East Boston Neighborhood Health Center and South End Community Health Center Announce Intent to Merge

BOSTON, June 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, in one of the first mergers of its kind in Massachusetts, East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBNHC) and South End Community Health Center (SECHC) announced their intent to merge after signing a definitive merger agreement. Pending federal and state regulatory approvals, SECHC will become a part of EBNHC with Manny Lopes remaining as President & CEO. The merger will add SECHC's 180+ employees and 19,000 patients to the largest community health center in Massachusetts and one of the largest in the country. SECHC will continue to provide comprehensive health care services in the South End.

"As SECHC celebrates 50 years of service to the South End, we also look to the future. Our number one goal is to strengthen high-quality care for this community in an increasingly complex and volatile health care system that favors economies of scale," said Bill Walczak, CEO & President of SECHC. "We have strategically considered many pathways to achieving this goal over the past several years and are delighted to have reached an agreement with EBNHC that positions community-based care to thrive."

Manny Lopes, President & CEO of EBNHC, added: "Our organizations have shared a common mission for decades and there is a lot we can learn from one another. As health centers, it is our duty to innovate and grow in financially sustainable ways to ensure we are preserving and advancing affordable, accessible, high-quality care in communities that need it most. We believe that welcoming SECHC into our organization will benefit patients, staff, and our communities."

Post-merger, EBNHC will support approximately 1,200 employees and over 100,000 patients per year with an operating budget of $165M, providing high-quality services and programs in neighborhoods on both sides of Boston Harbor.

EBNHC and SECHC are members of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, a non-profit, statewide association representing and serving the needs of the state's 52 community health center organizations, which provide medical, behavioral health, dental, vision, and other primary care services to one million state residents through more than 300 sites across the Commonwealth.

About East Boston Neighborhood Health Center
The East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBNHC) has been a vital part of its community for more than 40 years, providing easily accessible, high-quality health care to all who live and work in East Boston and the surrounding communities of Chelsea, Revere, Everett, and Winthrop.  EBNHC supports over 1,000 employees and handles 300,000 visits per year – more than any other ambulatory care center in New England. For more information, please visit www.ebnhc.org.

About South End Community Health Center:
South End Community Health Center (SECHC) is a comprehensive health care organization for all residents of the South End and surrounding communities. Founded in 1969, SECHC is committed to providing the highest quality, coordinated health care that is both culturally and linguistically sensitive to every patient, regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical ability, and/or income. SECHC's multi-cultural and highly trained staff of 180+ serves over 19,000 patients with an operating budget of $16.5M. For additional information, please visit www.sechc.org.

SOURCE Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers