Cambridge-based Alnylam Pharmaceuticals awarded Boston Medical Center a $500,000 gift to help BMC expand patient care navigation services and respond to urgent needs of patients newly arrived in the United States. The gift is part of the Alnylam Challengers program, which advances the work of frontline care navigators in Boston who provide personalized coaching, build trust, and connect the hardest-to-reach patients to vital medical and social services.
Sarah Kimball, MD, BMC program director
In collaboration with BMC and two other leading institutions committed to eliminating barriers to health for underserved communities — Boston Children’s Hospital and Whittier Street Health Center — Alnylam aims to create a scalable, community-based model for reducing health disparities in Boston and beyond.
“Too many people living in underserved communities face significant barriers to optimal health,” said Alnylam Chief Executive Officer Yvonne Greenstreet, MD, MBA. “We recognize the tremendous impact that community outreach teams and frontline care navigators have on improving health outcomes. We look forward to advancing the work of these patient-focused organizations committed to reducing health disparities.”
At BMC, care navigators help patients overcome barriers to good health, such as housing, food, and job security. They help connect patients to resources both outside and inside the hospital, including the nation’s first on-site hospital food pantry.
“Our patients often struggle with meeting their social needs, especially if they’re newly arrived here or if they speak a language other than English,” said Sarah Kimball, MD, program director. “Our partnership with Alnylam has allowed us to expand our care navigator program and that’s pivotal support for our newly arrived patients. Because of this we’re able to have a team that really provides wrap-around, comprehensive care that extends outside of the medical exam room.”
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