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Posted on January 13, 2011
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Partners HealthCare Receives $20 Million Gift
Partners HealthCare Receives $20 Million Gift
Partners HealthCare has announced a $20 million gift from Robert and Myra Kraft to create a center for community health and support community cancer programs at the Boston-based Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
The Kraft Family National Center for Leadership and Training in Community Health will work to improve access and quality of health care for the neediest people in Massachusetts and across the nation. Despite Massachusetts' success in providing healthcare coverage, 15 percent of the state's residents report difficulty in finding a healthcare provider, especially in the areas of family medicine, internal medicine, and psychiatry. The center aims to address these shortages and eliminate barriers to care, especially for those living in poverty.
The center will establish a fellowship program to train leaders in the field of community health. Fellows will be mentored by renowned experts in the field, undertake graduate study at Harvard University, and care for high-risk populations in community settings. The program, which aims to become a national resource center for other healthcare professionals, will include a national advisory council comprised of recognized leaders in the field. In addition, the Kraft Center will provide financial recruitment incentives, including loan-repayments, to increase the number of physicians and nurses practicing in community settings by more than a hundred. /p>
"My family and I are among the lucky ones who have received the incredible care available at Brigham and Women's, Mass General, and other top-flight medical institutions in New England, but there are far too many without access to the life-changing, life-saving care of the world's best medical professionals," said Robert Kraft. "Myra and I, as well as our entire family, hope that the center will establish a national model to motivate the most talented doctors and nurses to practice in community health settings where their expertise can have an immeasurable impact."
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