“I am thankful to residents of the Feltonville, Juniata, Summerdale, Olney, Frankford, and Northwood communities for sharing their input on how important the need for a new health center is as well as the positive outcomes it may have,” said Councilmember Lozada.
February. 28, 2024 (Philadelphia, PA) — Councilmember Quetcy Lozada, District 7, and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health concluded a three-part listening series in neighborhoods with residents who will be impacted by the opening of a new city-operated health center. Councilmember Lozada called for and hosted the meetings to ensure residents of the communities that would be served by the potential health center had a say in the process.
Each meeting began with a detailed briefing from the Public Health Department about the demand for the health center. Currently the City of Philadelphia has ten health centers and only one center is located in the city’s Northeast section. Because it is the only Northeast location, Health Center 10 has more than four times the average wait time for initial visits for children at the city’s other health centers and nearly twice for adults.
The Public Health Department’s presentation also outlined the planning process for the new location, a rendering of what the facility will look like, and the services it will offer. Services will include comprehensive adult and pediatric care, an on-sight pharmacy, radiology, dental care, a lab, women’s health services, prenatal care, insurance counselors, health navigators, and behavioral health counselors.
The health center will use a sliding scale to charge for medical visits where $20 is the maximum pay for most services. Vaccines for children will be available at no cost as well. Free shuttles will also be provided to patients from Frankford Transportation Center.
At each meeting, the room was at or near capacity and filled with passionate residents interested to learn more. At the conclusion of each presentation, residents were able to ask questions and give testimony about their concerns. Each meeting saw positive support for the proposal.
“Thank you to the Health Department for their partnership in hosting these meetings and being here to help inform the community about the project,” said Councilmember Lozada. “I would also like to thank the Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability (OTIS), State Representative Hohenstein, Councilmembers Phillips, Harrity, and Vaughn, and Scattergood for also participating in these meetings and informing the community about this important proposal.”
Councilmember Lozada is planning a final community meeting about the proposed health center with details forthcoming.
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