(L to R): Dr. Cara Marshall, Program Director of the Lowell Community Health Center | Tufts Medicine | Family Medicine Residency; Dr. Frank Abekah, Resident; Dr. Priyan Elangovan, Resident; Amy J. Hoey, President, Tufts Medicine Lowell General Hospital; Dr. Parth Patel, Resident; Susan West Levine, CEO, Lowell Community Health Center; Dr. Kumble Rajesh, Chief Medical Officer, Lowell Community Health Center; Dr. Kari Roberts, Vice President for Education, Tufts Medicine; Associate Chief Medical Officer for Graduate Medical Education, Tufts Medical Center; Academic Dean for Tufts Medicine and Associate Professor of Medicine Tufts University School of Medicine; Dr. Paul Koffi, Resident; and Dr. Robert Edelstein, Medical Education Lead for Tufts Medicine Lowell General Hospital
Lowell – Lowell Community Health Center brought together neighbors, patients, staff, partners, elected officials, and supporters for its 2026 Community Celebration. Held during National Health Center Week and the City of Lowell’s bicentennial, the event celebrated the community while looking ahead to the future of health care in Greater Lowell.
For more than 55 years, Lowell Community Health Center has been part of the Greater Lowell community. Today, nearly 40,000 people receive care at the health center each year, and nearly 500 employees provide medical, dental, behavioral health, vision, pharmacy, and other services.
During the celebration, Lowell Community Health Center unveiled its new vision statement:
Healthy People. Stronger Communities.
The vision connects individual health with the strength of the community. It reflects Lowell Community Health Center’s mission to advance health by delivering exceptional, compassionate, personalized care and, together with our community, improve well-being for everyone. I also reflects the health center’s commitment to supporting a strong local health care workforce.
“Healthy people have access to care and they have physicians who know them and understand their needs,” said Lowell Community Health Center CEO Susan West Levine. “Stronger communities have the healthcare workforce they need to thrive. That means training physicians here and encouraging them to build their careers here. We cannot do either of those things alone. Together with our community, we can improve health and well-being for everyone. This residency is a powerful example of what can happen when patients, providers, educators, public officials, funders, partners, and supporters come together around a shared purpose.”
One example of that commitment is the recent launch of the Lowell Community Health Center | Tufts Medicine | Family Medicine Residency, a new partnership designed to expand access to primary care and help develop the next generation of community-based physicians. The first class of six residents began training in June and will care for patients while learning the health center’s team-based, community-focused model.
“At Tufts Medicine, we are committed to delivering exceptional patient care while advancing clinical education and discovery,” said Dr. Kari Roberts, Vice President for Education, Tufts Medicine; Associate Chief Medical Officer for Graduate Medical Education, Tufts Medical Center; Academic Dean for Tufts Medicine and Associate Professor of Medicine Tufts University School of Medicine. “We believe that academic medicine should not be limited by geography. By bringing the strengths of academic medicine into community settings, we ensure that patients can access cutting-edge care close to home while benefiting from the expertise, innovation, and continuous learning environment that teaching programs foster.”
“This residency represents an investment in the future of this community,” said Dr. Cara Marshall, Program Director of the Lowell Community Health Center | Tufts Medicine | Family Medicine Residency. “Our residents will learn medicine here, but they will also learn from the community around them. They will get to know their patients and families and see why strong primary care and long-term relationships are so important.”
Throughout the evening, speakers celebrated the patients, staff, partners, supporters, and community leaders who have helped shape Lowell CHC’s impact and whose continued partnership will help advance its vision for the future.
