Gardner Community Health Center

Community Health Connections (CHC) is a non-profit, multi-site health care center that has been dedicated to providing high-quality, compassionate care to the communities of North Central Massachusetts since its founding in 2002. As a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), CHC is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion within our diverse communities.

Our mission is to eliminate barriers to care and build a healthier tomorrow for the communities we serve. We are dedicated to providing comprehensive care under one roof, regardless of income or health insurance status. CHC serves all, including insured, underinsured, and uninsured individuals, as well as low-income, publicly housed, and homeless populations.

CHC has decades of experience as a Federally Qualified Health Center and has been recognized for our commitment to health equity. Our vision is to be the leading health care center, providing compassionate, high-quality care to all members of our community. We strive for a workforce that reflects the communities we serve and encourage our employees' differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental disability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make our employees unique.

Our Services

At CHC, we offer a wide range of services to meet the health care needs of our community. These include:

• Urgent Care: CHC offers urgent care services at several locations, providing immediate attention for non-emergency situations.
• Primary & Family Care: Our primary care providers are dedicated to providing comprehensive, ongoing care for individuals and families.
• Dental Services: Our dental services include preventative and restorative care, oral surgery, and specialty services like orthodontics and oral surgery.
• Behavioral Health: CHC offers mental health services for children and adults, including counseling, therapy, and substance use disorder treatment.
• Optometry Services: Our optometry services include eye exams, glasses, and contact lenses.
• Substance Treatment: We provide compassionate, comprehensive substance use disorder treatment for individuals seeking recovery.
• Financial Assistance: CHC offers financial assistance programs to help make health care affordable for all.

Our Impact

In 2023, CHC served 32,375 patients, including 8,470 homeless and publicly housed individuals and 8,005 children and adolescents. We provided 129,194 in-person and telehealth visits and served 36 communities in North Central Massachusetts. Our commitment to eliminating barriers to care and building a healthier tomorrow for our communities continues to grow, and we look forward to serving our community for many years to come.