Fair Haven Community Health Care

Annual Maintenance and Support Services for Cisco Phone System

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 15:43:46 GMT

Timeline

April 8, 2026 - Release of RFP Documents

May 8, 2026 - Proposals must be received by 1:00PM Eastern Time in the Administrative Offices of Fair Haven Community Health Clinic, Inc. 374 Grand Avenue Building A, Fair Haven, CT

06513 Attention: Frankie Santiago, Director of Information /

Hi-Tech Security Officer.

Or email Frankie Santiago: f.santiago@fhchc.org

Proposals must be valid for 90 Days, and may be either in hard copy or electronic.

May 22, 2026 - Anticipated Award of Contract, Negotiation and Execution to be discussed once awarded.

1. Introduction

Fair Haven Community Health Clinic, Inc is seeking proposals from qualified vendors to provide annual maintenance, support, and licensing services for our existing Cisco phone system infrastructure. The selected vendor will deliver comprehensive support, including Smartnet, Informacast, VMware, SIP Router Licensing, Flex Enterprise Agreement, E911, and Webex Licensing. Which supports the 500+ phones in our multisite system.

The purpose of this RFP is to identify a vendor capable of ensuring system reliability,

compliance, and performance through proactive monitoring, maintenance, and timely

resolution of issues.

2. Scope of Work (See Exhibit 1 for greater detail)

2.1 Support Coverage

Smartnet Support for Cisco hardware and software.
Informacast licensing, support and updates.
VMware licensing and maintenance.
SIP Router Licensing management.
Cisco Flex Enterprise Agreement Licensing and support.
E911 Services licensing compliance and monitoring.
Webex Licensing administration and support.
Redsky Anywhere E911 Licensing administration and support.

2.2 Maintenance & Labor

Coverage Hours: 8x5 (Monday–Friday, excluding holidays).

Services Included:

All parts and labor (onsite or remote), excluding phone handsets.
Preventive maintenance and monitoring.
Troubleshooting and resolution of hardware/software issues.
Firmware and software updates.
Vendor coordination for escalations.
Frontier Analog
Frontier Fiber Internet / Site to Site ELAN
Comcast Internet
Crown Castle Fiber Internet

2.3 Hardware Infrastructure to be Supported

6 – Cisco ISR4300 Routers
2 – Cisco BE6 Servers
2 – Cisco C8200L Routers

3. Vendor Requirements

Vendors must demonstrate:

Proven expertise in Cisco Unified Communications systems.
Certification in Cisco support and licensing management.
Experience with VMware, SIP, and Webex environments.
Ability to provide timely onsite and remote support.
Strong monitoring and reporting capabilities.

4. Proposal Submission Guidelines

Proposals should include:

Company background and relevant experience.
Detailed description of support methodology.
Pricing structure (annual maintenance, licensing, labor, and parts).
Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for response and resolution times.
References from similar projects.

5. Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on:
Technical expertise and certifications.
Comprehensiveness of support offering.
Cost-effectiveness and transparency of pricing.
Vendor reputation and references.
Ability to meet required SLAs.

6. Terms & Conditions

Contract term: One year, renewable annually.
Coverage excludes holidays.
All parts and labor included, excluding phone handsets.
Vendor must comply with Fair Haven Community Health Clinic, Inc’s IT security
and compliance policies.

7. Contact Information

All proposals and inquiries should be directed to:

Email Subject: Cisco RFP 2026

Name: Frankie Santiago (Director of Information / Hi-Tech Security Officer)

Email: f.santiago@fhchc.org

Local organizations are working overtime after SNAP benefit cutoffs

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 19:15:53 GMT

Local food pantries are seeing lines down the block as they work to serve communities after SNAP benefit cutoffs.

Watch video below.

Credit to NBC Connecticut for this story.

Hundreds Line Up For SNAP-Gap Help

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 19:01:37 GMT

Hundreds Line Up for SNAP-Gap Help

Michelle Robertson spent two hours in Fair Haven on Monday morning waiting for a $75 grocery voucher, as she needs to free enough cash to pay for the medications that treat her osteoporosis and cancer.

She was one of hundreds of food stamp recipients who turned to Fair Haven Community Health Care (FHCHC) after the nation’s largest food assistance program lapsed. To support their patients through the crisis, FHCHC is offering $75 grocery vouchers to 100 people facing food insecurity every weekday.

FHCHC is one of dozens of nonprofits across the city stepping up for the 30,750 New Haveners who receive benefits from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps.

After two federal courts ruled that the Trump administration is legally obligated to fund SNAP through the shutdown, the administration said they’d make partial payments through November but declined to say when the funds would be disbursed.

Mayor Justin Elicker issued a press release following the news, describing the step as positive but insufficient.

“It’s critical that SNAP benefits are fully funded — not only for this month, but in perpetuity. The Trump Administration needs to stop weaponizing hunger and threatening to starve children, seniors, and families,” he wrote.

Elicker said that $215,000 had been raised through the Neighbors United Emergency Response Fund, launched on Friday. “I continue to encourage individuals, organizations and businesses who have the means to donate and volunteer,” wrote the mayor. “It’s making a real difference.”

On Monday, hundreds of people lined up for a voucher at FHCHC’s clinic, located at 374 Grand Ave. Staff handed out 65 more vouchers than planned, or 165 in total, to meet the need. Even with the extra vouchers, said CEO Suzanne Lagarde, FHCHC had to turn away dozens of people and ask them to return later in the week.

Until SNAP benefits are reinstated, Lagarde said FHCHC would continue distributing vouchers — so long as they have the resources to do so.

Robertson, a born-and-bred New Havener, feels “scared” when she thinks about her finances. Her Social Security payments are usually sufficient to cover her medications, but without SNAP, she’s wondering if she’ll have to allocate some of those funds towards groceries.

She’s planning to spend her voucher at Fair Haven’s Key Foods. She’ll need to buy calcium-rich products for her osteoporosis, with the rest of her money split among inexpensive meats, vegetables, and breads. To help the money stretch, she’s planning to eat a simple soup with crackers for multiple days.

Robertson, tearing up, said, “It’s getting rough.” She wishes she could tell the government to “make peace, whatever the problem is,” or at least to “stop taking it out on us.”

After standing in line for two hours, Robertson’s body ached with pain.

A few dozen people ahead of Robertson on Monday, Katrina Tate described the “struggle meals” that she’s planning to make: spaghetti, empanadas, Chef Boyardee, and anything with rice.

She’s hopeful that she can stretch the $75 through the week, but “prices are high,” and she’ll need enough food to feed her 10-year-old godson and elderly husband.

It “helps a lot” to get relief from the voucher, she said, but she’s still facing an impossible question: “What’s more important? Paying a bill or buying food?”

The “shutdown is affecting everybody,” said Robertson, but the government “doesn’t care.” To the 42 million Americans facing food insecurity, she emphasized, “There’s no shame in asking for help.”

Amarilys Perez was one of the last people to receive a voucher on Monday. In Spanish, she said she has two children, including a four-year-old daughter with severe autism. Because of her daughter’s medical appointments, she’s only able to work three days per week.

She usually receives over $500 in food stamps per month, rarely enough to feed her family given how expensive groceries have become. Her living expenses have also risen, she said, now that she has to heat her home.

She pointed out that local grocers in Fair Haven, where the voucher is valid, tend to be on the expensive side — especially at the start of the month, when they jack up prices to take advantage of customers having just received their benefits. Several other people in line said they’d observed the same pricing pattern at local grocers.

While the whole situation is “horrible,” she said she’s trying to have a good attitude. “We’ll just wait and see what happens.” But if the shutdown lasts through the winter, she’s not sure how she’ll find the time and transportation to keep lining up for vouchers and food pantries.

“Even at the baseline,” said Lagarde, there’s “food insecurity” in Fair Haven. For her and the FHCHC, it was a “no brainer” to fund a voucher program after food stamps lapsed.

Maggie Moffett, FHCHC’s Chief Advancement Officer, agreed. “For so many of our patients,” she said, “SNAP is the difference between food and no food.”

Credit to New Haven Independent for the story. Read article here.

How the Connecticut community is responding as SNAP benefits expire

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 22:30:06 GMT

How the Connecticut community is responding as SNAP benefits expire

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — SNAP benefits have officially expired, leaving hundreds of thousands of Connecticut residents without critical food assistance.

The Trump administration has until 5 p.m. Monday to respond to a ruling which could allow the use of contingency funds to keep the program running during the ongoing government shutdown. However, several people told News 8 their SNAP cards were not reloaded.

Where to find food assistance in Connecticut as SNAP benefits lapse

In the meantime, families across the state are struggling to put food on the table.

At the Fair Haven Community Health Care Center in New Haven, hundreds lined up early Thursday morning for a chance to receive a $75 food voucher.

“It’s a blessing, it’s a blessing,” one woman said, clutching her voucher after hours in line.

Among those waiting was Nelida Melendez, a mother determined to feed her two children ages 7 and 13.

“I’m trying to look for pantries and just stretch what we have,” she said.

Bundled in coats and carrying folding chairs, families braved the cold for a chance to receive a voucher. Many said their SNAP payments have stopped entirely.

“No food, no money, no nothing … trying to survive,” Linda Lopez said. “It is very difficult.”

The Fair Haven Community Health Care Center partnered with local vendors to distribute 100 food vouchers daily to patients this week, beginning each morning at 8 a.m.

“We anticipated this because we know how bad the need is,” Dr. Suzanne Lagarde, CEO of the health center, said. “Resources are severely limited … but we will do it again tomorrow, the day after tomorrow as long as SNAP benefits remain unavailable to our patients.”

Connecticut officials Monday confirmed the Connecticut State Department of Education has received the United States Department of Agriculture funding necessary to support reimbursements for October and November meal claims.

They said the department continues to access, without interruption, all entitlement funds that have been awarded to Connecticut.

For additional resources on where to find food assistance: Where to find food assistance in Connecticut as SNAP benefits lapse.

Watch video below. Credit to WTNH for the story.

AHA National Clinical Quality Recognition for FHCHC

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 17:09:44 GMT

FHCHC Receives National Recognition from the American Heart Association for Clinical Quality!

We’re proud to share that FHCHC has been recognized by the American Heart Association for National Clinical Quality! We have received the following honors:

Target: Type 2 Diabetes Achievement Award – Gold Level

Check. Change. Control. Cholesterol Achievement Award – Gold Level

Target: BP Achievement Award – Silver Level

These recognitions highlight our unwavering commitment to providing proactive, accessible, and high-quality care for every patient we serve.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, advocates sound alarm on growing youth mental health crisis

tom@thekarasco.com (Thomas Karas) — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 16:01:52 GMT

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-3rd District) and local leaders gathered in New Haven on Friday to discuss the mental health crisis among youth.

This comes as studies have shown a spike in suicide rates among young children.

Mental health advocates addressed the need for mental health professionals in the classroom.

DeLauro: Mental health funding cuts will hurt Connecticut students.

“We need to look at the whole child and really think about what wrap-around services and what support can we put in place for children and families so that we never get to that crisis point,” Leslie Blatteau, the president of the New Haven Federation of Teachers, said. “We are all committed in the city of New Haven and the state of Connecticut to making sure our students are more than okay to make sure our students can come to school every day, feel safe, feel seen and feel supported.”

Congresswoman DeLauro pushed forward grant programs to make changes in the school.

“What the bill would do is assist in hiring school-based mental health providers, help recruit mental health-based providers, supplement other investments in school-based mental health services, such as dollars from the bipartisan Safer Communities Act,” DeLauro said.

However, funding has become a challenge after $1 billion of funds that supported mental health services for children was cut by the Trump Administration.

Those services were through the School-Based Mental Health Service Grants Program and the School-Based Mental Health Services Professional Demonstration Grant Program.

DeLauro expressed concerns for the Department of Education’s new application for the grants, but she continues to advocate for those who need help.

“We need to expand these kinds of services instead of looking as how we pull back funding,” she said.

News 8 reached out to the White House for a response on youth mental health funding.

If someone you know is struggling with their mental health, you can call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Read the whole article here.

New Haven celebrates transformation of Fair Haven Community Health Care Clinic

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 13:50:27 GMT

Credit to NBC Connecticut for this story

Fair Haven Community Health Care, along with community, local, and state partners, celebrated a ribbon-cutting for its brand new facility.

The health clinic has offered services, oftentimes at low to no cost, to the community for over 50 years.

Fair Haven Community Health Care CEO Dr. Suzanne Lagarde said Wednesday’s ribbon-cutting celebrated the clinic’s first-ever major capital expansion since its launch in 1971.

“We worked really hard, we listened to the community, they told us they wanted space, they wanted color, they wanted light and we tried very hard to incorporate those suggestions,” Lagarde said.

The Capital Expansion Campaign began in December of 2022, raising close to $4 million from 122 generous donors.

The 36,000-square-foot building will expand its primary care services, behavioral health, and Diabetes Prevention Program through a new program called “Food as Medicine.”

A food pharmacy will also be available on site to help address food insecurity and chronic illness.

"Our plan is to bring in healthy foods and help people with certain medical conditions learn how to use food as part of their medical program,” said Lagarde.

Dr. Lagarde added part of the clinic’s mission is to create a space that provides equal access to healthcare for all patients, regardless of insurance status.

“Everyone is welcome here regardless of color, race, creed, who you love, anybody who needs help here, we firmly believe that healthcare is a basic human right.”

At the ribbon-cutting and grand opening, local and state leaders addressed the uncertainty as it relates to federal funding to federally qualified health clinics.

“There are renewed efforts to dismantle Medicaid as we know it, a lifeline for millions including the families that come here to this center, seeking compassionate, affordable and culturally rooted care,” said Karen Dubois-Walton, President and CEO of the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven.

Others spoke out against the possible cuts to Medicaid and Medicare.

“We’re here really to recommit ourselves to the concept that we will always be there for those individuals regardless of what happens in Washington because that’s the values that we hold. That’s the values of Fair Haven, that’s the values of New Haven,” said Connecticut State Comptroller Sean Scanlon.

Sen. Martin Looney (D-Pro Tem) reinforced the importance of community health clinics.

"It’s just appalling, what we're seeing coming from Washington, the assault on public health and places like Fair Haven to fight against that and to plant a marker for humane healthcare,” Looney said.

Looney was instrumental to the project by helping to bring state funding through COVID relief money.

To commemorate Looney’s commitment to affordable healthcare to all, the clinic’s lobby was named after him and his wife, Ellen.

Lagarde also restated her commitment to continue to serve the community, despite the funding uncertainties ahead.

"We’re not going to break any laws, we plan to follow all executive orders but we know we're not going to abandon any patients so we’re setting structures in place that will allow us to do that.”

The facility uses no fossil fuels, has four electric vehicle chargers, and will soon be powered by solar panels as part of the clinic’s commitment to the environment.

A family of Afghan refugees arrived in CT. Here's what happened.

tom@thekarasco.com (Thomas Karas) — Thu, 15 May 2025 17:17:28 GMT

Credit to CT Mirror for this story

March 4, 2025: Qatar to Connecticut

In early March, sitting in his sister’s West Haven apartment, Sayed Rahim Rahim opened the small leather backpack where he carries his family’s documents for safekeeping. He pulled out certificates printed with Afghan and American flags that he received during the 12 years he worked as an automotive mechanic for the U.S. armed forces.

On the rug, he spread out the Qatar Airways tickets and stack of passports that had helped get him, his wife, their son and four daughters across the Atlantic in a hasty departure less than a week earlier.

The family’s arrival in Connecticut coincided with a chaotic new chapter for refugees coming to the United States, as the Trump administration halted new arrivals and began dismantling the services that once supported them. Funding cuts, an end to Temporary Protective Status for immigrants from countries like Haiti and Venezuela, and growing uncertainty for others about their future on U.S. soil have since become features of the national news cycle.

In Connecticut, that chaos has shaken the refugee communities that have called the state home — and the resettlement agencies that have historically contracted with the federal government to lay the groundwork of a successful life in the United States.

Rahim’s family’s crisis-driven arrival may be a harbinger of how the new reality looks for refugees and Special Immigrant Visa holders like him, as support flounders and resettlement groups increasingly turn to private donors and volunteers to fill the gaps left behind.

The uncertainty began for the family in January, when they were readying to fly from a refugee camp in Qatar to the U.S. Along with more than 1,600 other Afghans, the family learned their flight had been abruptly cancelled, an action taken by President Donald J. Trump on Jan. 21, the day after he signed an executive order to indefinitely pause refugee resettlement.

The United States has ushered 200,000 Afghans to safety since the Taliban took control of the country after U.S. forces left in 2021, in what was widely considered a tragically botched exit. Afghans like Rahim, who had worked for the U.S. forces despite risks of retribution from the Taliban, had been promised a safe haven here through the pathway of Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for him and his family. In Rahim’s case, the cancelled flight came after an eight-year wait for his visa to go through, during which time the radius of his life constricted to keep him and his family safe. For a year, he and his family lived in a hotel room.

Meanwhile, in West Haven, Rahim’s brother-in-law, Noorjan Omerkhel, was shocked when he learned the flight was off. The family began scrambling for a solution.

Rahim and his family were still approved to come to the U.S. as SIVs, and the short-term passports they’d been issued for the trip were valid for a few more weeks. They just needed plane tickets. Omerkhel had lost his job a few months before, but he logged on to Qatar Airways and emptied most of his savings — $6,845.07 — on seven plane tickets.

It was a blow, but Omerkhel had reason to believe that, once the family arrived, they’d be greeted with the same robust support he’d received when he came to the U.S. nine years earlier. He remembered how New Haven-based Integrated Refugee and Immigration Services (IRIS) had taken care of everything, from preparing an apartment, to cooking a first Afghan meal, to enrolling his kids in school and scheduling medical appointments.

But when Rahim’s family arrived on Feb. 26, they met a different reality.

IRIS was in crisis. Omerkhel alerted the group that Rahim and his family were planning to come, but just a few days before they arrived.

Omerkhel brought them back from the airport and took them into his small home with his wife — Rahim’s sister — and their three kids for the first few nights. But he was worried.

“There’s no case manager for (Rahim), he’s seeking help for transportation, his wife is pregnant, and his daughter is having a dental issue.”

He wondered if buying the plane tickets had been a mistake.

“Now it fills me with upset, too much upset inside,” Omerkhel said. “I’m not a governor or mayor … simply put, I’m not (a) financially stable person. I lost my job, and still I’m struggling to find a job.”

Back in January, IRIS had planned to help the family. But those arrangements were made before the organization was thrown into turmoil: Federal contracts worth $4 million were abruptly cancelled, the group was laying off dozens of employees and making the painful decision to give up its primary physical office.

“We were in the midst of heartbreaking meetings,” said IRIS Executive Director Maggie Mitchell Salem.

IRIS was struggling to make sense of its new reality. Over the years, the group had co-signed leases on over 100 apartments. But with the funding to help pay for those apartments gone, they were searching for new housing for clients and working with landlords to transfer the leases to their clients’ names.

Anxious phone calls flooded in from families who had fled war and violence in their home countries, then spent years painstakingly building new lives: learning English, going back to school, finding jobs and friendships in a wildly unfamiliar place. But without citizenship, what might become of those lives? Many of their case workers had lost their jobs and could no longer give them answers.

Amid these calls and meetings, a group of core IRIS staff met in Mitchell Salem’s office in late February to talk about Rahim and his young family.

“I think initially I said, ‘No, we can’t help,’” Mitchell Salem recalled. Their remaining staff was spread thin, and much of their funding had been wiped out. But as they talked, Mitchell Salem began to question herself. This work, she reasoned, was what IRIS had been built to do.

“It’s like — we can still do this. It is absolutely right to do it,” Mitchell Salem said. “The community will have our back, regardless of whether the federal government does.”

The mood seemed to lift. More Afghan families arrived — a total of four families and a single man — and the group put out a fundraising call.

Hewad Hemat, manager of resettlement services at IRIS, and Rona Rohbar, the head of the IRIS health team, were assigned to help the family.

“It was kind of shocking, difficult,” said Hemat, who also came to the U.S. as a refugee from Afghanistan in 2014. “A family with five kids, no credit history, the mother is pregnant and the children are so young! And there is no government help. We were very worried.”

March 7, 2025: Where would they live?

It had been nine days since the family had arrived in the U.S., and they had moved from Omerkhel’s home to stay with Rahim’s brothers and cousin in a cramped two-bedroom apartment in West Haven.

Rahim had met with IRIS earlier that day, and he had signals that the organization was trying to help him, but the predominant emotion was still anxiety about a stack of unsolved problems. Most important among them: Where would they live? Rahim’s relatives had been generous, but it was a lot to ask the three men living on their own to take in a family of seven.

Whatever the obstacles of the day, Rahim’s children always gave him and his wife, Madina, some comic relief. His youngest daughter, Asna, was still working on her walking skills, and she stumbled across the carpet and into his lap. She babbled, then giggled at the tired smile Rahim pasted across his face.

Asra, 3, curled up on a cushion, peering into a YouTube video on a cell phone. Asia, 4, circled the small apartment, on the hunt for something to busy herself. Serwat, 11, and Alia, 6, sat quietly with calm smiles on their lips, listening to their uncle translate questions to their father in his native Pashto. Rahim was beginning to learn English, but he couldn’t speak fluently like his brothers, who had served as translators with U.S. armed forces. Without being asked, Serwat and Alia pitched in, putting away visitors’ shoes or distracting the baby when she cried.

Rahim had met with IRIS for an intake interview. When he went to their office, they gave him a couple of books for the children to explore — a pop-up book with pictures of trucks, another with games and pages of butterfly and princess stickers. At the apartment, the younger kids pulled the books from each others’ hands, anxious to look through them. Asra peeled the bright stickers off the page and pasted them up and down her arms.

It was Ramadan, and the adults were fasting until the evening. Rahim’s wife Madina, who asked not to be photographed, had been feeling weaker than she had during previous pregnancies. Rahim urged her to break the fast and eat during the day, and sometimes she did.

So far, the family hadn’t seen much beyond the walls of their relatives’ apartments. It was chilly out, in the 40’s. In typical New England fashion, the sky vacillated from a blanket of gray to light blue. “They’re too naughty” to take outside, Rahim said of his children with a smile, through his brother’s translation. As in, he wasn’t up for venturing into the unknown with five young kids.

The family had practice hunkering down together in a small space — they had spent an entire year living in a Kabul hotel before getting to the refugee camp in Qatar, confined to the room for their safety.

March 11, 2025: Signs of progress

A few days later, progress: The family had doctors’ appointments, and Rahim and Madina now had their own cell phones, given to them by IRIS, so they weren’t dependent on borrowing relatives’ phones to communicate. IRIS was pulling together money for a few months’ rent, plus the deposit, so they’d be ready when they found an apartment.

His brothers drove for Uber, and the noise of the children sometimes kept them awake. It was time to get their own place.

“IRIS should help us,” Rahim reasoned. His wife was pregnant. Who knew how long it would be before he’d be able to start working?

But his brothers agreed that Rahim’s career as a car mechanic was a stroke of good luck under the circumstances — that particular set of skills transcended borders and language. First, he’d need a driver’s license and an automotive repair license. It was another set of bureaucratic hills to climb.

Rahim spent hours cooking a meal of kabuli pulao, the Afghan national dish of lamb and rice with spices, to break the daily Ramadan fast. Once the family ate, the children curled up together in the corner of the living room, watching videos on his phone.

March 12, 2025: Setbacks and opportunities

Rohbar was in charge of getting the family medical care. Just a few months before, she would have had 11 team members working for her.

“The whole team is gone. I’m the only one left,” Rohbar said.

It was lucky for Rahim and his family that Rohbar was the one left. She was from the same city in Afghanistan — Khost — and she spoke the same dialect, a version of Pashto she said can be unintelligible to people from outside that region.

Rohbar helped the family schedule their medical appointments, but she was spread too thin to stay while a registered nurse checked their hearing and drew blood. Instead, she showed Rahim the number to dial for an interpreter. The connection faded in and out — “Hello? Are you there?” — the nurse asked the voice on the other end of the line. Sometimes, she was.

The kids explored the beds, the walls, the medical supplies, as two nurses examined them one by one. Everyone remarked on the large family — so many kids! Madina stayed at home, resting before her prenatal appointment later in the day. Asra, the 3-year-old, smiled through a hearing test. And somehow Alia, 6, smiled through her blood draw.

Nurse Lori Wallach asks Sayed Rahim Rahim medical intake questions with the help of a remote interpreter during a visit to Fair Haven Community Health Care on March 12, 2025. Credit: Shahrzad Rasekh / CT Mirror

W hen all of them had been poked and measured, a weary Rahim led the children to the front of the clinic. Within 15 minutes, Rohbar had pulled up in a minivan to take them back to Rahim’s brothers’ apartment.

Rohbar was doing what she could for the family under the circumstances, but she understood the chasm between these services and what she did for refugees just months earlier. In fact, Rohbar herself came as a refugee from Afghanistan 22 years ago as a teenager, and those first moments of welcoming live as vivid scenes in her memory. At the airport, they got off the long flight and were fingerprinted by immigration authorities. “You cannot trust any stranger,” in those early days, but there was a representative there from the International Organization for Migration who helped them through the paperwork, and then gave them bus tickets and guided the exhausted family to their bus. In New Haven, IRIS staff greeted them as they walked into the dark September night.

“The case manager was there with two or three cars, and the apartment was ready. The lights were on. Our favorite meal — the Afghan traditional meal — was on the table. The feast was ready, you know, the Afghan feast. The fridge was loaded with food. I don’t have words to explain the excitement.”

Rohbar kept walking around from one end of the apartment to the other. The beds were made, and the closets were full of clothes. She was fascinated by the food in packages. Back in Afghanistan, they shopped in markets — she’d never seen the boxes and clamshell plastic that fills American supermarkets. “To me that was so interesting! I couldn’t believe it was real.”

And the dish they’d prepared amazed her. It was kabuli pulao. Rohbar had spent years learning to make the recipe from her mother, but her attempts were met with criticism. She never got it quite right. Yet somehow, these strangers across the world knew how to make the dish.

That night still ranks as the happiest of Rohbar’s entire life.

“Whenever I’m upset, these memories keep me alive,” Rohbar said. “I can still feel the joy from that night.”

When Rohbar looked at Rahim and his family — one man, one boy, a woman and four girls with another baby girl on the way — she felt a responsibility, and an excitement, to lead by example.

As a woman, “it’s so shocking to them that I’m speaking in English, I’m working, I’m driving and showing them places,” Rohbar said. In Afghanistan, girls are not allowed to go to school beyond sixth grade, women are generally not allowed to work, get driver’s licenses or even spend time in public spaces. When they do, they must fully cover their bodies and faces.

Rohbar gives the same pep talk to all of the women she resettles from Afghanistan.

“I tell them, ‘You came this far, you better pick up all the goody bags from here. You came for education, work, and it will be useless if you don’t do anything, if you just do what you did back home. If you don’t take advantage after sacrificing everything — your home! — it will all be in vain for you.’”

In time, Madina would be able to participate in the women’s groups that Rohbar organizes. She could get help learning English and even enroll in adult education if she wanted to. But not yet.

“In the beginning, when they arrive, it’s overwhelming,” Rohbar said.

April 4, 2025: A new home — but what happens next?

A little over a month since the family arrived in the U.S., they finally had their own apartment. It was a walk-up on the second and third floors of a house in New Haven, near the idyllic Westville neighborhood. IRIS helped them find the apartment with four small bedrooms, overlooking a cemetery, just a few blocks from Edgewood Park.

Madina had pains in her belly the night before. They still had no furniture, just a few rugs and cushions for the living room floor and the hallway.

But the family seemed lighter. Rahim’s English was improving, and he could express himself without a relative at hand to translate.

“Right now, I’m good. The only problem is work, my wife is sick, my daughters, my son (needs to) go to school,” Rahim said. He couldn’t get his family around without a driver’s license. “I have appointments … if some people is not busy they coming (to drive me). My brother, my cousin.”

Mostly, the family stayed inside.

But today, with the sun out, Rahim decided to take them to the playground while Madina stayed with Asma, the youngest, at home. Rahim wrapped Asia and Asra in thick black parkas. Serwat and Alia, the oldest, helped their siblings tie their shoelaces. Finally, the kids jumped down the stairs and onto the sidewalk. Serwat retrieved a double stroller, and Rahim convinced the youngest girls to ride.

Daffodils and the pink cherry blossoms, the first of the season, opened their faces to the sun. Suddenly, desperate tears were rolling down Alia’s face. She wanted to climb out of the stroller and pick flowers from a manicured bed. She quieted when her father handed her a small, purple flower.

Jennifer Huebner, Sayed Rahim and his son Serwat walk towards the Mauro-Sheridan Magnet School on May 1, 2025. Credit: Shahrzad Rasekh / CT Mirror

May 1, 2025: First day of school in four years

Serwat got up early. He took a shower and sprayed himself with cologne, gelled his hair and combed it neatly to the side. Today would be his first day in a brick and mortar school in four years.

After the exit of U.S. armed forces from Afghanistan in 2021, the region of Khost where the family lived fell to Taliban control. Rahim decided to keep Serwat, then 7, at home. His school was 10 kilometers away, and the route between had become too dangerous to risk the journey. He was able to take classes during the few months the family spent at the Qatar refugee camp, but today was different: a new desk all to himself in Lauren Bitterman’s fifth-grade classroom at the Mauro-Sheridan Interdistrict Magnet School in New Haven.

Request for Proposal- 374 Grand Renovation

tom@thekarasco.com (Thomas Karas) — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 20:11:03 GMT

Request for Proposal (RFP)

RFP DESCRIPTION

Renovation of 1 ^st Floor Clinical Space at 374 Grand Avenue

Fair Haven Community Health Clinic, Inc. (FHCHC), a Federally Qualified Health Center, is seeking Lump Sum Bids to renovate the existing clinic at 374 Grand Avenue, New Haven, Connecticut. The successful firm will be expected to provide all services as described within this document through to project completion. The project modernizes exam rooms and incorporates behavioral health consultation to address community health care needs.

Proposals from women and minority owned businesses are encouraged.

Please see the following items issued in response to Requests for Information:

TIMELINE OF THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL :

April 4, 2025 - Release of RFP Documents

April 16, 2025

8:30 am EST -Pre-Bid Meeting and Site Inspection, 374 Grand Ave, New Haven, CT. Bidders are strongly encouraged to attend.

April 21, 2025

4:00 pm EST - Deadline for submission of questions, clarifications or request for additional information. Submit via email: joseph.luciano@collierseng.com

April 23, 2025

5:00 pm EST - Responses to Request for information distributed.

May 7, 2025

4:00 pm EST - Sealed proposals must be received by 4:00pm Eastern Time in the Administrative Offices of Fair Haven Community Health Clinic, Inc. 374 Grand Avenue, Fair Haven, CT 06513. Bids shall be addressed to Veena Kapadia, Director of Business Development on behalf of the Bid Committee, Fair Haven Community Health Clinic, Inc.

Hard copy proposals with original signatures are required. Email copies shall also be delivered by the same deadline to Joseph Luciano, Colliers, joseph.luciano@collierseng.com

May 7, 2025

4:30 pm EST - Public bid opening zia Zoom. Meeting link to be distributed.

May 8-14, 2025 - Should FHCHC determine that interviews are required, they will be scheduled via Zoom.

May 16, 2025 - Anticipated Award of Contract/Letter of Intent.

Comptroller Scanlon Discussion

tom@thekarasco.com (Thomas Karas) — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 15:40:52 GMT

FHCHC Hosts Round Table Discussion Explores Impact of Potential Medicaid Cuts on Local Healthcare Services

On Monday, March 17th, FHCHC hosted a roundtable discussion addressing the critical issue of potential federal cuts to Medicaid and the far-reaching impact these cuts could have on local healthcare services and the vulnerable populations that rely on Medicaid for essential care. The event brought together key stakeholders, including Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, Senator Martin Looney, the New Haven delegation, Mayor Justin Elicker, representatives from Yale, and other prominent healthcare leaders from CSHHC.

During the discussion, participants highlighted the potential consequences of Medicaid reductions, which could threaten access to healthcare for low-income families, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities. They also explored how these cuts might strain local healthcare providers, potentially forcing many to scale back services or close their doors entirely. Stakeholders expressed deep concerns about the long-term effects on the community, particularly those who depend on Medicaid for life-saving treatments and preventive care.

In addition to identifying the challenges, the group brainstormed strategies to protect and preserve the Medicaid program at both the state and federal levels. There was a strong emphasis on the need for continued collaboration among local officials, healthcare providers, and advocacy groups to raise awareness and ensure that lawmakers understand the full impact of any Medicaid cuts.

The session concluded with a renewed commitment to fighting for the healthcare rights of the community, with participants pledging to work together to ensure that Medicaid remains accessible to those who need it most. The event underscored the importance of collective action in safeguarding the future of local healthcare and the well-being of its residents.

Biden-Harris Administration Announces Investment for Adding Extended Hours at Fair Haven Community Health Care

tom@thekarasco.com (Thomas Karas) — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 21:11:00 GMT

Fair Haven Community Health Care, a trusted provider of high-quality, affordable healthcare for all, will soon offer extended weekend hours. This expansion will provide patients with greater access to care, particularly for those who face challenges such as limited sick leave, transportation barriers, childcare responsibilities, and other obstacles during standard business hours.

Today, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced a significant investment in Fair Haven Community Health Care (FHCHC), a HRSA-funded Federally Qualified Health Center( FQHC) serving 36,279 individuals annually. This funding will enable the expansion of operating hours, improving access to vital healthcare services for the community. Notably, this award is one of only two granted in Connecticut and among the top 20% of applications approved nationwide.

Because of this support, FHCHC will be offering Adult and Pediatric medical visits, as well as
Behavioral Health and Care Coordination services at 374 Grand Avenue in New Haven on
Saturdays, effective immediately. Throughout the next year, services will also be expanded at
FHCHC’s Shoreline Family Health Care in Branford and at its dental service site at 50 Grand
Avenue in New Haven. Overall, this expansion will ensure greater access to care for patients in
the greater New Haven and Shoreline communities.

“No one should have to delay or skip a trip to the doctor because of work or school. The millions
of Americans who can’t miss their daytime work shift, whose kids are in school, who have
limited child care, or who face transportation challenges deserve the same access to quality
care,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “These investments will help to extend operating
hours, especially for patients in rural or underserved communities nationwide. I’m proud to be
part of an Administration that leaves nobody behind.”

“Today’s action is another example of the Biden-Harris Administration taking action to address
the challenges families face in getting health care services,” said HRSA Administrator Carole
Johnson. “Having the option to get to the doctor before or after work or on the weekend not only
helps families get the care they need, but it also helps relieve some of the stress and burden on
families trying to arrange care. HRSA’s investment is expanding access to care in a way that
recognizes the day-to-day realities of working families across the country.”

HRSA-supported health centers, like FHCHC deliver essential primary care services to more
than 31 million patients across over 15,000 service sites in high-need communities, ensuring care
is accessible regardless of an individual’s ability to pay. Over 68% of health center patients have
incomes below the Federal Poverty Level ($14,580), highlighting their critical role in addressing
health disparities.

About Fair Haven Community Health Care

FHCHC is a federally qualified community health center (“FQHC”) established in 1971 in New Haven, CT by local activists. A nationally recognized leader in addressing health inequities in an urban community, FHCHC offers high quality, comprehensive health care to medically underserved and uninsured families. FHCHC serves over 36,000 patients at over 151,000 appointments/yr. Over three hundred medical providers and staff ensure that patients have access to high quality care (prenatal through geriatric). FHCHC provides a full spectrum of primary medical care, behavioral health services, wellness support and dentistry at 21 locations in the greater New Haven area. FHCHC has recently been awarded the Silver Award for Health Center Quality Leaders from the Federal Health Resources & Services Administration. FHCHC has also
been recognized as a “patient centered medical home” by both The Joint Commission and by the National Committee for Quality Assurance. www.fhchc.org .

For a list of all awardees, visit: Expanded Hours FY25 Awards | Bureau of Primary Health Care
To find a health center, visit: https://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov .

Pennrose Foundation Grants $50K to Support 11 Charities in 2024

tom@thekarasco.com (Thomas Karas) — Mon, 06 Jan 2025 15:31:00 GMT

Pennrose Foundation, a leading nonprofit organization committed to fostering vibrant communities, has announced the awarding of $50,000 in grants to 11 charitable organizations during 2024. This funding reflects the Foundation’s ongoing dedication to supporting charities with shared goals and missions that drive positive change, with grants aimed at bolstering programs with children, health and nutrition, community arts and culture, and community enrichment.

“Our mission at the Pennrose Foundation is to empower organizations that make a meaningful impact in the communities we serve,” said Mark H. Dambly, President of the Pennrose Foundation. “By providing these grants, we aim to amplify the goals of the Pennrose Foundation by supporting transformative programs that address critical needs and fostering opportunities for growth and resilience.”

New England: Fair Haven Community Health Care; New Haven Pride Center

Pennsylvania: Bethesda Project; Lower North Philadelphia CDC; The Salvation Army; William Way LGBT Community Center

Maryland: Chase Brexton Health Services, Inc.

Ohio: MidTown Cleveland, Inc.

Southeast: Good Samaritan Health Center; Focused Community Strategies

Mountain: RedLine Contemporary Art Center

Request for Proposal – Furnish and Install Medical Equipment for Expansion Project

Sat, 14 Dec 2024 10:00:00 GMT

Request for Proposal (RFP)

RFP DESCRIPTION

Furnish and Install Medical Equipment for Expansion Project

Fair Haven Community Health Clinic, Inc. (FHCHC), a Federally Qualified Health Center, is seeking
Lump Sum Bids for Medical Equipment scope for the new expansion project at 390 Grand Avenue,
New Haven Connecticut. The successful firm will be expected to provide all services as described
within this document through to project completion.

Please see the following items issued in response to Requests for Information:

Timeline of the RFP:

Request for Proposal – Furnish and Install Signage for Expansion Project

tom@thekarasco.com (Thomas Karas) — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 20:02:00 GMT

Request for Proposal (RFP)

RFP DESCRIPTION

Furnish and Install Signage for Expansion Project

Fair Haven Community Health Clinic, Inc. (FHCHC), a Federally Qualified Health Center, is seeking
Lump Sum Bids for Interior signage scope for the new expansion project at 390 Grand Avenue,
New Haven Connecticut. The successful firm will be expected to provide all services as described
within this document through to project completion.

Proposals from women and minority owned businesses are encouraged.

Please see the following items issued in response to Requests for Information:

Timeline of the RFP:

Request for Proposal – New Phones for Site Expansion

tom@thekarasco.com (Thomas Karas) — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 19:02:00 GMT

Request for Proposal (RFP)

RFP DESCRIPTION

Request for Proposal (RFP) for New Phones for Site Expansion

Fair Haven Community Health Clinic, Inc is seeking proposals from qualified
vendors to supply, install, configure new telephones, minor networking between sites, and
increase informacast licensing for our new building located at 390 Grand Avenue New Haven,
CT 06513. The goal is to expand our current phone infrastructure to our new building and
provide support for our new expansion.

Please see the following items issued in response to Requests for Information:

Timeline of the RFP:

Fair Haven Community Health Clinic Receives $30,000 Grant from Ion Bank Foundation to Support Campus Expansion

tom@thekarasco.com (Thomas Karas) — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 21:42:00 GMT

New Haven, CT — Fair Haven Community Health Clinic, Inc. (FHCHC) has received a generous $30,000 grant from the Ion Bank Foundation to support its ongoing capital campaign for a new, state-of-the-art health center at its James Street & Grand Avenue campus in New Haven. The 35,560 square-foot, three-story building will augment FHCHC’s primary care services and provide a wide range of integrated health and community programs. With a focus on broadening healthcare access for vulnerable individuals and families in the Fair Haven area and beyond, the new facility is designed to serve a diverse patient population, address growing patient demand, and ensure that the health center continues to meet 21st-century medical standards.

“We are deeply grateful to the Ion+ Bank Foundation for their support,” said Dr. Sue Lagarde, CEO of FHCHC. “This grant is an important step in helping us expand our capacity to provide high-quality, accessible care. The new building will not only increase our ability to meet the growing healthcare needs of the Fair Haven community but will also serve as a ‘community hub’ offering essential services like financial literacy, digital literacy, and English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. Additionally, we will be able to launch programs like our new food prescription initiative, which aims to address food insecurity and promote long-term health improvements.”

The new health center is expected to provide critical services to an additional 5,800 patients and 16,000 new patient visits annually. It will also create 50 to 60 full-time jobs with excellent benefits, many of which do not require a college degree and will be filled by residents of surrounding neighborhoods.

“Fair Haven Community Health Clinic has been instrumental in providing quality healthcare to the community,” said Kathleen Brochhausen, Executive Director of Ion Bank Foundation. “We are proud to support FHCHC’s vision of expanding healthcare access while also providing critical wraparound services to help address the broader social determinants of health. The new health center will be a place where health and community come together to create lasting positive change.”

The new health center is on track for completion in May 2025. Once operational, it will further FHCHC’s mission of increasing healthcare equity in New Haven by providing a safe, welcoming environment where all patients receive the care and services they need, regardless of their ability to pay.

About Fair Haven Community Health Clinic, Inc.

Fair Haven Community Health Clinic, Inc. (FHCHC) has been a trusted provider of primary and specialty healthcare services to the New Haven community since 1971. Serving more than 34,000 patients annually across 20 sites, FHCHC offers comprehensive medical, dental, behavioral health, and specialty care services, with a focus on meeting the needs of underserved populations. Guided by our mission “To improve the health and social well-being of the communities we serve through equitable, high-quality, patient-centered care that is culturally responsive,” FHCHC is committed to providing care that respects the diverse backgrounds of all people. Above all, we ensure that no one is ever turned away from receiving the care they need and deserve.

About the Ion Bank Foundation

The Ion Bank Foundation was established in 1998 to demonstrate our vision to build a legacy of good works to provide financial support to the communities that we serve. As a leading corporate citizen, we believe reinvesting in our communities is our most important duty as a mutual bank. Toward that goal, our Foundation has awarded over $12.6 million to deserving local community and charitable organizations since its inception. The Ion Bank Foundation supports organizations involved with health, arts and culture, education, human services, and community economic development.

https://ionbank.com/about-us/foundation/

Non-prescription medications will soon be available in vending machines

tom@thekarasco.com (Thomas Karas) — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 19:56:00 GMT

( Credit to NBC Connecticut for the story )

People in the state will soon have access to over-the-counter medications via vending machines.

In 2023, the state legislature voted to approve state regulations that would allow non-prescription medications to be sold in vending machines as a way to increase access.

Over the past year, the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) worked to revise the regulations and approved the changes on Tuesday.

“As soon as the regulations become effective, which could be as soon as this week, then an application will be made available to anyone that wants to install these machines to apply,” Kaitlyn Krasselt, director of communications for the CT Department of Consumer Protection, said.

Krasselt said people may start to see vending machines pop up outside of existing pharmacies to allow access to the non-prescription medications past normal business hours, as well as rest stops along Interstate 95.

The vending machines will provide medications such as allergy medicine, inflammatory medicine, common cold medicine, along with Narcan and Plan B.

Narcan is the medicine used to reverse opioid overdoses and Plan B is an emergency contraceptive that prevents pregnancies.

Dr. Benjamin Oldfield of the Fair Haven Health Community Center said this is a positive move for the state.

While he believes people have fair access to these medications in New Haven, he sees it benefitting rural communities and young patients.

“Particularly younger generations who are used to shopping in ways that don’t involve human interactions, may be more comfortable going to a vending machine,” Lt. Daniel Sullivan, supervisor of EMS for the City of New Haven, said.

Sullivan said it will be a great thing to give people more access – particularly to Narcan.

“In the life-saving measure of Narcan, I believe it’s invaluable to be able to have that drug readily available to the public to save somebody’s life,” Sullivan said.

On average, the New Haven Fire Department is up to about 1,500 reported overdoses within the city of New Haven and about 160 in the month of October.

The department has dispensed Narcan 109 times this year, according to Sullivan.

Request for Proposal – Replacement

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 14:22:00 GMT

Request for Proposal (RFP)

RFP DESCRIPTION

Boiler Replacement

Fair Haven Community Health Clinic, Inc. (FHCHC), a federally qualified health center, is seeking proposals to finalize an upgrade to the HVAC systems at our 374 Grand Avenue, New Haven, CT site. The last upgrade needed is replacement of an oil boiler with a high efficiency gas boiler, and replacement of three (3) hot water pumps. Proposals from women and minority owned businesses are encouraged.

Please see the following items issued in response to Requests for Information:

Timeline of the RFP:

New Haven centers get $600K to boost mental health services

tom@thekarasco.com (Thomas Karas) — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 14:06:00 GMT

Fair Haven and Cornell Scott Hill Health Centers in New Haven are celebrating increased federal funding aimed at improving mental health services. Fair Haven and Cornell Scott Hill Health Center are two of the health centers in Connecticut that will be getting $600,000 in federal money to help boost mental health and addiction treatment. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) is co-sponsor of an act that would authorize millions more.

“Despite a team here at Fair Haven Community Health Care of over 30 behavioral health clinicians, we still have a waiting list of over 300 patients who need our services,” said Suzanne Legarde, the CEO of Fair Haven Community Health Care.

The funding comes as part of a broader initiative, co-sponsored by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, to promote mental health care, particularly in urban and minority communities, where stigmas and access challenges persist

To learn more, visit WTNH 8 for full coverage of the press conference.