Founded in 2016 with a generous donation from the family of Alan Hassenfeld, the Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute aims to make a positive impact on the lives of children and their families in Rhode Island and beyond. The Institute's work is centered around family mental health and related community-level drivers such as food insecurity and community violence.
Made stronger by its deep and far-reaching collaborations, the Hassenfeld Institute partners with key community-based agencies throughout Rhode Island to ensure that families’ voices and needs are at the forefront of our work. We develop innovative and culturally appropriate public health interventions and social services for the prevention and treatment of children’s and families’ health concerns.
The Hassenfeld Institute has a simple yet transformational goal: to eliminate health inequities in pregnancy and childhood for Rhode Island families by 2032.
The Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute (HCHII) has a new vision, new faculty, and new leadership. And thanks to the Hassenfeld Foundation, it also has significant new resources to support its work. The new Hassenfeld gift comes as newly appointed director Michael Silverstein M.D. MPH has drawn up the ambitious ten-year plan, Vision 2032.