North End Waterfront Health has been serving the North End of Boston and the surrounding community since 1971. With a staff of over 100, the Health Center provides more than 60,000 service visits annually at 332 Hanover Street, the Villa Michelangelo, and the North End Rehab and Nursing Center.

In addition to primary care services for all patients, many specialty services are also offered including dental, vision, behavioral health, obstetrics, gynecology, neurology, laboratory services and x-ray services. The health center has immediate access to surgical and sophisticated medical resources at the world-famous Massachusetts General Hospital. 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. We are a Federally Qualified Health Center with a mission of promoting improved health services that are affordable and meet the cultural and linguistic needs of the community.

NEW Health is a leader among health centers in Massachusetts, as is evident by its many unique accomplishments. In 1981, NEW Health pioneered the incorporation of a computer application, COSTAR (computer stored ambulatory record) that provided electronic management of medical data. COSTAR made it possible for NEW Health providers to quickly and easily access data at their fingertips – from the office or home, at any time of the day or night. As one of the first Massachusetts health centers to implement an electronic medical record, NEW Health paved the way for other health local and nationwide health centers. The health center has since converted to “On-Call,” a new and improved electronic medical record that is integrated with Mass General Hospital so that information is available to providers who care for North End patients while they are hospitalized or in the emergency room.

In 1983, in response to the needs of the residents of the North End who were forced to leave their lifelong community to be placed for nursing home care, the health center developed a long-term care facility in the North End. This facility, a sub-corporation of NEW Health, housed 140 beds for North End senior citizens. The facility now provides both long-term and rehabilitative services.

In 1997, NEW Health received accreditation by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO). Accreditation by this entity equates to providing medical care per the “gold standard.” With only six weeks’ notice, the NEW Health accomplished the incredible feat of being the first Massachusetts health center to become accredited. NEW Health has continued to conduct performance improvement projects, participation in a National Disease Collaborative, and, more recently, the inception of an incentive-based performance program called “Balanced Scorecard.”

In 1999, the North End Children’s Center, which was founded in 1826 and is the first child day care center in the United States, was in danger of closing. The parent agency went bankrupt, and the building that housed the day care center was sold to a private developer. Despite incredible bureaucratic challenges, NEW Health held fast and was able to pass all of the acquisition requirements of the Office for Children and the State and Local inspectional services. The North End Children’s Center is a local jewel. It provides professional, caring, and affordable childcare services to the North End, Charlestown, East Boston, Beacon Hill, and West End families. In addition, employees who work at the health center and the North End Rehab/Nursing Center are able to take advantage of a discounted rate for their children. The Children’s Center was recently recognized as one of the top three child care facilities in the nation.