Philadelphia will boost its access to health care with two new city-run health centers in the lower Northeast. The first center will be at Frankford Transportation Center, and a second facility will be to be announced at a future date.
The Frankford Health Center will include primary care services for adults and children, women's health services, laboratory and pharmacy.
The lower north-east of the city was identified as an area that had insufficient access to primary health care services in 2018 report from the health department. Some neighborhoods in the Northeast had a shortage of primary care physicians. The Northeast had the lowest rate of access to community health centers in the city, based on this 2018 report.
“These projects are part of the city's commitment to its residents. We know that for too long, residents of this part of the city have struggled to access primary care. Today, we are taking the first step to change that reality, ” CEO Tumar Alexander he said.
Based on data from US Censusareas of the Northeast have seen the most significant increases in poverty and also the largest increase increasing the share of Black, Hispanic, and Asian residents;
The Census Service defines poverty with the size of a family and the number of children. It does not adjust its scale based on whether or not a family receives government assistance.
“We cannot continue to allow the waste of human resources that occurs when people are excluded from accessing health care, as is too often the case in our city despite its world-class medical facilities,” said Health Commissioner Cheryl Bettigole. “Especially for immigrants, our health care system can be an impenetrable wall rather than a source of help. I am deeply grateful that this administration recognizes the importance of this access and that as part of our identity as a sanctuary city, we will ensure that the residents of such a diverse, international part of our city have access to high-quality, affordable care.”
Philadelphia has an online database to help residents find the nearest free and low-cost primary care in the city. The database includes primary care physicians who receive Medicare and Medicaid and places for people without insurance.
Groundbreaking for Frankford Health Center cwill start in the summer of 2024.
