November 6, 1998

The MGH, BWH and The North Shore Medical Center showcased their community partnerships during the state's first-ever community benefit conference, held Oct. 29. Hosted by Scott Harshbarger, attorney general for Massachusetts, the conference highlighted innovative hospital and HMO community benefit initiatives.

Joan Quinlan, director of the MGH Community Benefit Program, and Frank Singleton, of the Chelsea Board of Health, presented their efforts to assess the health needs of the Chelsea community and develop a comprehensive violence prevention initiative.

Four years ago, Massachusetts was the first state in the nation to issue voluntary community benefit guidelines for hospitals and HMOs to work with their communities in improving access to primary and preventative health care.