Community health centers and wellness programs are often perceived as safety nets — essential and compassionate, serving vulnerable populations. What’s less often recognized is their economic power. 

These community health centers generate more than $85 billion annually in economic activity nationwide, supporting more than 1.4 million jobs — according to an analysis from the National Association of Community Health Centers. Every dollar invested in health centers generates approximately $11 in economic activity. 

Across New England, community health centers and community-based wellness programs are not just delivering cost-efficient care and education; they are supporting local economies, reducing employer health care costs, and strengthening the workforce. At a time when health care labor shortages, rising costs, and widening health disparities are the norm, these institutions are among the most practical investments a region can make. 

The Bay State’s quiet economic force

In Massachusetts, community health centers serve roughly one million patients annually — many of whom are low-income, uninsured, or underinsured — and generate more than $2 billion in statewide economic activity, according to the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers. As Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), they employ thousands of clinicians, nurses, behavioral health specialists, and support staff, functioning as both care providers and anchor institutions in neighborhoods across Boston. Their payrolls ripple through local economies, supporting housing, retail, and service sectors in the communities they serve.

The economic contribution goes beyond direct employment. Community health centers reduce avoidable emergency room visits and help improve management of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and asthma. Preventive care and early intervention translate into lower long-term spending for Medicaid and Medicare recipients.

These programs, rooted in addressing social barriers to good health, can transform communities by strengthening the local workforce and fostering economic resilience. 

Health care in your own backyard

Mobile wellness units are addressing some of those barriers by playing a more prominent role in extending preventive care services directly into neighborhoods. Take, for example, a new health and wellness community outreach program based in Newport, R.I., and run by Salve Regina University. Sponsored by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Tufts Health Plan, and BankNewport, the initiative reflects a broader shift toward care that meets people where they are. The 40-foot educational mobile unit — a first of its kind for the state — provides preventive health through health education and screenings that can help prevent or catch conditions early when they’re easier to treat.

“Early detection is one of the most effective tools we have to improve health outcomes,” says Jake Biscoglio, president of commercial markets at Point32Health, the parent company of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Tufts Health Plan. “By bringing screenings and education directly to neighborhoods, this mobile wellness unit helps remove barriers to care and ensures more people can identify and address health issues before they escalate.”

Economically, the model is efficient. By serving multiple sites, the mobile unit brings preventive care through health care education directly to community centers and housing complexes without the overhead of constructing and staffing new facilities. It also helps health systems manage capacity by diverting non-urgent needs away from hospital emergency departments.

For patients, the savings are immediate. Fewer missed work hours. Lower transportation costs. Earlier diagnoses. Fewer costly emergency room visits. For employers, the benefit shows up in steadier staffing.

While still in its early stage, the program is proving impactful. The outreach program has supported multiple community organizations, delivering education, materials, and resources across areas including women’s health, dental care, mental health, blood pressure checks, suicide prevention, and domestic violence support — often reaching upwards of 50 community members per mobilization.

Preparing the next generation of health care workers

Another component of Salve’s health and wellness community outreach program focuses on educating a rising generation of health care professionals. Physician shortages are rampant across the country, and Rhode Island is no different. Through this program, students receive hands-on experience serving communities in need across the state. When the mobile unit is out on its missions, it is staffed by students and faculty from Salve’s nursing, social work, and health science degree programs. 

The program helps to connect the students with the community and the community to better health, according to Dr. Debra A. Cherubini, associate professor of nursing and director of the RN-BSN program at Salve.

“Providing real-world experiential learning to our students helps them grow in their professions, learn about public health work, and potentially encourages them to stay in Rhode Island after their degree to continue to support the state’s health economy,” Dr. Cherubini says.

That hands-on experience has been especially meaningful for senior nursing student Taylor Barnaby.

“With this mobile classroom, we have the opportunity to work directly with members of the community, hear their questions, and see what works and what doesn’t — so we can learn while we teach,” she says. 

Strengthening regional resilience

Health policy leaders often speak of health care as an ecosystem. Community health centers and mobile wellness programs are foundational components in that ecosystem. They absorb pressure during public health crises — as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, when community health centers led vaccination outreach in underserved neighborhoods.

Mobile units prove especially effective in reaching communities that may have limited trust in traditional institutions. By appearing in familiar spaces and partnering with local organizations, they can lower logistical and psychological barriers.

That trust has economic value. When underserved populations receive consistent preventive care, they can maintain employment, pursue education, and further contribute economically. 

“I’ve been learning since day one that the first step in caring for people is prevention,” Barnaby adds.

Forward-looking care, rooted in community

As health care costs continue to rise and workforce shortages intensify, community-based solutions will become even more essential. Community health centers — alongside innovations like the mobile wellness unit in Rhode Island —represent a forward-looking approach to care that acknowledges real-world barriers and designs care delivery around them. Strong communities require both world-class medical innovation and accessible neighborhood care. The return on investing in the latter is measurable, resulting in healthier residents and more resilient local economies across the region.

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, a Point32Health company, provides nationally ranked health plans and care-based programs and services to nearly 900,000 members in New England and beyond. Founded by doctors more than 50 years ago, it builds on that legacy and partnerships through an expansive network of doctors and hospitals nationwide to improve health outcomes and lower costs through clinical quality and innovative care management.  A leading, not-for-profit health and well-being company, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care guides members — and the communities it serves — to better health each day.