A crucial lifeline came through for neighborhood health care providers last Thursday when Gov. Deval Patrick awarded 2007's Essential Community Provider Trust grants. Only weeks ago, the pool from which these grants are taken was $10 million less than that of 2006, but a last minute budget supplemental passed in the House of Representatives provided $9.5 million for the fund.

"I'm happy with what happened and the Governor called us personally, which I thought was very courteous," said Caritas Carney Hospital president Daniel O'Leary on Friday. "That was very nice and a morale lifter for the hospital."

Carney received $4 million from the fund, making it the second largest recipient in the state. Carney is a crucial free and subsidized care provider for Dorchester. Carney's parent chain, Caritas Christi Health Care, recently gathered attention for its attempts to merge with any of three much larger Catholic hospital chains, two of which declined the offer.

Other Dorchester recipients of the fund, which totaled $37.5 million statewide, are: Bowdoin Street Community Health Center - $100,000; Codman Square HC - $200,000; Dorchester House CHC - $200,000; Geiger-Gibson CHC - $100,000; Harvard Street Neighborhood HC - $275,000; Neponset HC - $200,000; and Uphams Corner HC - $50,000.

Mattapan Community Health Center received $250,000.