Archives — News & Events

Feb. 3 -- The Health Federation's initiative to promote integration of behavioral health into primary care is featured in this month's edition of the online Philadelphia Social Innovations Journal.  The article highlights the development of this model of care, its implementation in several community health centers, the process of creating a reimbursement mechanism, and indicators of success, including an estimate that the model saved the health care system over three million dollars in 2008.

Dec. 22 -- Esperanza Health Center and Greater Philadelphia Health Action(GPHA) have received a total of 10.4 million dollars to expand existing health center locations and develop new ones through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

The two Philadelphia organizations, both Health Federation members, were among 85 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC's) granted funds through the "Facilities Investment Program."  This is the fourth round of ARRA grants benefitting community health centers.  The grants were extremely competitive, with over 620 health centers competing for funding.

Esperanza, a faith-based health center in North Philadelphia that primarily serves the Latino community, will use their $6.5 million grant to build a new health center at Sixth and Cayuga Streets in the Hunting Park neighborhood. The Center, Esperanza's third location, will include a wellness facility to help patients improve their health and fitness.

GPHA plans to use their $3.9 million grant to expand their current site at 50th Street and Woodland Avenue as well as to add a nearby site that will provide dental care and behavioral health services.

 

 

Dec.14- The Health Federation’s Early Head Start Program was awarded $472,081 through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). This grant will allow the program to expand to serve 60 additional children and families in the 19121 and 19132 zip codes.

Early Head Start is a child development and family support program for pregnant women and families with children ages birth to 3. In HFP’s program, specially trained Child/Family Advocates visit the homes of participating families weekly. The Advocates work with a multi-disciplinary team, including social workers and specialists in health, nutrition, community resources, and child development to meet families’ needs related to child health and development.

HFP’s program was one of nineteen Early Head Start programs in Pennsylvania receiving funds through the federal stimulus program. As a result of this funding, HFP will be hiring several staff. Please go to our job openings for more information.

Nov. 16 – Philadelphia’s community health centers have joined the Department of Public Health in a widespread effort to make the H1N1 vaccine available in neighborhoods throughout the city.  The city’s eight district health centers as well as many additional sites run by Philadelphia’s nonprofit, federally qualified health centers are currently providing the vaccine. See the full schedule of H1N1 vaccine clinics at: http://www.phila.gov/health/H1N1/h1n1fluclinics.html.

The vaccine is provided according to this schedule on a walk-in basis, free of charge to any Philadelphia resident in the priority categories, which are: pregnant women, children and young adults ages 6 months to 24 years of age, household contacts or caretakers of infants under 6 months of age, adults 25 to 65 years of age with a significant medical condition, such as asthma, cancer or diabetes, and healthcare or EMS workers with direct patient contact.  

This effort represents an unprecedented level of collaboration between the City of Philadelphia and the full network of community health centers to confront a public health emergency. 

Nov. 30- Several health center organizations and staff have recently been recognized by national organizations for their important work providing access to high-quality health care for those most in need.

The National Community Based Organization Network, a group affiliated with the American Public Health Association, recognized two health centers -- the Health Annex of the Family Practice and Counseling Network, and Spectrum Health Services -- as Unsung Heroes at a recent reception during the APHA meetings in Philadelphia. The Health Annex was also chosen to host the reception, at which fourteen community based organizations were recognized for their contribution to their communities.

Lorraine Thomas, the Manager of the Health Annex, also received the Wellness Champion award recently from the National Nursing Centers Consortium.  Lorraine was recognized for the depth of her commitment to the Southwest Philadelphia community, her comprehensive approach to family wellness that extends to helping to meet the basic needs of her patients, the deep community connections that she utilizes to improve life in her community, and her effective focus on outreach.

Dr. Christine Lyons, an obstetrician-gynecologist at ChesPenn Health Services in Coatesville, was recently awarded the March of Dimes Achievement Award for Excellence in the field of Public Health at the annual Salute to Chester County Women event.  Dr. Lyons was recognized for her work with ChesPenn, as well as with Community Volunteers in Medicine.

Esperanza Health Center received a 2009 Best Practice Award from the Practice Partner Research Network (PPRNet). This recognition is given to health care providers who score above the 90th percentile nationwide for all practices enrolled in the PPRNet Electronic Health Record quality improvement program on at least two of three summary measures. 

Congratulations to all!

Nov. 4- The American Public Health Association conference will take place in Philadelphia from November 7-11. The Health Federation of Philadelphia will have a major presence with an exhibit booth and six conference sessions presented by staff and members. Staff are presenting scientific sessions on topics ranging from HIV risk perceptions among African American professional women, to trauma-informed care, to integration of behavioral health into primary care.  Complete information on HFP-related sessions is available here (link to word document).  The Health Federation’s exhibit booth is #443. Please visit us at the Public Health Expo to learn more about HFP’s many programs and areas of expertise. View our Conference Participation Guide to learn more.

HFP and several member health centers have been working for the past several years to develop, refine, and disseminate a model of behavioral health care integrated within a primary care setting that is accessible, effective, and begins to address the vast need in low-income communities. With leadership, funding, and support from several key partners, great progress has been achieved.

Currently, 6 health centers sites and 9 behavioral health professionals are serving patients with an integrated approach to primary care and behavioral health. A recent WHYY story highlighted the use of this model at the Maria de los Santos Health Center in North Philadelphia (http://whyy.org/cms/news/2008/12/16/treating-body-and-mind/1600).  Health care providers throughout eastern Pennsylvania have shown interest in replicating the model and several are moving toward that goal.

The model promoted by HFP fully integrates behavioral health professionals (psychologists, therapists, social workers) into patient flow in busy primary care practices. The behavioral health provider sees the patient for a brief intervention focused on negotiating behavior change to improve that individual’s functional status, and acts as a consultant to primary care providers regarding treatment planning. This model does not replace traditional therapy and is not appropriate for all individuals, but provides an option for patients who do not need specialty care and would not otherwise have access to behavioral health care because of limited availability, stigma, cost, or other barriers.

Demand for behavioral health care in the community health center population is staggering, with some experts estimating that up to 70 percent of primary care visits are based on psychosocial issues. In addition, unresolved behavioral health issues contribute to an increased use of other health services – studies have shown that patients suffering from mild to severe depression are two to three times as likely to seek care for physical health problems as those who are not depressed.

Philadelphia’s Department of Behavioral Health has been a key player in supporting this model by working with HFP to develop an appropriate reimbursement structure. A grant from the Aetna Foundation has supported in-depth training, advocacy and program development for the health centers and providers who are implementing the model.

HFP Executive Director Natalie Levkovich receives a citation from Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell

First place winner Jovan McKoy with his family

Second place winner Ella Petersen

Work by Poster Contest Finalists on Exhibit until October 23

Community health centers in the Philadelphia area marked National Health Center Week (August 9-15) with a reception, poster contest award ceremony, and art opening on Thursday, August 13.

Six young artists – John Cassell of Northeast Philadelphia (first prize – 14-18 years), Jovan McKoy of Southwest Philadelphia (first prize 9-13 years), Angelique Benrahou of Mt. Airy (2nd prize – 14-18 years), Ella Petersen of West Philadelphia (2nd prize – 9-13 years), Dominic Jefferson of North Philadelphia (3rd prize – 14-18 years), and Jose Velez of Port Richmond (3rd prize – 9-13 years) – received prizes ranging from $250 for first place to $100 for third place for their outstanding posters on health center related themes.  An additional 29 young people ages 9-18 from all over the five-county area were selected as finalists in the poster contest. Their work will be displayed along with the prize winners’ on the fifth floor of City Hall until September 17th in an exhibit organized by Art in City Hall.  Following the City Hall exhibit, the posters will be displayed in the lobby of HealthPartners’ corporate headquarters at 901 Market Street in Center City from September 21st to October 23rd.  HealthPartners was the headline sponsor of the contest and event.

Dignitaries and elected officials, including Health Commissioner/Deputy Mayor Don Schwarz, Philadelphia’s Chief Cultural Officer Gary Steuer, state legislators and members of City Council, gathered with representatives of community health centers, young artists, and their families to mark the important contribution of health centers to the community and recognize the outstanding artistic talents of these young people.

National Health Center Week -- the second week of August -- is dedicated to recognizing the service and contributions of Community, Migrant, Homeless and Public Housing Health Centers in providing access to affordable, high quality, cost-effective health care to medically vulnerable and underserved people in the U.S.  In addition to the joint event at City Hall, Health Centers are holding community health fairs in their neighborhoods throughout National Health Center Week.

HFP was recently awarded a major contract with the Managing Director’s Office, City of Philadelphia to manage language access services for city departments.   This contract builds on over a decade of experience helping health care providers and other organizations in the region to improve their interaction with clients of limited English proficiency.

HFP will continue to work directly with city departments to build institutional capacity to serve non-English speakers, by strengthening policies and protocols, training interpreters, and training other staff to work effectively with interpreters. In addition, HFP will now coordinate City departments’ requests for other language access services, including telephone interpretation and in-person interpretation.

For additional information on HFP’s Interpreter Training work, please visit this page:  Philadelphia Interpreter Training Program or call Claire Jones, at (215) 977-8996, email: cjones@healthfederation.org.

Second phase of funding announced on July 1

The second phase of federal stimulus funding directed toward community health centers – focused on Capital Improvement Projects – was announced on July 1. These funds will support the shift to electronic medical records, major renovations to existing and new sites, and expansion into new services for the nine federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) who run 28 health center sites in Philadelphia, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties.

Recovery funds arrive at a crucial time. Access to funding for capital projects has been extremely limited over the past decades, and many health centers are bursting at the seams. As the full brunt of the economic downturn starts to hit, health centers are seeing increases in patient numbers, with many of the new patients completely uninsured.

For forty years, community health centers have provided high quality medical care to the uninsured and underinsured. Laboring quietly in underserved neighborhoods from Kensington to Haddington to Wilson Park, and from Norristown to Chester, they have brought highly qualified doctors and nurses and the latest models of chronic disease care to people’s doorsteps. Supported largely through modest federal grants and the Medical Assistance system, FQHCs are a major part of the health care system in Southeastern Pennsylvania, serving over 250,000 patients each year.

On March 2, 2009, President Obama recognized the potential of health centers when he made them one of the very first recipients of economic stimulus funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.   The two billion dollars of recovery funds targeted to community health centers nationwide are making a major impact in our area.  Some of the projects proposed under this second phase of funding include the following:

• Delaware Valley Community Health, Inc. has proposed to use the majority of their Capital Improvement Project funds toward renovating new sites for two of their four health centers – their Norristown center and their prenatal practice currently located at Parkview hospital. The remaining funding will go toward implementing an organization-wide Electronic Health Record and Dental Practice Management System.  These projects will add a total of eleven new full time jobs.

• The Family Practice and Counseling Network will dramatically expand access to dental services at their East Falls site, enabling 2,800 new patients to gain access to much needed dental care.  FPCN will also renovate their North Philadelphia site and update their Electronic Health Records system.

• Esperanza Health Center in North Philadelphia will use capital funds to expand capacity for patient care at its Kensington Avenue office by 50%, providing an additional 6,500 patient visits per year to 1,500 new patients. The project will also allow Esperanza to initiate obstetrical/prenatal care and podiatry.  A total of 12 new full-time positions will be created.

• ChesPenn Health Services located in Chester, Coatesville and Upper Darby will implement Electronic Health Records in all of their sites, improving patient care and increasing the health center’s efficiency.  ChesPenn received a grant in an earlier round of stimulus funding for the Upper Darby center, which is now seeing patients, just three months after the dollars were received.

• Spectrum Health Services plans to complete implementation of electronic health records at its Haddington and North Broad Street sites and to purchase equipment to begin colposcopy services (advanced screening for cervical cancer) in-house.

These funds bring their own challenges. The timeframe for implementing projects is extremely tight, and reporting and oversight requirements are exceptionally intense.  Funding ends on June 30, 2011 with no expectation of renewal, and all projects must be self-sustaining by that time.

Community health centers in the Philadelphia area are seizing this historic opportunity to expand, modernize, and offer employment in the midst of hard times.

Elizabeth Tong, 1st prize winner in the 9-14 age group from the 2008 poster contest

The Health Federation of Philadelphia and our ten member health centers are excited to announce the second annual youth poster contest celebrating National Health Center Week (August 9-15, 2009) with the theme: “Community Health Centers: An Open Door to Health Care for You and Your Family.”

Any young person ages 9-18 living in Philadelphia or the surrounding suburban counties may participate.  Summer arts programs and camps are also invited to make this contest an activity for their participants. Posters can be returned to the Health Federation or to any member health center.
Visit the Health Centers Map to find a health center location close to you.

Select a link to view the full contest rules, a fact sheet on health centers,
and the contest entry form in PDF format. 

Thanks to our sponsors for their generous support:

Thanks to our headline sponsor Health Partners
Additional support from HealthPort

Diabetes Awareness Month Events Highlight Care and Prevention Provided Year-round

Nov 1, 2009– Community Health Centers in Philadelphia, Chester, Norristown, Coatesville, and Upper Darby provide primary care, education and disease management for 15,500 men, women and children with diabetes each year. In recognition of Diabetes Awareness Month (November), several health centers will offer free peer education sessions to their patients and members of the public living with diabetes through the “A1c Champions” program.

The A1c Champions program is a patient-led approach to diabetes education.  A1c champions are real people who have diabetes and are managing it successfully. They empower and motivate other patients by sharing the successes, challenges and obstacles they’ve overcome and continue to face. A1c is a measure of the level of glucose in the blood. The American Diabetes Association recommends that people with diabetes should try to obtain an A1c level of under 7%.

Community Health Centers’ offer a comprehensive approach to treating diabetes, a chronic disease that, without careful management, can greatly increase risk for kidney failure, heart disease, stroke, blindness, amputations, and death. Diabetes affects over 300,000 adults in the Philadelphia area. African Americans and Latinos suffer disproportionately from the disease. In addition to patient-centered primary care, many health centers offer culturally-sensitive health education, dental care, behavioral health interventions, access to prescription medications and devices, podiatry, and programs to encourage weight loss and smoking cessation.  These services are offered to anyone who needs them. For a map of community health centers in the area and contact information, visit our community health centers map.

The schedule of A1c champions programs is:

Tuesday, November 10   (In Spanish)	10-11am	Maria de los Santos Health Center 401-455 W. Allegheny Avenue To rsvp, call: Leticia, 215-291-2500
Tuesday, Nov 17	10-11am	Fairmount Primary Care Center 1420 Fairmount Ave To rsvp, call: Felicia, 215-235-9600
	5:30-6:30pm	Haddington Health Center Progress Haddington Plaza 5619-25 Vine Street    To rsvp, call Terry: 215-471-2763
Wednesday, Nov 18	5-6pm	Broad Street Health Center 1415 North Broad Street, 2nd floor To rsvp, call Terry: 215-471-2763
Monday, Nov 23    (In Spanish)	9:30-10:30am	Norristown Regional Health Center/ Montgomery County Human Services Center 1430 DeKalb St, Norristown To rsvp, call Marisol, 610-278-7787
The A1c Champions program is sponsored by Sanofi-Aventis.

The Stoneleigh Junior Fellowship provides an opportunity for exceptional graduates interested in public service to work for one year at an organization in the public or non-profit sectors in the greater Philadelphia area.  The Multiplying Connections Initiative, a program of the Health Federation of Philadelphia, has been selected as a potential project for a 2010 Junior Fellow.  The application deadline is November 2.

Multiplying Connections has developed a set of core professional competencies which outline the essential knowledge, values, attitudes, and skills needed to create trauma informed systems of care for children and families. We seek a Stoneleigh Junior Fellow to map existing curricula in child welfare and children's behavioral health to these core competencies to determine which competencies are addressed in current mandated and non-mandated training provided to Philadelphia's children's services professionals.   The Fellow will be responsible for analyzing and disseminating the results of the mapping process, including developing written recommendations for individual organizations regarding how their workforce activities can be enhanced to support trauma informed practice.   A full description of the Multiplying Connections Stoneleigh Fellow project can be found at: http://stoneleighcenter.org/files/One-pager.pdf

To apply for the Multiplying Connections Stoneleigh Junior Fellowship opportunity please submit the application to llieberman@healthfederation.org by November 2, 2009. 

Health Corps members on the first day or pre-service orientation

Health Corps members complete a team-building exercise during orientation

The 2009-2010 class of 26 Philadelphia Health Corps members has arrived, and is already at work in community placements focused on improving access to health care and helping individuals and communities improve their health. Eight of this year’s members are funded with Recovery Act (stimulus) funds, making this the biggest group of Philadelphia Health Corps volunteers in recent years.

The members are a diverse group coming from all over the country, including California, Washington State, Pittsburgh, Ohio, North Carolina, Maryland and Virginia. Most finished college within the past two years, graduating from institutions such as Penn State, Harvard, Stanford, Wesleyan and Bryn Mawr. Approximately half are interested in pursuing medical school after their year of service, while the rest are focused on other professional schools (nursing, social work) or are interested in working in the nonprofit sector. One of the goals of the Health Corps program is to expose those considering careers in health care to valuable community health skills and experiences.

Members are placed in a variety of community settings. Sixteen members are working in City Health Centers, helping uninsured patients gain access to prescription assistance programs that provide medications to needy individuals. Additional members are working in other community health centers, an elementary school, and community based organizations such as the Village of Arts and Humanities and the Maternity Care Coalition. Members will also participate in joint service projects and will receive continual support and training from the Health Federation throughout the year. For more information about Philadelphia Health Corps, please go to www.philadelphiahealthcorps.org.