Codman Square celebrates ‘strong’ year at annual meeting

Pictured, l-r: Codman CEO Sandra Cotterell, US Rep. Joseph Kennedy III, Council President Andrea Campbell, outgoing Codman board president Rev. Garvin Warden, and Robert J. MacEachern, incoming board president. Jonathan Ng photo

Codman Square Community Health Center celebrated its 39th anniversary last Thursday with an award ceremony that featured guest speakers Congressman Joseph Kennedy III and City Council President Andrea Campbell.

Sandra Cotterell, the clinic’s chief executive officer, said it finished the year strong, despite a “fiscal cliff” that community health centers across the nation faced. Against that backdrop, Cottrell said the clinic’s revenue “has grown from $33.5 million in 2016 to $37 million in 2017.”

“It’s that growth and the work we do that allows us to continue to reinvest into the programs,” she said, noting that the facility in 2017 had more than 23,000 patients and 110,000 visits.

“We also learn this neighborhood is concerned about affordable housing and displacement,” she said. “Even though our patients continue to come back here for their care, they are traveling distances to get here. Our staff are traveling distances.”

“I like to highlight the gems in my community and the health center is one of those gems,” Campbell said, adding that the center is proactive on other issues besides healthcare. “They don’t turn anyone away,” she said. “They focus on economic development and economic security for our most vulnerable.”

Robert J. MacEachern, the incoming board president, said that “in years to come, we have to remember quality is as important as volume. A lot of our patients are still patients when they move away from Boston. We have done a wonderful job about making sure people feel empowered and welcome here.”

Congressman Kennedy III told the audience that the Codman Square clinic “is the healthcare my uncle Ted envisioned.” He added, “The fights down in Washington are easier because of the battles you wage for every patient that comes through those doors… My ask for all of you is to keep leading.”


Subscribe to the Dorchester Reporter