A blue geometric background with circular photos showing diverse people, a chessboard, a dog, a coffee cup, and a woman using a laptop, evenly spaced across the image.

Our Mission

To enable all who wish to achieve complete mental, physical and social well-being by providing equitable, culturally sensitive, patient-centered health care, regardless of their ability to pay.

Learn More About Our Team at MHEDS

We serve Erie by delivering quality, personalized healthcare to diverse individuals and families in the region. We feel it is a privilege to ensure that you have access to great medical and preventative care, regardless of your ability to pay.

Our Passion

At MHEDS, we serve the Erie Region by delivering quality, personalized healthcare to an at-risk and diverse populace.

We feel it is a privilege to ensure that those in need have access to top-quality medical and preventative care, irrespective of their ability to pay.

You’ll find our committed staff providing support and education to patients and the community at large. We strive to deliver the absolute best in curative and preventative services to all those we serve.

MHEDS was formed as a collaboration between the Erie Diocesan Mission Office and the Erie Council of Churches. Since our founding in 1972, our work has focused on offering solutions to multicultural and underprivileged communities in the Lake Erie Region.

Who We Serve

The City of Erie is the 4th largest city in Pennsylvania, with a population of approximately 95,000. Erie is home to some of America’s poorest zip codes, with a staggering 91% of city households earning less than $25,000 annually.

Erie is a melting pot of cultures drawing immigrants from all over the world. Nearly 86% of patients served by MHEDS have a native language other than English. It is not uncommon to hear our valued patients speaking languages such as Nepali, Arabic, Swahili, Ukrainian, Russian, or Spanish.

In a given year, MHEDS will serve thousands of patients – with the vast majority (roughly 78%) insured through CHIP or Medicaid. Our patients rely on us to diagnose and treat conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes, mental & oral health concerns, and many more.

Three donut charts: Left—86% of patients are better served in a language other than English; Center—2023 patient mix by race/ethnicity; Right—2023 payer mix: mostly Medicaid, then private, Medicare, and uninsured.

Recognition

Office of Refugee Resettlement

An Office of the Administration of Children and Families

Not only do we work to delight our patients, but other entities are also taking note of our staff’s tiresome efforts! In 2021, the Pennsylvania Office of Refugee Resettlement awarded MHEDS its Excellence in Community Engagement Award for valuable contributions in serving the refugee population.

American Heart Association and American Medical Association

MHEDS has been recognized by the American Heart Association and American Medical Association for its commitment to improving blood pressure (BP) control rates, earning Silver recognition as part of the Target: BP™. The Silver Award recognizes practices that have demonstrated a commitment to improving blood pressure control through measurement accuracy.

A gold award ribbon medal with a starburst design, laurel leaves, and the words Superior Excellence embossed in the center. Two gold ribbons with stars hang from the bottom.

A silver badge with the logos of the American Medical Association and American Heart Association, TARGET: BP, SILVER, and 2023 displayed prominently.

Board of Directors

Dylanna Jackson

Blanca Velez

Grant Filbeck

Timothy Pelkowski

Alex Lisichenko

Thomas Saunders

Heather Hart

Allan Krayeski

Naomi Frost

Matther Lasher

Lena Surzhko Harned

Administration

A woman with shoulder-length brown hair smiles at the camera. She is wearing a blue top, a beige plaid jacket, pearl earrings, and a pearl necklace, posed in front of a plain gray background. — Alivia Haibach
Chief Executive Officer

A woman with straight brown hair and glasses smiles at the camera. She is wearing a maroon button-up shirt and a silver necklace, standing in front of a neutral, softly textured background. — Sue Chute, MPH, PT
Chief Operations Officer

A man with short brown hair and glasses is wearing a tan suit jacket, blue shirt, and patterned tie, standing in front of a plain, light-colored background. — Todd Szoszorek
Chief Financial Officer

A woman with wavy brown hair smiles at the camera. She is wearing a dark green blouse, gold hoop earrings, and a gold necklace with a round pendant, set against a dark gray background. — Maggie Biebel, DO
Chief Medical Officer

A woman with straight, shoulder-length blonde hair smiles at the camera. She is wearing a black jacket with Angela, RN embroidered on it over a yellow top, standing in front of a plain, light-colored background. — Angela Cerrie, RN
Chief Quality & Compliance Officer

A woman with wavy blonde hair and glasses, wearing a royal blue blouse and black jacket, stands in front of a neutral, textured background, smiling softly at the camera. — Stacey Boothe
Chief Information Officer

A woman with shoulder-length brown hair is smiling softly. She is wearing a navy blue lace blouse and is posed in front of a softly lit, neutral background. — Tammy Melnik
Revenue Cycle Management
& Practice Manager

Careers / Volunteer

Loan Repayment

We are a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) National Health Service Corps Site and a Pennsylvania Primary Care Loan Repayment Program Practice Site.

A young woman with long black hair, wearing a red and gold traditional outfit and large earrings, smiles outdoors with greenery in the background.

Volunteer

Many healthcare professionals donate time and expertise to MHEDS to deliver health education workshops and…

Opening: Family Medicine Physician

MHEDS has a need for a Family Medicine Physician. Apply now!

A young healthcare professional with a stethoscope smiles confidently in a medical facility. Text reads: “Make a Difference. This is what a career in health care was meant to be. MHEDS. Caring for people from around the world and right here at home.”.

Opening: Medical Assistant

MHEDS has a need for a Medical Assistant. Apply now!

Smiling woman in blue scrubs with a name badge stands at a reception desk, talking on a corded phone in a bright office with large windows.

Opening: Front Desk Associate

MHEDS has a need for a Front Desk Associate. Apply now!

Opening: Physician Assistant

MHEDS has a need for a Physician Assistant. Apply now!

Opening: Part-Time Primary Care Provider (MD, DO, CRNP, PA)

MHEDS has a need for a Primary Care Provider. Apply now!

A smiling female nurse stands with arms crossed in a bright hospital room; other healthcare professionals are talking in the background. Text reads We are hiring with contact info for MHEDS, a healthcare organization.

Opening: Health Center Triage Nurse

MHEDS has a need for a Health Center Triage Nurse. Apply now!

Smiling woman with red hair and glasses sits at a desk with a laptop, papers, and a pen, promoting a healthcare hiring ad for MHEDS. Text reads, We are hiring. This is what a career in health care was meant to be.

Opening: MHEDS Practice Coordinator

MHEDS has a need for a Medical Practice Coordinator. Apply now!

MHEDS Brochure

Annual Reports

Letter to the Community

The rich history of MHEDS began almost 50 years ago as a joint project of the Erie Catholic Diocese Mission Office and Erie Council of Churches. The founding organizations were resolved to provide health education to African American and Hispanic farmworkers. Over time, as the community’s health needs became clearer, primary health care services were added. Services expanded as MHEDS became the grantee for Pennsylvania’s Region V refugee health screens.

Today, we are woven into the fabric of the Lake Erie region and stronger than ever. On January 1, 2019, MHEDS entered the Federally Qualified Health Center system as an FQHC Look Alike. As a Look-Alike, MHEDS enjoys many benefits of being part of the system. We value those benefits by meeting rigorous compliance standards that ensure our patients continually receive high-quality, equitable care. It has been an honor to serve as a medical home for such a diverse group of individuals in the Erie community. On behalf of our Board of Directors, we thank you for your support over the past 49 years and welcome you to celebrate with us next year as we turn 50.

To view our annual report, with a detailed view of the organization’s strategic highlights, our patient population, financial highlights, and much more, please download the PDF file below.

About Us

Learn more about the team at MHEDS!