Charles River Community Health (CRCH) was conceived in the late 1960s when committed Allston-Brighton residents began to plan for comprehensive healthcare that responded, with compassion and a commitment to quality, to the unique cultural and linguistic needs of their underserved community. After years of organizing and working to identify local and federal resources, the Brighton Allston Community Health Corporation opened in 1974 in the Charlesview public housing complex. In 1979, the health center was renamed the Joseph M. Smith Community Health Center in tribute to Joe Smith, a leader of the community’s planning effort and the founding president of the health center’s Board of Directors. Initially caring primarily for the community’s Irish and Italian immigrants, the center has evolved to serve a diverse population including immigrants from Guatemala, Russia, China, Haiti and across the globe.
The health center has continually expanded its reach and services to better serve its community. It opened a location in Waltham when the community hospital closed in 2004, and in 2008 opened two school-based satellites. Additional services were added, including onsite pharmacy and a vision center. In 2015 the health center completed a significant expansion with the opening of a new 48,000 square foot facility in Brighton and changed its name to Charles River Community Health, in recognition of its broader service area. CRHC relocated to a new, larger location in Waltham in 2018, and renovations in Waltham are underway in 2024.
Today CRCH offers comprehensive primary care, dental, vision, pharmacy, and behavioral health services and continues to respond to the changing needs of its growing community. Special outreach events and programs like mobile food markets address food insecurity and other social drivers of health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, CRCH played a crucial role in community-based testing and vaccination strategies which saved countless lives, particularly those of people of color. Today, with a staff that reflects the diversity of its community, CRCH provides care in over 20 languages. As Charles River Community Health celebrates its 50th anniversary, it continues to evolve while embodying the spirit and dedication of its founders, grounding its future in a storied history and the transformative power of community-driven healthcare.
