CCHC Honored with Unsung Heroes Award for Health Equity Work
Cape Cod Healthcare’s health equity work was honored on Dec. 10 with an Unsung Heroes/Heroines Award at the International Human Rights Day Awards, held at the Hyport Conference Center at The Emerald Resort in Hyannis.
Presented by the Barnstable County Human Rights Advisory Commission (BCHRAC), the award recognized Cape Cod Healthcare’s dedication to advancing health equity, strengthening language access and ensuring that every patient on Cape Cod receives dignified, culturally responsive care.
Accepting the award on behalf of Cape Cod Healthcare were Kumara Sidhartha, MD, MPH, Chief Health Equity & Wellness Officer, and Cecilia Phelan-Stiles, Director of Language Access and Health Equity.
“Patients’ voice and needs continue to guide CCHC’s efforts to deliver equitable, high-quality care for all,” says Dr. Sidhartha. “This community-nominated award reflects the teamwork of CCHC team members. This work is made more effective by the support of CCHC Board and leadership, along with the guidance from patients and our community partners.”
Dr. Sidhartha and Phelan-Stiles lead efforts that expand equitable access to care across our community through a range of initiatives, including enhanced interpreter services, doula training programs addressing maternal health disparities, community outreach efforts, staff education, disability accommodations, and programs supporting patients facing challenges such as housing or food insecurity.
For Phelan-Stiles, receiving the Unsung Hero Award for CCHC’s health equity work is a meaningful recognition of the collective dedication and commitment of CCHC teams.
“This work was made possible by staff who went into the community, met people where they are and truly listened,” says Phelan-Stiles. “Through these efforts, we have strengthened relationships, built trust and reinforced the understanding that advancing health equity is a shared responsibility between healthcare and the community we serve.”
That systemwide commitment is echoed by clinical leadership, who emphasizes that health equity is foundational to high-quality care.
“Health equity work ensures that all members of our community have a fair chance to optimize their health,” says William Agel, MD, Chief Medical Officer for Cape Cod Healthcare. “The work that Dr. Sidhartha, Ceci and their team are doing benefits not just people who have experienced inequities in healthcare due to issues like race, economic disparities or geographic barriers, but the entire community. Health equity improves outcomes for all, lowers costs and strengthens our community.”
BCHRAC leaders noted that these efforts reflect a sustained, system-wide commitment to addressing both clinical and social factors that influence health outcomes—work that continues to strengthen a more inclusive and responsive healthcare system for the Cape Cod community.
Behind the scenes, this work is also supported by strong operational and data collaboration across the organization.
“We could not have done this without Barb Santacroce’s involvement in pulling data for external reporting purposes—it was no easy lift,” says Paul Solverson, senior vice president and chief information officer. “This was a true team effort from IT, including Epic system configuration changes and data reporting support.”
That collaborative approach extends to frontline teams working directly with patients every day.
Jamie Bartz, senior manager of PHO Case Management Operations, highlights the role of the Helping Hands Case Management team, which identifies patients with unmet needs and connects them with vital resources—from blood pressure cuffs to assistance with financial, food, transportation and housing challenges.
“Working on health equity initiatives has helped build relationships not just within our community, but also across departments at Cape Cod Healthcare,” says Bartz. “It reinforces that addressing patients’ needs requires collaboration, trust and a shared commitment to caring for the whole person.”
Pictured at the awards ceremony: Jeanne Morrison, Chair of the Human Rights Awards Committee of BCHRAC; Kumara Sidhartha, MD, MPH; Cecilia Phelan-Stiles; and Leslie Domínguez-Santos, Human Rights Coordinator for the Barnstable County Commissioners.
A Major Milestone: Edwin Barbey Patient Care Pavilion Fully Open
$215 million expansion brings advanced care to Cape Cod
With the opening of the upper inpatient floors, the Edwin Barbey Patient Care Pavilion at Cape Cod Hospital is now fully operational—representing the next phase of a transformative $215 million investment in advanced, patient-centered care for our community.
Recently featured in a WCVB news segment, Cape Cod Healthcare President and CEO Michael K. Lauf and Jaclyn Flanigan, MD, chief of medical oncology, highlighted how the four-story pavilion expands access to leading-edge oncology, cardiology and medical-surgical services, all thoughtfully designed with comfort, privacy and healing in mind.
The first two floors are home to the Davenport-Mugar Cancer Center, which includes state-of-the-art radiation oncology, 36 private infusion bays filled with natural light, a dedicated oncology pharmacy, expanded lab services and a terrace garden overlooking Hyannis Harbor and Lewis Bay. The newly opened inpatient floors feature a centralized cardiac care unit with 32 private rooms, along with 32 additional medical-surgical beds to meet the growing needs of our patients.
“This project reflects our commitment to reinvesting back into our health care system over the past 10 years so that we can further our mission of providing exceptional, sophisticated care for our residents and visitors,” says Lauf. “We deliver high-end medicine in a community setting—and now our campus, our facilities, our technology and our people reflect that, today and into the future.”
Made possible in part through generous philanthropic support, including a $10 million gift from the Edwin Barbey Charitable Trust, work will continue with construction of a new exterior corridor connecting the pavilion to the main hospital campus, expected to be completed in March 2026.
Learn more and view a photo slideshow.
