WHYY: Northeast Philadelphia residents, advocates call on city to expedite plans for 2 new public health centers
Northeast Philadelphia residents,
advocates call on city to expedite plans for 2 new public health centers
Philadelphia city leaders announced plans to build two new
public health centers near the Frankford Transportation Center and Friends
Hospital.
When Philadelphia officials announced last year that two new city health centers would
open in Northeast Philadelphia, many residents were thrilled. They say this
part of the city has become a “health care desert” for affordable and low-cost
services.
“I was very excited to think, finally, the
city is doing something right,” said community leader
Mingchu Pearl Huynh, president and founder
of the Northeast Philadelphia Chinese Association.
But these two new health centers may not open for another
couple years as the projects move through a slow development process.
Supporters also fear that opposition against the health centers from some
residents could delay or derail plans even more drastically.
Supporters are making a renewed push for the city to move
forward with plans and find ways to expedite the process.
“We have hundreds of thousands of people who need more
health care. It’s not a small matter,” Huynh said. “It’s been so much work that
we’ve spent on this. We don’t want to miss this opportunity.”
The Philadelphia Department of Public Health runs eight city health centers which o er primary and
some specialty care, including routine medical checkups, prenatal care,
behavioral health services, disease treatment and vaccinations. ese centers treat patients regardless of their
insurance status. Uninsured patients are charged small out-of-pocket fees for
visits, treatment and other care.
Many centers o er language interpretation services for
non-English speakers, which Huynh said has become crucial to a growing number
of immigrants moving to the area.
Northeast Philadelphia currently has only one such facility,
Health Center 10. Estimated wait times for new patient appointments have
ballooned to 12 months.
The two new health centers the city announced last year were
part of a plan to address this growing demand for health care services. One
would be built across from the Frankford Transportation Center.
The second one is proposed for a site on the Friends
Hospital campus in Lawncrest, which is already home to a psychiatric hospital,
a long-term residential program for people with serious behavioral health
needs, and one of the city’s Crisis Response Centers.
Zoning has been approved for the Frankford Transportation
Center site, which is part of a larger redevelopment project led by the
Frankford Community Development Corporation. Mixed income housing is planned
for above the new health center.
While city health officials and community leaders initially
hoped to break ground this summer, Frankford CDC commercial corridor manager
Ellie Devyatkin said construction is now slated to begin in early 2025 as the
corporation hopes to first secure low-income housing tax credits for additional
funding.
Zoning approval for the second health center on the Friends
Hospital campus is pending, city health officials confirmed. District 7
Councilmember Quetcy Lozada will host public community meetings this month for
input on the sites:
Wed., Feb. 21 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the
Juniata Boys and Girls Club, 1225 E. Cayuga St.
Tues., Feb. 27 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the
First Presbyterian Church of Olney, 5435 N. 3rd St.
Not all residents are eager to see these new centers open
their doors. At a similar community meeting held in November, John Dodds said
some people living near Friends Hospital had expressed concerns about the
proximity of the new health center to private residences and public
transportation accessibility and safety along Roosevelt Boulevard.
Dodds, director of the Philadelphia Unemployment Project,
said the ultimate priority should remain on expanding access to health care in
a way that meets the needs of neighborhoods. Many have become more culturally
and ethnically diverse while others have seen growing rates of poverty.
“Yet, the services are not there for these people,” Dodds
said. “We think it’s good public policy. If a few neighbors don’t like it,
we’re sorry about that, but it needs to happen.”
The proposed new health center near Friends Hospital would
serve an estimated 30,000 patients per year and be located close to the SEPTA
bus stop at Langdon Street, according to the Department of Public Health. It is
currently scheduled to be built in 2025.
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