The past few years at Cambridge Health Alliance have been both challenging and fulfilling. Coming out of COVID, we developed a bold, proactive plan to improve care, support our communities, and achieve financial sustainability. And I am encouraged by our progress.

As the sole public hospital in Massachusetts, CHA plays a special role in the health of the Commonwealth. We serve a highly diverse safety net population during one million visits a year. We have strong primary care services, one of the state’s busiest Emergency Departments, and Boston Top Doctors in 19 specialty areas. We are also a leader in behavioral health and the largest provider of inpatient psychiatric care for youth in Massachusetts.

Since our inception, we have maintained focus on our patients and communities, working to understand their needs and providing caring, wellness, and prevention services. I am confident that no other healthcare system has the cultural knowledge or determination to care for our patients as well as we do. But we also need to be good stewards of resources - and are now finding the right balance in all these areas.

Today, CHA has intentionally built a system that is improving health, addressing disparities, and containing costs by providing care in the right settings at the right times. And one that is flexible enough to quickly pivot in times of crisis (seen by our early and robust response to COVID and Behavioral Health expansion).

Guided by our strategic plan, we are seeing more patients than ever before, have increased patient and staff satisfaction, and have improved quality and safety. In doing so, we’ve become a stable, trusted partner for our communities and for Massachusetts.

Regardless of the changes ahead, people will need the care CHA provides. Please take this opportunity to review some of our efforts to support the Boston region and learn why we are part of the foundation for a healthy Massachusetts, today and in the future.

CHA is part of the foundation for
a healthy Massachusetts

March 18, 2020 - opened one of the nation’s first drive thru COVID testing services

2021 - Opened one of the largest COVID vaccine centers in Massachusetts

2022 - Launched a robotic surgery program

2022 - Opened a Center for Child/Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatry in Somerville with a specialized Neuropsychiatry unit for youth

2023 - Completed a major expansion of behavioral health beds, adding 75% greater capacity

2023 - Opened a Community Behavioral Health Center in Cambridge and Malden

2024 - Named a national leader in LGBTQ+ healthcare equality

2024 - Launched a robotic surgery program for orthopedic joint replacement 

2025 - Launched a bariatric surgery program

2025 - Opened a new center in Medford to expand access to primary and specialty care

2025 - Opened a Bridge Clinic with walk-in addiction treatment

2025 - Named one of the Top 10 Hospitals in the US for Health Equity

2025 - Named the top hospital in the nation for psychiatric nursing quality (NDNQI award)

2025 - The first hospital to add interpreters to video visits on the Epic platform

2026 - Added robotic surgery to CHA Everett Hospital

2026 - Named one of America’s Best Maternity Hospitals for the 5th straight year

2026 - Named an American College of Surgeons Surgical Quality Partner