Petition to Support 2 New Public Health Centers in Northeast Philly 支持东北费两个新的医疗中心
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Dear friends, partners, community members,
As a resident of Northeast Philadelphia, I am deeply concerned about the severe shortage of affordable primary care in our area. Our only public health center, Health Center 10 on Cottman Avenue, serves nearly 67 thousand visits a year, and new patients can wait up to a year for their first appointment. This is not just an inconvenience; it's a threat to the health and well-being of our community.
The population of Northeast Philadelphia has increased from 300,000 in 2000 census to more than 500,000 in 2023. There is an urgent need for additional healthcare facilities. We are encouraged by Philadelphia City's plans for two new health centers in Lower Northeast Philadelphia. More health centers mean faster appointments and better access to healthcare for everyone.
Still, a small group of residents oppose putting the new health center at the Friend Hospital site. They have expressed that:
1) They do not welcome patients and traffic in their neighborhood to disturb its "serenity." (Fact: patients at health centers are primarily working families, low-income, and new immigrants. Health Center 10 is next door to the Northeast Library, and no patients cause any trouble to the library).
2) They claimed to protect the Friends Hospital historical site. (Fact: The Historical Commission only approved replacing one old, dilapidated, unmaintained house with a new healthcare facility serving thousands of people. The Friends Hospital historical site has been protected overall.)
3) Some others criticize the site as dangerous for people to cross the Roosevelt Blvd Highway. (Fact: Roosevelt Blvd is indeed a dangerous highway, but it is as dangerous or as safe as any road for anyone who follows the rule of where to cross)
How do you feel about these opponents' arguments and the facts if you were uninsured because you could not afford health insurance costs and your loved one needed medical care and were on a year-long new patient waiting list at Health Center 10?
Finding a suitable site for a health center serving 30,000 people is complex, and our community has waited two decades to get the City's approved budget. The opposing voice put our community's needs at risk. It has delayed the plan, which may jeopardize the budget for the health centers being reallocated to the city's many other needs. Then, our community would go back to waiting for a new health center for many more years. Many lives would not have a chance, and families would be suffering longer.
Therefore, we must act to support the two health center plans.
If you are a resident of Philadelphia, please join me in signing this online petition "Please Expand Public Health Centers in Lower Northeast Philadelphia," to send a clear message to our elected officials that we won't stand by while our neighbors suffer due to a lack of accessible healthcare.
We want these two health Centers to move forward without delay!
Either one of these links will take you to the online petition at Change.org:
or by scanning this QR quote
Please share this information with other Philadelphians to lend support.
Let's build a safe and better community together!
费城东北部人口二十年来从30多万增加到 50多万。经过十多年等待，费城市政府终于通过规划在费城东北区建设两个新的医疗中心，能服务4.6万看诊人次。
位于2330 Cottman Ave. 的 10 号医疗中心 是费城东北区唯一的市医疗中心。 它为 13,600多 名患者提供服务，每年约提供超过 66,800 就诊人次. 这里大约30% 病患是华人为主的亚裔群体。没有医保的病人由收入不等而只支付从$5 到 $20 门诊费。有医保病人不用支付门诊费。此外没有其它附加费用和在该中心取药也免费。但是新患者预约等待的时间长达 6 至
12 个月。
其中一个位于友谊医院 （4641 Roosevelt Blvd, Phila。, PA 19124）。 它在福州街附近的 WALMART 对面。该医疗中心每年可接待约 30,000 就诊人次，为费城东北区居民提供急需和低费的医疗服务， 对我们华人社区的福祉至关重要。
尽管如此，仍有一小部分附近老居民以各种理由反对将新的健康中心设在友谊医院。
如果没有支持的人出来发表，这个医疗中心计划可能就作废了，居民要等待下一个方案不知和年月。
因此，我们 必须争取时间确保这医疗中心尽快落实。本会设计了请愿书帮助居民同声向市议会表示我们支持加快落实这东北区这新医疗中心的建设。
请大家积极推动签署，
线上请愿书需要有电子信箱。以下任何一个链接都会将您带到 Change.org 的在线请愿书 来简单登记名字：
https://www.change.org/p/please-expand-public-health-centers-in-lower-northeast-philadelphia
另外，本会也制作可以打印表格让民众手填，如果您看到志工招人签署，请支持。
能帮忙召集民众签署纸质请愿书的志工或团体，请连络
黄明珠 267-423-3323， 微信： PEARL6108; Email： PEARL.HUYNH@GMAIL.COM
东北费城公益协会敬启，1、12、2024
PS:
Besides the online petition, there is also a free printable petition form and postcard in the attachments that organizations can print and get your supporters to sign and send to:
Councilmember Quetcy Lozada
City Hall, Room 508,
Philadelphia, PA 19107
And residents can also call her office at 215-686-3448 or 215-686-1951
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More information in the following link:
Contact your PHILADELPHIA CITY COUNCIL member: https://phlcouncil.com/stay-connected-philadelphia-city-council/
New City health center planned on Friends Hospital campus in 2025 to help meet longstanding needs in Northeast Philadelphia: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LPR-AlWddQGj6h2PiMVGtsGOMNdM0O4O/view?usp=sharing
We need the new City Health Centers in the Lower Northeast …https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hTM3VUJZ7rJhFpiOlJQOu-P3MNJttAEJ/view?usp=sharing
Northeast Philadelphia on Wikipedia: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1v10v8RRDfr7xT_WHZWDHK6tsC48L9Bl-/view?usp=sharing
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