In a milestone moment for local healthcare, the South Boston Community Health Center (SBCHC) celebrated the groundbreaking of its long-awaited expansion at 409 West Broadway on Wednesday, Aug. 6. The project, set to add 11,000 square feet and 11 exam rooms, will significantly increase the center’s capacity to provide primary, preventive, and behavioral health services to the South Boston community.
The event coincided with National Health Center Week, highlighting America’s 60-year legacy of community-based healthcare. SBCHC’s CEO, William J. Halpin, Jr., described the project as “a wonderful accomplishment” that will allow the health center to deepen and strengthen its commitment to the community and welcome even more patients seeking care.
Board President Ann Brady opened the ceremony, thanking the dedicated staff, leadership team, community partners, and elected officials who made the expansion possible. “The expansion of the South Boston Community Health Center today marks a major milestone, not just for our organization but for the entire community of South Boston,” she said. “This expansion … represents our deep and ongoing commitment to the compassionate, high-quality care we deliver every day.”
Congressman Stephen F. Lynch praised the health center’s role during the COVID-19 pandemic, when staff tested and vaccinated more than 30,000 people. “South Boston only has 35,000 residents,” Lynch noted, “but we had people coming in from the suburbs because the care here was so exceptional.”
This expansion ensures that level of service will continue, he said. “It’s building community.”
Lynch recognized $2 million in federal funding that helped make the project possible, adding, “If we give the $2 million in federal funding to the South Boston Community Health Center, they’ll give us $10 million in services and benefits to the community.”
Other speakers included Senator Nick Collins, State Representative David Biele, City Councilor Ed Flynn, and Andrew Colameta, president of Sterling Construction, the project’s builder. Collectively, they emphasized the importance of expanding access to care, supporting families and seniors, and strengthening community health. They also thanked the health center for taking care of the neighborhood.
Over its 53-year history, SBCHC has evolved to meet growing needs — establishing a pharmacy, integrating behavioral health services, launching a food pantry with senior home delivery, and creating specialty medical space. Currently, the center receives about 25 requests per day from new patients seeking care. “When this addition is built,” Halpin said, “we’ll be able to say yes to all of them.”
The new facility will enhance patient experience and address critical healthcare needs in South Boston, continuing the center’s mission of providing affordable, accessible, and high-quality care for all, regardless of ability to pay.
“It’s a mission of love for the South Boston Community Health Center to care for our families,” Lynch said.
