Over 30 Years
Sustaining Partnerships For Innovations In Community Health

About

The Center for Community Health Education Research and Service, Inc. (CCHERS) is committed to improving the health and well-being of Boston residents, particularly those disproportionately affected by systemic inequities. The organization operates on the principle that optimal health outcomes will ultimately be achieved, not at the individual level alone, but through collective action for racial and social justice. This restorative and reparative work is guided by community led research and fueled by advocacy partnerships.

Strategic Priority Areas

Community Led Research

Through equitable partnerships with academic institutions, we strive to upend traditional power dynamics in research, ensuring that the voices, expertise, and lived experiences of Black and Brown communities are at the forefront of generating knowledge that leads to actionable and meaningful change.

Health Equity Advocacy

To convene and support collective action among CBO leaders and community residents so that populations impacted by racial injustice and health disparities can define, support, and lead structural changes that achieve financial stability, build wealth, and maintain health and well-being.

Partnerships & Collaborations

Foster collaborative structures and networks that elevate community voices (in CCHERS’ research, advocacy and services) to advance the health of the individuals, families and communities we engage.

Recent & Upcoming Events

In Memory of Elmer Freeman

Known in Boston as the Godfather in the fight for health equity, Elmer Freeman, MSW, died on December 28, 2025, at 77 after working 50 years there bringing community health centers together in partnerships with its three academic health empires – Boston, Harvard, and Tufts Universities. He was a persistent and successful advocate and champion for the health needs of what he called, the “un communities” – underrepresented, underserved, undeserved, and uninsured. Where others saw divides, Freeman built bridges and partnerships designed to resist, challenge, and rethink systems that caused harm in the community; he was the ultimate organizer.

“Elmer had a way of walking into rooms where power lived and reminding everyone who health care was actually supposed to serve,” said Chioma Nnaji, PCHP Associate Editor.

Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action, Volume 20, Number 2, Summer 2026, Johns Hopkins University Press

Support CCHERS

Find out ways that you can support CCHERS in its efforts to achieving more equitable health and wealth outcomes for Boston residents.

Over 30 Years Sustaining Partnerships For Innovations In Community Health