Community Health and Health Equity

Community reports

MassHealth requires an Executive Summary as part of its broader goal to make health equity a core accountability measure for hospitals and health plans operating in Massachusetts.

This overview summarizes our plans to identify and address health disparities in the communities we serve. It includes information such as the health gaps we’ve identified in areas such as pregnancy health and hypertension, the rationale for the inclusion of each, and the goals we’ve developed in each area.

• Health Equity Strategic Plan Executive Summary (English)
• Health Equity Strategic Plan Executive Summary (Arabic)
• Health Equity Strategic Plan Executive Summary (Chinese)
• Health Equity Strategic Plan Executive Summary (Haitian Creole)
• Health Equity Strategic Plan Executive Summary (Portuguese)
• Health Equity Strategic Plan Executive Summary (Russian)
• Health Equity Strategic Plan Executive Summary (Spanish)

Every three years, all Mass General Brigham hospitals conduct Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNAs) that identify and prioritize the most pressing health, social, and economic issues in our communities. Findings from these CHNAs directly inform our Community Health Improvement Plan.

Joint CHNA report

In 2025, Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital collaborated to produce our first joint CHNA report for the Boston and the North Suffolk regions.

We’re committed to reducing premature mortality and improving the health of the communities we serve by addressing both clinical and social determinants of health. The joint CHNA was conducted in collaboration with community partners, local health departments, and residents to identify key health priorities, disparities, and opportunities for action across our service areas.

Individual hospital CHNA reports

In addition to the joint CHNA report, you can review the most recent CHNA documents for our other hospitals:

• Cooley Dickinson Hospital
• Martha’s Vineyard Hospital
• Mass Eye and Ear
• McLean Hospital
• Nantucket Cottage Hospital
• Newton-Wellesley Hospital
• Salem Hospital
• Spaulding Rehabilitation
• Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

The CHNA process reflects our ongoing dedication to community engagement, collaboration, and evidence-based interventions. By combining quantitative data with community input, we highlight the most pressing health challenges—such as chronic disease, behavioral health, and social and economic barriers—and guide the development of strategies that promote improved health metrics and sustainable impact.

Findings from our community health needs assessments related to the most pressing social, economic, and health issues in our communities inform our Community Health Improvement Plans (CHIP). These outline systemwide strategies and investments that address priority health needs and social risks in partnership with our different communities.

Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital produced a joint CHIP plan for the Boston and North Suffolk regions based upon priorities identified in their joint CHNA report.

Here you can view the CHIP plans for each of our other hospitals:

• Cooley Dickinson Hospital
• Martha's Vineyard Hospital
• Mass Eye and Ear
• McLean Hospital
• Nantucket Cottage Hospital
• Newton-Wellesley Hospital
• Salem Hospital
• Spaulding Rehabilitation
• Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Through community partnerships, targeted interventions, and system-level strategies, our efforts prioritize communities facing the greatest health obstacles and support longer, healthier lives.