Overview
Boston Children’s Hospital’s community mission is to improve the health and well-being of children and families in our local community. The hospital leverages its resources by supporting community-based organizations to address health disparities, improve child health outcomes, and enhance the quality of life for children and families.
The hospital has a unique opportunity to continue building on its longstanding history of collaborating with the community. Boston Children’s receives approval for its building projects through a state program called Determination of Need (DoN). This program is administered by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Health care facilities must get approval to make a substantial capital expenditure. One requirement is that the hospital must spend 5 percent of the maximum capital expenditure on a Community Health Initiative through providing funds back to the community.
Boston Children’s received approval in December 2022 for three capital projects in Needham, Waltham, and Weymouth. The hospital was granted approval to include the surrounding communities of Brockton, Framingham, Randolph, and Quincy in the Community Health Initiative.
There is another active DoN for improvements made on the main campus of Boston Children’s. It was approved in December 2016 and that Community Health Initiative is called the Collaboration for Community Health.
In July 2023, Franciscan Children's and Boston Children's finalized their institutional affiliation to enhance the system of behavioral health care of children and youth and improve care for children with complex rehabilitation needs. As a result of this partnership and plans for a new clinical building in Brighton, the latest DoN is a funding opportunity for community organizations in Boston. The Franciscan Children’s Community Health Initiative, also a part of Boston Children’s Collaboration for Community Health, aims to improve the health and well-being of children, youth, and families impacted by inequities in health and the social determinants of health.