Many of the patients we care for at Tufts Medical Center are among the sickest patients in our area. The acuity of our patient population is greater than that of most Boston hospitals, meaning that a higher percentage of our patients suffer from critical illness or traumatic injury. As a major tertiary and quaternary referral center offering the highest levels of acute care, many hospitals transfer to us their most seriously ill and injured patients for the high-complexity care for which we are widely known and respected.

We perform the most heart transplants among all hospitals in New England, are home to Level I trauma center, deliver the most advanced care in cancer, including bone marrow transplants and gene therapies, and provide multidisciplinary critical care to patients with the most serious diseases across all medical and surgical specialties. And based on the experiences of our patients and the countless ways in which they inspire us as their caregivers, we are devoted to research on the conditions they face that continue to elude cure or effective treatment.

To optimally serve the patients and families who depend on us for highly-complex care, we require specialized, high-cost resources. Your charitable gifts play a vital role in helping us to obtain these resources so we can deliver to the people who need us most the kind of extraordinary health care that saves and improves lives and provides hope for a healthy future.

A group of 630 members of the Greater Lowell community broke out their best attire to support public health at the 13th annual Circle Health Ball for Community Health Initiatives Saturday, March 10, at the InterContinental Hotel in Boston.

The event featured dinner, a huge silent auction and dancing to the music of Nightshift. By the end of the night, a record total of $423,527 was raised to support grants for projects that address needs identified as public health priorities in the Greater Lowell and Merrimack Valley.

Grant requests were solicited for projects targeting mental health, asthma, substance use and prevention, physical activity, social determinants of health and access to healthy food.

This year’s winners are:

• UTEC - UTEC's "Core Competency Initiative” will formalize and measure the skills that young adults build to navigate life successfully by focusing on five key areas: Connection, Reflection, Health, Ambition and Power.
• Community Teamwork Inc. - Funding will expand the visibility and impact of CTI’s Farmers’ Market, increase the diversity of vendors to represent Lowell’s immigrant communities and provide transportation to populations that have traditionally had difficulty reaching the market.
• Megan’s House The grant will be used to support professional development for substance use disorder professionals to advance their knowledge of co-occurring mental health disorders. It will also assist bilingual staff earning licensed alcohol and drug certification better serve Latina residents.

In addition to these grants, a Fund-a-Need call for donations raised an additional $52,000 for Mill City Grows, which has committed to provide Lowell with in-school garden and nutrition education, donate 3,000 pounds of food to emergency food programs, conduct outreach events targeting low-income residents, distribute coupons for free or discounted vegetables at schools and events, and host Farm to Table cooking classes for students.

"Each year, the Circle Health Ball for Community Health Initiatives brings out the best in the Greater Lowell community, evidenced once again by this year’s overwhelming support," says Jody White, CEO of Circle Health and Lowell General Hospital. "These grants and Fund-a-Need will provide vital support four incredible organizations who are working every day to address some of the most pressing health concerns in our region. At Circle Health, we remain committed to forging strategic partnerships to improve the overall health of all the communities we serve."

The Ball was once again hosted by event co-chairpersons Dr. Jeremy Moses and Dr. Lija Joseph. The Diamond Level sponsor was Enterprise Bank, and Sapphire Level sponsors were Commonwealth Radiology Associates, Merrimack Valley Emergency Associates and Remedium Pharmacy.

The Circle Health Ball was established in 2006 by Lowell General Hospital, its dedicated medical staff and concerned members of the community to generate awareness and funds to help address significant health issues facing our community.

Merrimack Valley residents in need will gain access to healthcare, education, and quality clothing and necessities thanks to more than 600 guests who attended the 14th annual Circle Health Ball for Community Health Initiatives at the InterContinental Hotel in Boston on Saturday, March 9, 2019.

This year’s event raised more than $426,000 to fund grants for non-profit programs addressing social determinants of health and access to healthy foods, both identified as public health priorities in Greater Lowell. This year’s grants will fund initiatives by the International Institute of New England, Lowell Middlesex Academy Charter School and Project LEARN.

This event started 14 years ago with a group of like-minded, philanthropic physicians who were looking for a way to give back to the community in a meaningful manner, and it has stayed true to its roots,” said Jody White, CEO of Circle Health and Lowell General Hospital. “When the Greater Lowell community comes together to help our friends and neighbors in need, great things happen.”

In addition to the grants, event co-chairs Dr. Wassim Mazraany, Chief of Surgery at Lowell General, and Dr. Ana Gunturi, a medical oncologist at Lowell General, asked guests to contribute to a special cause through a live, “Fund-a-Need” fundraising drive. This year, the recipient is Catie’s Closet, a Dracut-based non-profit that works to improve school attendance by providing in-school resources of clothing and toiletries to children living in poverty. The call for donations was answered in a spectacular way, raising $70,000 for the charity, surpassing last year’s record $50,000 raised for Mill City Grows.

“This money is going make an enormous impact on the lives of young students growing up in poverty in Lowell,” says Mickey Cockrell, Executive Director of Catie’s Closet. “With access to quality clothing and toiletries at their schools, these students are more likely to come to school every day and graduate.”

Here is a closer look at the initiatives that received grant funding this year:

• The International Institute of New England, a Lowell-based social service agency for new Americans and resettled refugees, will use its grant to support the Refugee Healthcare Initiative, which improves access to healthcare for this population through advocacy and individual case management.
• The Lowell Middlesex Academy Charter School (LMACS), a small public charter high school that provides a skills-driven, high standards curriculum to at-risk and challenged youth, will fund a health and wellness program called “Empowering Teens for a Healthier Tomorrow.” The program will provide students with an on-site teen health clinic, nutritional consultation, health workshops and yoga.
• Project LEARN, which works with Lowell Public Schools to fund innovative programs that teach students vital skills for college, career and life, will use its grant to fund scholarships for 40 students to attend its “Got Dirt” IDEA Camp summer workshop to learn about nutrition, harvest plants and use them to prepare healthy meals with local chefs.

The Circle Health Ball was established in 2006 by Lowell General Hospital, its dedicated medical staff and concerned members of the community to generate awareness and funds to help address significant health issues facing our community.

The Lowell General Hospital Ball for Community Health Initiatives was held on Saturday, March 4, 2023 at the InterContinental Boston. Over 500 guests, including medical staff, corporate and community leaders and supporters came together to generate awareness and funds to help address health issues facing our community.

Tufts Medicine Lowell General Hospital CEO, Jody White, and Amy Hoey, president, Tufts Medicine Lowell General Hospital, welcomed the crowd and celebrated the return of the event, which had not been held since 2019, due to the pandemic.

Co-chairs Dr. Anasuya Gunturi, medical director of Cancer Center Associates and Dr. Wassim Mazraany, president-elect of the medical staff led the night which raised over $420,000 with $56,000 being raised for the Fund-A-Need recipient, Dwelling House of Hope. The Dwelling House of Hope, located in Lowell, will use the funds to increase their reach and feed 1,200+ families a week, host cooking and fitness classes in the community, provide health food and recipes in over 5 different languages, and more.

We thank you for all of your time, generosity, and support.