The Sidney Borum, Jr., Health Center, known affectionately by staff and patients alike as “the Borum,” provides high quality comprehensive health care to Boston’s most high- risk adolescents and young adults including: street identified and homeless youth; inner- city gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and questioning (GLBTQ) youth; and teens and young adults who are HIV positive.

The Borum provides basic primary care including regular wellness visits, vaccinations, and the management of chronic illnesses such as asthma. The Borum also provides urgent and acute care daily through walk-in and same-day appointments. It also provides free family planning and STD screening and treatment for males and females and is one of the first care providers in the region to offer free rapid HIV screening tests. Other services include case management for patients with complicated psycho-social needs as well as focused case management for HIV+ patients.

The Borum has physicians, nurse practitioners, a nutritionist and a child/adolescent psychologist on staff and makes referrals, when needed, to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Children’s Hospital for appropriate specialty needs.

In many cases, the Borum functions as a provider of last resort for a high-risk population that is not able to successfully access and navigate the traditional health care system. The Borum’s clinical staff meets patients “where they are” and will examine and treat patients even when they are impaired due to alcohol or substance abuse.

The Borum provides non-health services to support its population, including shower and changing facilities for homeless youth.

The Borum understands the trauma that many patients have experienced and uses a non-judgmental harm reduction model that enables the Center to provide high quality care that respects patients’ dignity and earns their trust.

Funding for the Borum is provided by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the Boston Public Health Commission and foundations and non-profits, including Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD). The Borum also receives private donations.

Contact Information

Ralph Vetters, MD, MPH
Medical Director
Sidney Borum, Jr., Health Center
130 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02116
617.457.8140
rvetters@jri.org