Improving the health and well-being of the communities of Allston, Brighton, & Waltham

Mission

Charles River Community Health’s mission is to partner with individuals and families so they can thrive and lead healthier lives by delivering the comprehensive, integrated, and equitable primary healthcare that matters most to them.

Vision

By 2030, Charles River Community Health will be a recognized leader in providing top-quality primary healthcare and patient experience, and substantially increase health equity for the patients and communities we serve. CRCH will also be a recognized employer, providing a top-quality employee experience and substantially increase staff engagement and retention.

Well-being through Time : Unveiling Our Enduring Legacy

Since our opening in 1974, Charles River Community Health has remained true to our mission and has evolved to reflect the needs of our patients and of the residents of Allston-Brighton, Waltham and surrounding communities. The spirit and enthusiasm upon which the neighborhood center was founded is evident in our approach to delivery of health care services to everyone who walks through our doors. We remain committed to ensuring that all people can lead a full, healthy, and productive life, continuing the spirit and sense of community that inspired the original Allston-Brighton founders.

1968

Radical Roots

In 1968, several committed community residents joined forces to assess the health care needs of their neighbors in Allston-Brighton. The group, under the leadership of Allston resident Joseph M. Smith, asked neighbors and residents about their health care needs and their difficulties finding appropriate care. They found a lack of access to affordable and culturally and linguistically appropriate primary care health services for many Allston-Brighton residents, despite the wealth of medical resources in Boston.

1968

1974

Origin

Engaging City and Federal officials, the group began planning a community health center designed to serve the community. The group’s vision was realized in 1974 when the health center opened a clinic in a local housing development in Allston to serve the community with compassionate, comprehensive health care named the Brighton Allston Community Health Corporation. In 1979, the health center was renamed the Joseph M. Smith Community Health Center, in honor of Joe Smith’s passing and efforts on behalf of the community and as a reminder of the community’s achievement in creating this important health resource.

1974

2004

Commumnity Involvement

The Health Center flourished and grew. In response to growing community need, as well as the closure of Waltham Hospital, in 2004 the Health Center opened a site in Waltham. In the spring of 2008, expanding its reach into the community still further, the Center opened satellite sites at the Jackson-Mann School and Gardner Pilot Academy, both Boston Public Schools in Allston.

2004

2015

A New Home in Brighton

After outgrowing several locations in Allston, in Fall 2015, the Health Center moved into a new 48,000 square foot facility and changed its name to Charles River Community Health to unify the neighborhoods of Allston-Brighton and Waltham and return to a place-based name.

2015

2018

Growing in Waltham

In 2018 after outgrowing our location in Waltham, we leased a 19,000 square foot space to better meet the needs of patients and our community.

2018

Today

Looking forward

Charles River Community Health continues to evolve to meet the changing needs of the community, most recently during the COVID pandemic, by providing thousands of tests and vaccines to primarily patient and community members of color, and continually transforming our care and workflows.

Today

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