Special to the Patriot-Bridge
The team and services at NEW Health’s Charlestown site are growing with the opening of a pharmacy that was a crucial need for the neighborhood, as well as an expanded second floor, additional services and new hires.
The new pharmacy at NEW Health Charlestown at 15 Tufts Street officially opened in January with a ribbon cutting ceremony held on March 25. The pharmacy is located on the first floor in the former Crossroads space. The expansion also includes a new conference room, exam rooms, triage rooms, and the introduction of additional services, all situated on the second floor. Local leaders and politicians were all in attendance including Boston City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune, Boston City Councilor Gabriela “Gigi” Coletta, State Senator Sal DiDomenico, State Representative Daniel Ryan and President of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers Michael Curry.
The Charlestown pharmacy hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Pharmacy services are available for everyone in the community, in addition to NEW Health patients.
“These expansions represent a commitment from our health center to the community in providing equitable health care and pharmacy services to all patients in need,” said Vincenzo Scibelli, NEW Health CEO.
This expansion in care comes with new hires and promotions to accommodate it. Dr. Hugo Calavia Luna, Nurse Practitioners Olga McLellan and Jessica Planamento, and Pharmacist Betty McGladrigan have come onboard.
Dr. Calavia Luna will allow NEW Health to welcome more primary care patients, a critical need for the community. Originally from Spain, Dr. Hugo Calavia Luna is trilingual and bicultural, which he says has allowed him to “develop strong cross-cultural awareness.” Dr. Calavia Luna is fluent in English, Spanish and Swedish as well as conversational in Polish. He previously worked at a federally qualified health center in Connecticut and will now mainly work out of the NEW Health Charlestown location. The new Nurse Practitioners on the team are also vital to accommodating more patients.
In addition, longtime NEW Health Charlestown provider Dr. Anne Murray-Chiriboga has been appointed Chief Medical Officer for both the North End and Charlestown sites. Dr. John Foster recently retired from NEW Health after 35 years with his most recent position as Chief Medical Officer. During this time, he helped guide the health center through the affiliation process with Mass General Brigham and the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Murray-Chiriboga has played a pivotal role in patient care at the Charlestown site, following a holistic care model.
“Bringing on new staff helps us increase our services and better serve our patients and community members,” said Scibelli.
For more information on NEW Health and its services in both Charlestown and the North End, visit www.newhealthcenter.org.
As a federally qualified health center and an affiliate of Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston Medical Center, North End Waterfront Health (NEW Health) extends its world-renowned healthcare services to people who live and work in and around Boston’s North End, Waterfront and Charlestown neighborhoods. NEW Health is committed to improving the quality of health and life for those it serves by providing high quality health care that is consumer oriented, culturally appropriate, neighborhood-based, affordable, and produces positive outcomes. NEW Health is a 2023 Health Center Quality Leader (HCQL), the only Massachusetts health center to receive a Gold badge from the Health Resources and Services Administration, among the top 10% of health centers nationwide.
NEW Health has been serving the North End of Boston and the surrounding community since 1971. In addition to primary care services for all patients, many specialty services are also offered including dental, vision, behavioral health, obstetrics, gynecology, laboratory services and x-ray services. NEW Health is a private, non-profit corporation that is governed by a community-based Board of Directors and licensed by the Department of Public Health. More information at www.newhealthcenter.org, on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.