On May 12, Greater Lawrence Family Health Center proudly joined health centers from across the Commonwealth for the annual Community Health Center State House Advocacy Day, hosted by the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers.
This annual event brings together Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) from across Massachusetts to raise awareness about the vital work we do, to connect with fellow health center leaders, and meet directly with state legislators to advocate for policies that support health equity and social justice.
GLFHC was represented by an impressive group of advocacy warriors from our Advancement, Lawrence Family Medicine Residency (LFMR), and Pharmacy teams. We staffed an informational table featuring materials about GLFHC, the LFMR and Pharmacy Residency programs, and our range of impactful, community-based programs and services.
Our newest Mobile Health Clinic made its first trip to Beacon Hill and this special appearance was one of the high points of the day. Our 30-foot, state-of-the-art MHC parked alongside the State House, drawing a great deal of attention from legislators and fellow health center advocates. State House Day attendees were excited to tour the van and learn more about how our clinical teams bring healthcare directly to those who need it most. We thank driver and Community Health Worker Ben Gonzalez, who cheerfully engaged with visitors for over four hours.
Throughout the day, our GLFHC team met with staff from four key legislative offices:
- State Representative Frank Moran
- State Senator Pavel Payano
- State Senator Bruce Tarr
- State Senator Barry Finegold
In these meetings, LFMR residents shared powerful, real-life stories that highlighted the impact of our work and underscored the importance of Graduate Medical Education legislation. They spoke about how critical funding supports the training and retention of Family Medicine doctors—especially in underserved communities.
Meanwhile, our Pharmacy team strongly advocated for the protection of 340B legislation, emphasizing how essential these savings are in allowing the health center to reinvest in community programs and continue delivering wraparound services to patients who benefit from them the most.
This year’s State House Advocacy Day was a great success — not only in raising awareness, but also in strengthening our relationships with key legislative partners. Our voices were heard and our work was appreciated. It was an energizing reminder of the power of advocacy and the importance of showing up, speaking out, and standing together for community health centers.
