EBNHC Receives Grant to Fund New Approaches to Asthma and COPD

February 24, 2011, East Boston, MA—Jack Cradock, President and CEO of East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBNHC), today announced that the health center will receive a $250,000 grant from Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley to expand outreach to, and improve tracking of, patients with adult and pediatric Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). These chronic illnesses can prevent patients from working, attending school, and enjoying a full quality of life, and add significant cost to the health care system.

“Asthma and COPD are two serious medical conditions that we see all too frequently at East Boston Neighborhood Health Center,” said Jack Cradock, President and CEO of EBNHC. “We are grateful for this funding from the Attorney General, which will enable us to design new approaches to help these patients understand, monitor, and manage their conditions, and thereby live healthier, fuller lives.”

The grants to EBNHC and other health centers resulted from settlements reached by Attorney General Coakley’s Office as a result of investigations of marketing conduct of pharmaceutical manufacturers for the drugs Bextra, Vioxx, and Zyprexa, as well as of medical equipment manufacturer Stryker. “We are pleased that these organizations and the people in their communities will benefit from these settlement funds,” said Attorney General Coakley.

The East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBNHC) has been a vital part of its community for over 40 years, providing easily accessible, high-quality health care to all who live and work in East Boston and the surrounding communities of Chelsea, Revere, Everett, and Winthrop. EBNHC handles 300,000 patient visits per year—more than any other ambulatory care center in New England.