Lowell CHC launches Health Justice Learning Institute and appoints Executive Director
New England Council member, Lowell Community Health Center, recently announced the appointment of Sheila Och as the inaugural Executive Director of its new Health Justice Learning Institute. Och is a co-founder of the institute and Lowell CHC’s Chief Equity Officer.
The Health Justice Learning Institute is being launched alongside the Family Medicine Residency Program, which aims to “expand healthcare workforce capacity and set a new standard in collaborative healthcare education.” It plans to address workforce shortages and health disparities to promote health justice, cultural proficiency, and community engagement.
The planning and development of the Institute will be largely funded by a $500,000 grant from Advocates for Community Health (ACH). Sheila Och is a member of the Health Equity Compact, a group of leaders of color from various Massachusetts organizations working towards health equity. She is also a Community Health Worker, a Spanish-speaking Medical Interpreter, and has degrees and certifications from UMass Lowell, Boston University, Suffolk University, and leadership programs with Harvard Business School and the Lawrence Partnership. In addition, Och is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Leadership Psychology from William James College.
“By establishing a sustainable pipeline of healthcare workers who deeply understand the factors influencing our community’s health, the Institute is poised to address disparities effectively. Through our educational programs, we will equip health care workers with the necessary skills to improve patient outcomes. Our learning approach firmly acknowledges that racism and social determinants of health play critical roles in shaping health outcomes. Moreover, we envision a pipeline structure that actively fosters economic mobility for our community via and into health careers. Our objective is unequivocal: to close the primary care gap by enhancing healthcare accessibility with a greater number of culturally responsive healthcare workers in a community-focused setting”, said Och in a press release.
The New England Council would like to applaud Lowell CHC for the launch of this innovative institute and congratulate Sheila Och on this important new role.
Read more in Lowell CHC’s press release.