Baystate Health hosts listening sessions for new community health center

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Baystate Health has begun hosting listening sessions for their new community health center.

Monday was the first of eight listening sessions for the newly proposed Baystate Community Health Center in Springfield. Back in May of this year, Baystate announced plans to build a new state-of-the-art community health center on Wilbraham Road.

The center will be located on land that was donated by MassMutual and is part of their Springfield campus. MassMutual also said that over the next five years, they will donate $5 million to support the new center.

“We are thinking diligently, we are listening to the community about what is needed related to access. We will be working with partners throughout the community, our government officials and other transit authorities to really ensure that we are making it a location that is accessible and that also allows everyone to have optimal care,” said Tyonne Hinson, the Senior Vice President, Chief Diversity, Health Equity & Inclusion Officer at Baystate Health.

The health provider will be consolidating services from four existing health centers in the new 90,000-square-foot building while also expanding. The centers that will move their services to the new location include:

• The Mason Square Neighborhood Health Center
• Baystate High Street Health Center
• Baystate High Street Pediatrics
• Wesson Women’s Clinic

The centers will serve regular physician care as well as specialty services for pediatrics, adults to seniors. The following seven listening sessions are where the community can become a part of the planning:

• Monday, September 16 ; 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.; St. John’s Congregational Church, 45 Hancock Street
• Thursday, September 19 , 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.; Springfield City Library, Mason Square Branch, 765 State Street
• Monday, September 23 , 9 – 11 a.m.; South End Community Center, 99 Marble Street
• Monday, September 23 , 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.; Educare Springfield, 100 Hickory Street
• Wednesday, September 25 , 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.; Raymond A. Jordan Senior Center, 1476 Roosevelt Avenue
• Virtual- Tuesday, September 10 , 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. (Spanish interpretation will be available, and a Zoom link will be provided after RSVP)
• Virtual- Wednesday, September 25 , 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. (Spanish interpretation will be available, and a Zoom link will be provided after RSVP)

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