The Massachusetts Health Policy Commission (HPC) announced an investment of more than $2.5 million in four new innovative community partnerships through the Moving Massachusetts Upstream (MassUP) investment program.
The MassUP investment program aims to support partnerships between health care providers and community organizations to enable sustainable improvements in community health and health equity by moving upstream to address the social determinants of health (SDOH). The four awards, selected through a competitive application and review process, focus on two significant SDOH: food systems and security, and economic stability and mobility.
The one awarded initiative that mentions older adults is led by Mercy Medical Center in Springfield that aims to modify “public transit routes to facilitate food access for seniors.”
A quick listing of all the awardees are below. More information on the awardee initiatives, including proposed programs and community organization partners, can be found on the HPC’s website.
| MassUP Awardee | Community | SDOH of Focus | Requested Funding |
| Cooley Dickinson Health Care | Hampshire County | Food Systems and Security | $555,555 |
| Heywood Hospital | Winchendon | Economic Stability and Mobility | $649,547 |
| Massachusetts General Hospital | Chelsea, Revere | Economic Stability and Mobility | $649,499 |
| Mercy Medical Center | Springfield | Food Systems and Security | $650,000 |