Staff at Community Healthlink in Central Massachusetts are decrying the planned closure of the health agency, saying it could cost hundreds of people their jobs and compromise much-needed care for vulnerable residents.
Community Healthlink, an affiliate of UMass Memorial Health, oversees a variety of programs that help people with substance abuse, homelessness and mental health challenges. In a recent memo, the agency’s president, Gordon Benson, told employees the provider is preparing to shut down and transfer its programs to two other social service organizations.
The move comes as Community Healthlink has dealt with financial challenges, cutting several programs across Worcester County in recent years. In 2025, UMass Memorial Health president and CEO Eric Dickson said the agency recorded $49 million in losses over the previous three fiscal years.
“Community Healthlink is a big staple for the city,” said Robbin Morris, a nurse who assists patients with substance abuse problems. A shutdown “would be detrimental not just to the population we serve, but to the many staff.”
In his memo, Benson called the closure a difficult but necessary decision to ensure that clients can continue receiving services they need. He said two nonprofits — Open Sky Community Services and Clinical and Support Options — will take over the bulk of Community Healthlink’s programs, pending state approval.
Both organizations “will be initiating a hiring process” and current caregivers “will be eligible to apply for those positions,” Benson said, adding that staff will also be connected with job opportunities at UMass Memorial.
For Thomasina Levesque, who’s worked at Community Healthlink for 16 years, those measures aren’t enough. She said the agency has provided no assurances that employees will be able to keep their existing jobs.
“If we don’t follow or stay in those positions, that’s like 400 or 500 workers that are now out of a job,” said Levesque, a steward for SEIU Local 509, which represents employees at Community Healthlink.
People across Central Massachusetts rely on the agency’s services. Worcester social service advocates say the closure will come at an especially difficult time with Worcester County’s homeless population at a record high. Community Healthlink is a main avenue for people who are homeless and underinsured to receive treatment.
Levesque said she and her colleagues have spent years developing trusting relationships with vulnerable residents. She worries about how patients will fare if they suddenly have to begin working with new providers.
“Our clients have been sitting for so long in silence and suffering,” she said. “When you build that trust and get somebody to believe enough in themselves to move on in recovery, you lose that when you close places like this down.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for UMass Memorial Health and Community Healthlink said their focus is on minimizing disruption for clients, while supporting staff.
“We also have initiated discussions with SEIU leadership to explore transition plans that support and retain our caregivers as they remain with the organization through this process,” the spokesperson said.
At a Worcester City Council meeting April 14, Community Healthlink staff warned councilors of the closure and asked that the city intervene to ensure that workers keep their jobs and patients continue to access care. Councilors agreed to have the city’s public health committee hold a meeting on the matter.
Employees say they’ll continue to pressure UMass Memorial and the city to address their concerns. They’re planning to hold a rally on the issue in front of Worcester City Hall on April 28.
“We’re in this for the fight. We’re fighting for services to maintain, for the transition to be smooth and quick,” Morris said.