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National Humorist and Comedian Jimmy Tingle Headlines CEOS' All-Star Roast Reunion to Benefit Boston's Premier Urban Health Center

BOSTON, March 26, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Nationally noted social and political humorist and comedian Jimmy Tingle will headline an All Star Roast Reunion featuring an impressive lineup of Boston's leading business and health care CEOS to benefit the city's premier urban health center, Whittier Street Health Center. Building on a history of jesting some of Boston's most prominent influencers, the roast reunion is a special annual fundraiser honoring those who have supported Whittier's mission and growth from 2003 to 2014 and will be held on Thursday, April 9, 5:30 p.m. at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel. Tingle will serve as host/commentator/celebrity auctioneer and will be joined by CEO Guest Roasters — Andrew Dreyfus, Chair and CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and Edward Benz, Jr., MD, President and CEO, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

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Alumni members of the All Star Roast Reunion include:

  • Bill Van Faasen, former Chair and CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts; 2003 honoree
  • Paul La Camera, former general Manager, WCVB-TV and WBUR; 2004 honoree
  • Tom O'Neill, President and CEO, O'Neill Communications; 2006 honoree
  • Bob Mahoney, former Vice Chair of Citizens Bank and current President and CEO, Belmont Savings Bank; 2007 honoree
  • Robert Beal, Chair and President, The Beal Companies; 2008 honoree
  • Gary Gottlieb, MD, MBA, President and CEO, Partners Health Care; 2009 honoree
  • Edward Benz, Jr., MD, President and CEO, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; 2011 honoree
  • Paul Grogan, President and CEO, The Boston Foundation; 2012 honoree
  • Andrew Dreyfus, Chair and CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts; 2013 honoree
  • Ralph de la Torre, MD, Chair and CEO, Steward Health Care System; 2014 honoree

"We are honored to celebrate and acknowledge the contribution our honorees have made to Whittier over the past 12 years. With their support, we have raised more than six million dollars to support Whittier's program and services and expansion. Since 2003 we have gone from leasing facilities serving 5,000 people, to owning our patient centered state of the art healthcare facility serving more than 27,000 of Boston's most vulnerable individuals and families," said Frederica Williams, Whittier Street Health Center's President and CEO.

The funds raised from this year's All Star Roast event will support a variety of Whittier's health care, wellness and prevention programs including its nationally recognized Diabetes Prevention and Management program, Cardiovascular clinic, Obesity Prevention clinic, Community Garden, Medical Fitness Center, Youth Development and Violence Prevention program. These initiatives provide Whittier's patients and community residents with high quality, cost-effective, reliable and accessible primary health care and support services in an effort to reduce health and social disparities that impact Boston's underserved communities. 

About Whittier Street Health Center (www.wshc.org)
Whittier Street Health Center is a Joint Commission accredited, private, non-profit, independently licensed community health center dedicated to providing high quality, reliable and accessible primary healthcare and support services for diverse populations to promote wellness and eliminate health and social disparities. Serving more than 25,000 clients with approximately 100,000 clinic visits and 20,000 community outreach visits annually, Whittier has a patient base which is ethnically and racially diverse and includes significant numbers of individuals from Roxbury, Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, the South End and Greater Boston. Whittier provides a comprehensive array of 40 healthcare programs and services designed to meet the primary health care, behavioral health, and social needs of the community. Whittier is recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance as a level 3 (highest level) patient-centered medical home. Learn more at www.wshc.org .

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