Press Release: 6/12/2025

Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces New Partnership to Advance Health Equity in Ayer

 

First partnership in Central Massachusetts; Follows similar initiatives in New Bedford, Chicopee, Brockton, Lawrence, and Lowell 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

6/11/2025

MEDIA CONTACT

Karissa Hand, Press Secretary

 Phone

Call Karissa Hand, Press Secretary at 617-725-4025

BOSTON — Today, at the Health Equity Trends Summit, Governor Maura Healey announced a new partnership with The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts (The Health Foundation) and the Health Equity Partnership of North Central Mass (Health Equity Partnership, also known as CHNA 9) to improve health equity in Ayer. The announcement is part of the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s Advancing Health Equity in Massachusetts (AHEM) initiative, which works to eliminate racial, economic and regional disparities in health outcomes in 30 communities across the state, with a focus on maternal health and social drivers of cardiometabolic health.

“We formed this initiative to eliminate racial, economic and regional disparities in health outcomes, with a focus on improving maternal and heart health and addressing the social determinants of health,” said Governor Healey. “We’ve already gotten to work in communities across the state, and it’s great that we’re now expanding to Ayer and the Nashoba Valley region. Our administration is applying an equity lens to everything we do and, as a result, we’re improving health outcomes for Massachusetts residents in every region of the state.” 

“We know that the best way to improve health outcomes is to work directly with and in communities. This is the approach our administration has taken to advancing health equity from day one, and we’re excited to be expanding the AHEM program,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “We’re grateful to the Health Foundation and the Health Equity Partnership for their leadership to advance health equity and improve access to health care in the Ayer community and the surrounding region.”

The Health Equity Partnership has received a three-year $250,000 grant from The Health Foundation to develop a coalition in Ayer, which will address root causes exacerbating health disparities in the region, including access to health care and social drivers of health. The project will leverage a local organization and resident leaders to support community engagement, planning and coordination across multiple municipalities and organizations.  AHEM will provide technical assistance in the areas of data, community outreach and communications, and strategy development to address the social drivers of cardiometabolic, maternal, and perinatal health.

“I am grateful to the Health Foundation and the Health Equity Partnership for working with us to eliminate health disparities that we’re seeing in central Massachusetts,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh. “This is a natural extension of the work we’ve been doing in this region to ensure that health care access is preserved, and also affords us the opportunity to dive even further into the needs of these communities and create specific ways to address the social drivers of cardiometabolic, maternal, and perinatal health.”

“The Health Foundation’s multi-year investment aims to advance regional equity and improve health in a valued and vital region within our Central Massachusetts service area,” said Amie Shei, president and CEO of The Health Foundation. “We are pleased to support our trusted and capable local partners in identifying strategies to improve health in the Ayer region through community engagement, capacity building, and collaboration.” 

"The Health Equity Partnership is thrilled to be able to continue the work that began under the Governor's working group in the Nashoba Valley area, bringing together community voices and working toward local solutions to improve health outcomes,” said Chelsey Patriss, executive director of the Health Equity Partnership. “We're grateful to The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts for the opportunity to sustain our momentum over the next three years so that projects have time to take root and flourish."

“With the closure of the Nashoba Valley Medical Center last year in addition to the many ongoing challenges and obstacles facing access to health care in the Nashoba Valley Region, the formation and funding of a dedicated coalition to include the Health Foundation and CHNA 9 to develop strategies to improve health care through community engagement and collaboration is an important first step to understanding and solving the barriers and obstacles to health care across the region,” said Robert Pontbriand, Ayer Town Manager. 

The partnership with The Health Foundation and the Health Equity Partnership of North Central Mass is one of many that AHEM seeks to create with the private sector partners to address health inequities. It is the first partnership in Central Massachusetts. Currently AHEM has established partnerships in New Bedford, Chicopee, Brockton, Lawrence and Lowell.  

For more information about AHEM, visit the website.