Who We Are
Making it Easier For Our Patients to Be Healthy
Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates is a non-profit, multi-specialty medical group practice providing care to more than 480,000 adult and pediatric patients at more than 21 offices across eastern Massachusetts. Our 4,100 employees, including more than 625 physicians and 1000 other healthcare professionals, are committed to making it easier for our patients to be and stay healthy.
Providing Comprehensive Care
Harvard Vanguard’s outstanding physicians, nurses, physician assistants and medical teams work together in internal medicine, pediatrics and over 35 specialties to effectively coordinate our patients’ care, linked by a state-of-the-art electronic medical record system. Most of our convenient locations feature radiology, laboratory and pharmacy on-site, as well as evening and weekend urgent care hours. For those limited times when patients require hospital-based services, our providers are affiliated with leading teaching and community hospitals. Harvard Vanguard accepts most health insurance plans.
Leaders in Clinical Excellence and Quality
Harvard Vanguard is among the leaders in the state when clinical quality is measured by the Massachusetts Health Quality Partners (MHQP), an independent, non-profit organization that publicly reports statewide patient experience and clinical performance data. Each year local health plans recognize our outstanding achievement in their evaluations of physician quality. Harvard Vanguard was awarded recognition from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for patient education and support and care in the Bridges to Excellence Physician Practice Connections program.
Committed to Teaching and Research
We have a long-standing teaching mission and our clinicians are recognized as leaders and innovators in clinical education. As an affiliate of Harvard Medical School (HMS), many Harvard Vanguard clinicians act as teachers, preceptors, lecturers and tutors for HMS students and courses. Our physicians also collaborate with universities, hospitals and other organizations locally and nationally on a broad range of research studies focused on improving clinical practice and outcomes, evaluating the effectiveness of drug treatments and protocols, and increasing patient involvement in their care.
Schwartz Center Rounds
Schwartz Center Rounds are unique, multi-disciplinary sessions in which hospital staff explore the emotional side of care giving. A national program with sites across the country, Schwartz Center Rounds are funded by the Kenneth B. Schwartz Center, a Boston-based nonprofit dedicated to advancing compassionate healthcare. Harvard Vanguard hosts Schwartz Center Rounds at five practice locations - Braintree, Cambridge, Quincy, Watertown, and Wellesley. In a typical Rounds session, a panel of caregivers presents a patient case that brought up interesting and important psychosocial issues. Topics have included: delivering bad news; when religious or spiritual beliefs conflict with medical advice; taking care of a colleague; and losing a patient. Hospital staff then share their own thoughts and feelings related to the day’s topic. Unlike grand rounds, these sessions are not about clinical problem-solving, but rather about exploring and processing the emotions that come up in the daily work of hospital staff. A comprehensive study of Schwartz Center Rounds has shown them to help caregivers connect better with patients emotionally; enhance their understanding of the effects of illness on patients and their families; improve communication among caregivers and decrease feelings of caregiver isolation and stress. For more information about Schwartz Center Rounds, please visit www.theschwartzcenter.org.
Serving Our Communities For More Than 30 Years
Our organization was founded in the late 1960’s as part of Harvard Community Health Plan and many of our physicians and medical professionals have proudly served the communities of eastern Massachusetts for more than 30 years. In 2008, we celebrated the tenth anniversary of the formation of Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates as an independent physician group, able to accept insurance from most major health plans.
Harvard Vanguard collaborates with local colleges and universities to provide health services for students. We also offer health screenings to employers and other community groups to support wellness initiatives.
Community Involvement
Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates' 4,100 employees are committed to caring for the communities in which our patients live and work. Staff throughout our 20+ offices have collected hundreds of coats for Coats for Kids, raised more than $10,000 for the American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen Foundation during breast cancer awareness month, donated thousands of pairs of socks and underwear to Cradles to Crayons, supported local youth sports, police and fire departments, donated cases of food to local pantries and much more. Our medical staff is available to come to your business, school or organization to perform screenings such as blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose for your staff for a nominal fee. We can also work with you to offer lectures on important health-related topics.
If you are interested in learning more about how Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates can support your employees, please contact Mary Shepherd, Coordinator, Health Education and Promotion, at mary_shepherd@vmed.org.
Participation in American Heart Association's Boston Heart Walk
Harvard Vanguard, along with our Atrius Health affiliates - Dedham Medical Associates, Granite Medical, Southboro Medical Group, and South Shore Medical Center, will be participating in the Boston Heart Walk on September 11, 2010. Last year, we had 675 employees on our team and raised just under $128,000. This achievement earned Atrius Health the honor of being the #2 overall team! Atrius Health was recognized with a Circle of Excellence Award for the third year in a row. Our team has raised almost $400,000 for the American Heart Association since 2007.
Collaborating with Other Atrius Health Affiliates
Harvard Vanguard is proud to be an affiliate of Atrius Health, an alliance of leading non-profit physician groups in Massachusetts. Atrius Health is composed of five community-based multi-specialty medical groups, including Dedham Medical Associates, Granite Medical, Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, South Shore Medical Center, and Southboro Medical Group. These groups have joined together to create a new and proactive approach to patient’s health. While each of the groups continues to serve its own patients, Atrius Health collaborates on new services such as the Commonwealth Atrius Cancer Center and Atrius Health Imaging located in Weymouth.
