astounding depth and breadth of community programs, as well as strong partnerships with other organizations in order to meet our mission most efficiently.

We are the principal option for affordable, quality, primary, and preventive care in one of Boston’s most vulnerable communities. In 2016, we were re-recognized as a Level 3 Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) by the NCQA, the highest level of PCMH distinction possible demonstrating our commitment to innovative and patient-focused care. We were also given the certification of PCMH PRIME, which indicates high-level PCMH practices that demonstrate the integration of behavioral health into their primary care.

Bill Walczak & other staff in loft

We serve more than 23,000 patients each year, 87% of whom live below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. Our achievements include developing an innovative Diabetes care model, collaborating with our in-house charter public high school, providing “prescriptions” to our Healthworks fitness center for women and children, and serving as an economic engine by bringing 15,000 people to the Codman Square merchant district each month.

Codman Square Health Center is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) and receives federal support through its designation as a Section 330 community health center.

Codman Square Health Center, Inc. is covered by the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA). For any questions about the FTCA, contact Frank Byrne. Boston Medical Center is the primary hospital affiliate of Codman Square Health Center.

For more details on the health center over the years, you can access past and present annual reports.

 
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PCMH PRIME Certified 2016 seal
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