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About LCHC
The Heart of Our Community. Ahead of the Curve.
Lynn Community Health Center is a non-profit, multicultural, community health center. Located in the heart of our community, we are at the center of a larger solution to the healthcare crisis that is facing our nation today. We are recognized as a leader in developing new initiatives that result in high-impact, low cost health care.
Our mission is to provide comprehensive health care to everyone in our community, regardless of ability to pay
At the health center, board-certified providers lead teams of health professionals who can address almost any non-emergency health need or chronic condition. These teams include highly-qualified mental health therapists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, dentists, optometrists, pharmacists, community health workers, and other specialists. LCHC uses an innovative, integrative care model called a patient-centered medical home, which is designed to respect each patient’s unique needs.
We are committed to social justice and reducing barriers to care. Our staff reflect the diversity within the community we serve, and we provide care in many languages and with respect for all cultures.
At LCHC, you are at the center of your care.
Our Community, Our People, and Our History
Our Founders
In 1971 William Mantzoukas was hired by the City of Lynn to found a health center. The first thing he did was hire Stephen D. Hayes, a newly minted psychologist with a big vision and a desire to serve those in need. Together they began the journey that brought us to where we are today.
We started out as the Community Counseling Center in a tiny storefront on Chestnut Street where we served 500 patients in the first year. It was immediately clear that our patients were also in desperate need of primary care. In 1976 we moved to a larger building and began providing medical and obstetrical services. Over the years we have continued to grow to meet the healthcare needs of our community, and are now the largest provider of comprehensive primary care services in our community, serving over 40% of Lynn residents.
It was during these early years that Dr. Hayes began envisioning mental health services as a critical part of primary care. Revolutionary at the time, his vision is one that is now widely recognized, and has become the cornerstone of the current Patient Centered Medical Home Initiative which is being widely adopted at both the state and federal levels. Dr. Hayes was a true leader in promoting the idea that the body, mind and soul need to be treated together and in an integrated fashion.
Bill Mantzoukas served for 3 years as the health center’s Executive Director, and has continued as a friend and board member ever since. His vision has carried us through many moves and new programs.
Dr. Hayes never wavered in his commitment to the physical and mental health of our patients. He served as Director of Behavioral Health and Director of Integrated Care Services for 40 years before his death in 2011. It is in honor of his amazing dedication and commitment that our new building bears his name.
In 2010 Bill and Steve were honored by Lynn Community Health Center.
How We Got Here… and Where We’re Going
Our Leadership
Our Senior Management
Inspired by a childhood divided between a war-affected third world country (the Congo) and a high performing first world one (Switzerland), as well as parents intimately involved in rural development NGOs, Dr. Kiame Mahaniah brings a deep passion for social justice and the fight against inequities to his work as CEO at the Lynn Community Health Center in Lynn, Massachusetts. He attended medical school at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia as a National Health Service Corps scholar and has been working in federally qualified community health centers ever since. He was the 2012-2013 Massachusetts Academy of Family Medicine Physician of the Year and holds an appointment at the Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Mahaniah’s clinical interests lie in teaching and integrating opioid addiction treatment into primary care and behavioral health. His leadership journey is anchored in lean improvement and deep respect for the employees’ dignity.
Ryan Sullivan holds more than 20 years of experience in healthcare. Previously Ryan held positions within Massachusetts General Hospital that included planning and opening new buildings, director-level financial management, and, most recently, as the Administrative Director for their Center for Genomic Medicine, requiring comprehensive responsibilities encompassing strategic and financial management, human resources, compliance, safety, facilities, and operational leadership. He is also a Family Nurse Practitioner who continues his clinical practice at Lynn Community Health Center. Ryan earned his BS in Biochemistry from Merrimack College, an MBA from Suffolk University, MS in Nursing from Boston College, and an MS in Clinical Operations from Harvard Medical School.
Kimberly Eng is the Chief Operating Officer of Lynn Community Health Center. She is proud to serve an organization that is recognized as a leader in developing new initiatives that result in high-impact, low cost healthcare. Kimberly is a trained industrial engineer and has worked in a number of industries including healthcare, manufacturing and construction design. She participated as an early pioneer of lean in healthcare for a large complex healthcare organization, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a major teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Over the last ten years, Kimberly has led numerous continuous improvement initiatives in order to improve patient access, quality, and cost. As part of the spread of lean philosophy, Kimberly has co-facilitated the development and delivery of lean training for senior leaders and provided coaching support and technical expertise post-training in the U.S., Australia, and Egypt.
Dr. Geoffrey Pechinsky received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Notre Dame and graduated from Boston University School of Medicine. After training at the Greater Lawrence Family Medicine Residency, he served in the Navy for eight years. His last duty station was in Rota, Spain, where he was the Director of Primary Care services. This experience inspired him to continue his growth of physician leadership and teaching, and he subsequently was a faculty member at the Tufts Family Medicine Residency program for several years before returning to Greater Lawrence Family Health Center as the Medical Director of the residency site. Dr. Pechinsky is passionate about working in underserved communities and expanding health services to people who have faced barriers to care.
Carlos Cappas is the Chief Behavioral Health Officer at Lynn Community Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) located in the Greater Boston region. Dr. Cappas has implemented behavioral health integration programs at FQHCs and has led initiatives focused on integrated care and population health both in adult and pediatric primary care settings. He continues his work by further developing LCHC’s Behavioral Health services through clinical and operational integration, expansion of telewellness services and workforce development. Carlos received his doctoral degree from Ponce Health Sciences University in Ponce, Puerto Rico and is a graduate of UMass Medical School’s Fellowship in Clinical Health Psychology in Primary Care. He also holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from UMass Boston.
Kathy Duggan is the Chief Human Resources Officer. Kathy joined Lynn Community Health Center (LCHC) in February 2020, right before the COVID pandemic began. She is responsible for Staffing, Compensation and Benefits, Employee and Union Relations, Performance Management, Organization Design and Employee Development. As part of the Staffing function, Kathy and the HR team implement the Credentialing and Privileging Policy at LCHC in conjunction with Executive Management in the Medical and Behavioral Health functions.
Before joining LCHC, Kathy worked for Insight Performance, consulting on HR issues for small to medium sized companies. It was in this role that she was exposed to the community health field and was attracted to continuing her career serving those that are most in need of our services.
Prior to Insight Performance, Kathy worked for General Electric. She started in the Aviation Business Segment and held a variety of positions of increasing responsibility as a Recruiter, HR Business Partner, HR Manager and as the HR Compliance Leader for Aviation. She supported engineering, manufacturing, sales, support, finance, IT and marketing functions. In 2011 she was promoted to the corporate level as the Fair Employment Practices Leader. In this role she oversaw the development and support of over 300 Affirmative Action Plans, supported compensation with equity analyses, published a weekly HR Risk Bytes column and was responsible for ensuring that the HR team complied with global privacy laws. In addition, she ran the HR Risk Management program for HR and promoted Diversity and Inclusion events throughout GE’s businesses.
Kathy is a graduate of the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations.
Before joining LCHC, Kathy worked for Insight Performance, consulting on HR issues for small to medium sized companies. It was in this role that she was exposed to the community health field and was attracted to continuing her career serving those that are most in need of our services.
Prior to Insight Performance, Kathy worked for General Electric. She started in the Aviation Business Segment and held a variety of positions of increasing responsibility as a Recruiter, HR Business Partner, HR Manager and as the HR Compliance Leader for Aviation. She supported engineering, manufacturing, sales, support, finance, IT and marketing functions. In 2011 she was promoted to the corporate level as the Fair Employment Practices Leader. In this role she oversaw the development and support of over 300 Affirmative Action Plans, supported compensation with equity analyses, published a weekly HR Risk Bytes column and was responsible for ensuring that the HR team complied with global privacy laws. In addition, she ran the HR Risk Management program for HR and promoted Diversity and Inclusion events throughout GE’s businesses.
Kathy is a graduate of the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations.
Dr. Elena L. Freydin has been working at Lynn Community Health Center in several clinical, administrative and leadership positions since 2004. Elena was born in the former Soviet Union and moved to the United States when she was 13 years old. Trained as an adult nurse practitioner, Elena received a Bachelor of Arts from Brandeis University, and Masters of Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees from MGH Institute of Health Professions. In addition to her leadership and clinical responsibilities, Elena is an adjunct faculty at Salem State University Graduate School of Nursing. She is passionate about improving healthcare access in underserved communities, and providing care with dignity and respect.
Kim MacLeod joined the health center in 1985 as an Accounting Supervisor, and has been CFO since September 1998. She leads, manages and directs all financial activities for the health center and building financing corporations. In her roles as CFO and as the staff lead for the Finance Committee of the Board of Directors, Kim aligns LCHC’s mission with its operating budget. Her diligent oversight of billable visits, federal funding and grant opportunities allows LCHC to truly provide quality care regardless of ability to pay.
Meaghen Hamill is the Senior Director of External Relations and Strategic Communication for Lynn Community Health Center (LCHC) since March of 2022. She is responsible for supporting the Chief Executive Officer with managing and building external relationships including liaising between LCHC and community and government partners; assisting with streamlining and alignment of internal communications; and elevating LCHC’s mission, vision, values and goals both internally and within the greater Lynn community. Meaghen’s role as a member of the Senior Leadership team also includes LCHC Board of Directors relations; overseeing the Marketing and Communications, Development, and Grants Departments; and coordinating a significant and always varying set of large and small interdependent initiatives.
Prior to joining Lynn Community Health Center, Meaghen’s career focused on policy and community relations in the public sector. She held a variety of strategic leadership positions representing the City of Lynn and the 3rd Essex District in the State Legislature and Mayor’s Office, including as a Senior Advisor to Mayor Jared Nicholson and his team during their transition into office at the end of 2021 and beginning of 2022. Her comprehensive knowledge of the office’s extensive responsibilities and of the City of Lynn (diverse population of 100,000 people) were honed during her time as the prior administration’s Chief of Staff, serving directly as a trusted advisor of Mayor Emeritus Tom McGee.
As former Mayor McGee’s Chief of Staff, Meaghen worked closely with LCHC during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and specifically as LCHC’s operational partner within the City of Lynn to launch and maintain a Mass Vaccination Site during 2021. That partnership revealed to her LCHC’s foundation as a social justice institution that strives to ensure equitable care in the City of Lynn, and upon completion of her prior role, Meaghen sought an opportunity to join LCHC in furthering this mission.
Meaghen is a lifelong Lynn resident and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science, with a minor in Communications from Boston University.
Prior to joining Lynn Community Health Center, Meaghen’s career focused on policy and community relations in the public sector. She held a variety of strategic leadership positions representing the City of Lynn and the 3rd Essex District in the State Legislature and Mayor’s Office, including as a Senior Advisor to Mayor Jared Nicholson and his team during their transition into office at the end of 2021 and beginning of 2022. Her comprehensive knowledge of the office’s extensive responsibilities and of the City of Lynn (diverse population of 100,000 people) were honed during her time as the prior administration’s Chief of Staff, serving directly as a trusted advisor of Mayor Emeritus Tom McGee.
As former Mayor McGee’s Chief of Staff, Meaghen worked closely with LCHC during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and specifically as LCHC’s operational partner within the City of Lynn to launch and maintain a Mass Vaccination Site during 2021. That partnership revealed to her LCHC’s foundation as a social justice institution that strives to ensure equitable care in the City of Lynn, and upon completion of her prior role, Meaghen sought an opportunity to join LCHC in furthering this mission.
Meaghen is a lifelong Lynn resident and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science, with a minor in Communications from Boston University.
Clare Hayes is the Director of Development at Lynn Community Health Center. A graduate of Regis College, Clare initially pursued a career in secondary education. While raising her family she had the opportunity to sit on a variety of boards, both large and small.
Clare joined the staff of LCHC in 2008 when the health center was expanding its Development Office in preparation for a Capital Campaign. It became clear to Clare that LCHC was a well-kept secret in the Lynn Community. It has been a core goal of hers to raise LCHC’s profile in the community. She has worked to let people know of its mission, the depth, breadth, expertise of its staff, and its growth as an anchor institution in downtown Lynn
When the successful Campaign concluded Clare remained on staff expanding her role. She accepted her present position in 2015. Today she is excited to be part of the 50+1 Anniversary Celebration of this venerable institution.
An avid boater, Clare can be found in season on the waters off the coast of Massachusetts.
Clare joined the staff of LCHC in 2008 when the health center was expanding its Development Office in preparation for a Capital Campaign. It became clear to Clare that LCHC was a well-kept secret in the Lynn Community. It has been a core goal of hers to raise LCHC’s profile in the community. She has worked to let people know of its mission, the depth, breadth, expertise of its staff, and its growth as an anchor institution in downtown Lynn
When the successful Campaign concluded Clare remained on staff expanding her role. She accepted her present position in 2015. Today she is excited to be part of the 50+1 Anniversary Celebration of this venerable institution.
An avid boater, Clare can be found in season on the waters off the coast of Massachusetts.
Board of Directors
Just as each patient is unique, so is every community. To ensure that we are responding directly to the needs of those we serve, more than half of Lynn Community Health Center’s Board of Directors are active patients and all live or work in our community. They not only provide direct consumer feedback, but give voice to our diverse community.
Eliud Alcala
Edward Besozzi
Lisa Carbone
Laura Gallant
Florance Guerrier
Norris Guscott
Sean Lobdell
Frances Martinez
Manuel Ronald Mendes
Rachel Pohl
Victoria Pulos
Drew Russo
Kirirath Saing
Marilyn Smith
Natasha Soolkin
Lori Vinci
Jobeth Williams
Nelson Woodfork
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