Fior Reports: New Book Commemorates Drive To Make Health Care A Right
12/09/2022Originally published December 9, 2022 on Fior Reports
By Becca Roberts
The book’s author, Connecticut-based Charles Barber, is writer-in-residence at Wesleyan University, associate professor of psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine, and author of the critically acclaimed books Songs from the Black Chair, Comfortably Numb, Citizen Outlaw, and the forthcoming In the Blood. He has written extensively on mental health and criminal justice issues in leading national publications and has appeared on major television networks.
Founded in 1972, the Community Health Center has been a Middletown staple since its inception and in the years since has expanded its range of services exponentially with geography across the state. The CHC model of care “has been consistent since our inception: transforming the way healthcare is delivered.”
The CHC website states: “When we started providing care in 1972, our focus was simply to ensure that everyone who needed medical care could access it, regardless of their ability to pay. But as CHC grew, we began to ask a more important question: “What do people need access to?” CHC’s mission is not just to provide healthcare, but to ensure that the care we provide is the best possible and the best meets the needs of our communities and patients.”
The new book captures the early years and the drive and determination to start a facility to provide healthcare to people who might otherwise not receive healthcare. Mark Masselli remains President and CEO in 2022 and has led CHC’s growth and expansion to over 200 locations today.
Early reviews praised the story’s narrative, its subject matter, and the author.
“It’s a wonderful book about a wonderful health center and a great read for anyone interested in health and communities or who wants to hear an uplifting real-life story,” said Tom Frieden, President and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives and former Director, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.