UMass Memorial Health – Harrington Community Benefits Program

At UMass Memorial Health – Harrington, we build stronger communities by providing education, outreach and services designed specifically for the people in our region. We collaborate with local organizations, neighborhood groups and businesses to develop and run programs for everyone in our community, including medically underserved populations.

We’ve designed our programs to address health inequities and other concerns that make it challenging to stay well. Our goals are to reduce health disparities, prevent chronic disease and empower residents to adopt healthier habits.

Our Programs

We help children, youth and adults improve their personal wellness habits and behaviors. Through our programs, we remove barriers to medical care and give our community members the tools and information they need to live healthier.

Community Education Series

Through the Community Education Series, physicians, registered dietitians and other experts present seminars and workshops on relevant topics. The seminars take place around the Southbridge area several times a month, and many are held in both English and Spanish. Our team uses information from surveys, feedback forms and community health needs assessments to determine the topics for each seminar, which include: 

• Financial counseling and understanding health insurance and copays
• Genetic counseling and testing
• Healthy aging and fall prevention for seniors
• Incontinence and urological conditions
• Medical conditions such as diabetes, foot ulcers, vascular disease, peripheral artery disease and cancer
• Mental health and depression
• Nutrition and healthy lifestyle choices
• Chronic disease prevention and management

Community Health Needs Assessment

To provide the most effective and appropriate programming, it’s crucial to gain a better understanding of the major issues affecting our community. Our team distributed an online survey to get a snapshot of the health and wellness of our region. Using data from the survey, U.S. Census Data and information from the National Cancer Registry, we developed a comprehensive Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA).

The CHNA outlined the main issues affecting the health and well-being of our community: 

• Access to care, including affordability, access to primary care and behavioral health care, culturally and linguistically appropriate care
• Behavioral health (mental health and substance use, including depression, stress, anxiety, trauma, social isolation, serious mental illness and interpersonal violence) and the use of opioids, alcohol, tobacco and marijuana
• Chronic/complex conditions and their risk factors, including heart disease and stroke, obesity, cancer, diabetes and neurological conditions (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease and dementia)
• Social drivers of health, including economic insecurity, transportation, housing, food insecurity, cultural and linguistic barriers

View the 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment.

Community Benefits Strategic Implementation Plan

At Harrington Hospital, our team created a plan to address health concerns and social issues among specific groups of people. Our programs are designed to assist five priority populations: 

• Individuals with chronic and complex conditions
• Non-English speakers
• Older adults
• People with limited economic means
• Youth and adolescents

View the 2022-2024 Community Benefits Strategic Implementation Plan.

The UMass Memorial Health Community Benefits Report

The UMass Memorial Health Community Benefits Report highlights the work we do every day to improve the well-being of people in our region. This report includes information about the Community Benefits programs at Harrington Hospital as well as all the other hospitals in the system.

As a united team with a shared vision, we combine our efforts to have the greatest impact on the lives of people in our community. We are passionate about enhancing the wellness of everyone in our region.

View the 2023 UMass Memorial Health Community Benefits Report.

We Welcome Your Feedback

We want to provide programs and services that make a difference in the lives of the people in our community. We welcome your input on the Community Health Needs Assessment and the Community Benefits Strategic Implementation Plan. If you have comments or questions, please email us at ContactUs_UMMHHarrington@umassmemorial.org.

If you’re interested in viewing archived reports, you can find them below. 

2019 Community Health Needs Assessment
2019 Community Health Survey