| Cambridge Health Alliance | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States |
| Organization | |
| Care system | Public |
| Hospital type | Academic Teaching, Community |
| Affiliated university | Harvard Medical School |
| Services | |
| Emergency department | 24 hour emergency care at three locations |
| History | |
| Founded | Cambridge City Hospital -> Cambridge Hospital, Somerville Hospital; Merged 1996; Whidden Memorial Hospital; Merged 2001 |
| Links | |
| Website | http://www.cha.harvard.edu |
| Lists | Hospitals in the United States |
Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) is a healthcare system in Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston, Massachusetts' metro-north communities and one of the academic teaching hospitals of Harvard Medical School.
As an integrated healthcare network, and one of the Top 100 most integrated health care systems in the nation,[1] Cambridge Health Alliance serves patients at more than 30 clinical locations, including 15 primary care practices and 20 specialty centers. These sites include its three hospital campuses (Cambridge Hospital, Somerville Hospital, and Whidden Hospital) and community sites.
CHA provides a wide range of health services with a special focus on primary care, preventive health, behavioral health, and the needs of diverse communities. It also offers planned care programs for chronic disease and a three-site emergency department with more than 100,000 annual visits. CHA also has an electronic medical record that connects all its care sites.
Contents |
CHA includes three main hospital campuses, a network of primary care and specialty practices, and the [Cambridge Public Health Department]. The three CHA hospital campuses are Cambridge Hospital, Somerville Hospital and Whidden Memorial Hospital in Everett. Each hospital has a 24-hour emergency department, and a wide variety of medical services.
In addition to the three hospital campuses, CHA has many community locations all serving patients in Cambridge, Somerville, Malden, Chelsea, Revere, Everett and Winthrop.
The Cambridge Health Alliance offers a wide variety of health services including:
Community Hospital Cancer Program, Am. College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer
Primary Stroke Service, MA Department of Public Health
National Accreditation:
- Cambridge Breast Center, National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers
- CT Service, American College of Radiology
- Ultrasound Service, American College of Radiology
- Breast Imaging Center of Excellence, American College of Radiology
- Baby Friendly Hospital, National Baby Friendly Health Initiative
Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) was created in 1996 when the city-owned Cambridge Hospital merged with private, nonprofit Somerville Hospital. In 2001, Hallmark Health sold the Whidden Memorial Hospital to Cambridge Health Alliance. All three hospitals were founded around the turn of the 20th century, with Somerville Hospital being the oldest. Since 2001, CHA has made major investments in all three hospital campuses include new facilities, medical staff, and technology.
Cambridge Health Alliance is affiliated with both of the large vertically integrated systems in Boston, Partners and Caregroup, and together the three organizations jointly fund the Institute for Community Health, which conducts research on effective clinical and community health programs using the expertise of researchers from all three systems.
As the only healthcare organization that is a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, and the Tufts University School of Medicine, CHA plays a unique role in the training of medical professionals.
Community health is a major focus of Cambridge Health Alliance. CHA touts a comprehensive approach to health improvement that includes programs to reduce health disparities and promote wellness, public health initiatives aimed at improving the overall health of our communities, and collaborative research projects that address health issues and health policy.
The CEO of Cambridge Health Alliance serves as commissioner of public health for the city of Cambridge. Since the system was created in 1996, it has operated the Cambridge Public Health Department through a contact with the city.
Cambridge Health Alliance is a safety net health system and a recognized leader in multicultural health. It works to maintain health care access to a large number of vulnerable and diverse patients through its interpreter services program and many bilingual primary care providers. It also has award-winning linguistic programs like:
- The Haitian Mental Health Team (the 2010 Schwartz Center Compassionate Caregiver of the Year)[2]
- The Volunteer Health Advisor program (American Hospital Association NOVA Award).[3]
The organization was also named a leader in Delivering Culturally and Linguistically Competent Patient Care by the American Hospital Association Institute for Diversity[4]
"Rekindling the Flame A Casebook". http://www.ache.org/PUBS/Research/rekindlingcasebook_section1.pdf. Retrieved 2007-08-22.
"Cambridge Health Alliance". http://ase.tufts.edu/anthropology/faculty/pacini/students/welcome%20project%202004/Julia&Leah's%20website/cambridge_health_alliance.htmf. Retrieved 2007-08-22.