NEWS

First Director Hired for Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative

Jan 19, 2017

By the Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative web team

The Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative announced today that James Fuccione will direct the group’s activities and initiatives as senior director, a new position created to advance age-friendly communities in Massachusetts. Funded by Tufts Health Plan Foundation, the post was designed to lead the statewide collaboration of more than 100 organizations to advance the emerging movement supporting older adults, and to make Massachusetts a national leader in vibrant age-friendly communities and healthy aging policies.

“Strategies and policies that promote healthy aging benefit people of all ages,” said Jennifer Raymond, director of the Healthy Living Center of Excellence and a member of the executive committee of the Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative. “And more people are becoming interested in healthy aging and age-friendly communities as they begin to understand the impact of the state’s changing demographics.”

By 2035, adults over age 65 will make up over 30% of the population in the vast majority of cities and towns in the state. This shift creates opportunities for community leaders to consider new ways to address housing, transportation, outdoor spaces, civic participation and other factors to benefit people of all ages.

The Collaborative has grown to become a critical link for those doing age-friendly work in the Commonwealth. As senior director, Mr. Fuccione will serve this diverse statewide network of community service organizations, older adults, health and wellness providers, state agencies, researchers, funders, and community leaders working to advance heathy aging. In addition to funding from Tufts Health Plan Foundation, the Collaborative receives support from AARP Massachusetts, Elder Services of Merrimack Valley, the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, and Massachusetts Association of Councils on Aging.

“We are fortunate to have so many individuals and organizations committed to healthy aging initiatives here in Massachusetts and I’m excited to serve as an additional voice to promote and convene age-friendly communities and policies,” said Fuccione. “Massachusetts is undergoing a significant demographic shift; we need to work together to ensure services, infrastructure, and engagement opportunities meet the needs of older adults and their families.”

Mr. Fuccione spent the past eight years as Director of Legislative and Public Affairs for the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts, a nonprofit trade association representing home health care agencies and private-pay home care companies. In this role, Mr. Fuccione led the organization’s government and public affairs strategy on the state and national levels along with managing media communications, often serving as the organization’s spokesperson. Mr. Fuccione also has experience as a press and legislative aide for former State Senator Edward M. Augustus, Jr.

About the Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative

Believing that strong and healthy communities include older adults of all ages and abilities, we collaborate through networking, communication, and information sharing to optimize opportunities for health, participation, and security to enhance quality of life as people age. The Collaborative includes representatives from AARP Massachusetts, Boston Commission on Affairs of the Elderly, Brandeis University, Elder Services of Merrimack Valley, Gerontology Institute at University of Massachusetts Boston, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Healthy Living Center of Excellence, Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly, Jewish Family and Children’s Services, The Latino Health Insurance Program, Leading Age Massachusetts, Massachusetts Association of Councils on Aging, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs, Massachusetts Public Health Association, MetroWest Health Foundation, Multicultural Coalition on Aging, Tufts Health Plan Foundation,  WalkBoston, and more.

About the Tufts Health Plan Foundation

Established in 2008, Tufts Health Plan Foundation supports the health and wellness of the diverse communities we serve. The Foundation has given more than $24 million to Massachusetts and Rhode Island nonprofits that promote healthy living with an emphasis on older adults. In 2016, the Foundation began funding in New Hampshire. The Tufts Health Plan Foundation funds programs that move communities toward achieving age-friendly policies and practices that are relevant, focus on seniors, and include them in community solutions. Visit www.tuftshealthplanfoundation.org or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.