Greater Philadelphia Health Action, Inc.
Title: Promoting Preventive Care in the Greater Philadelphia Area
Student Interns:
Ada Liu
Drexel University College of Medicine
Karsyn Terry
Drexel University College of Medicine
Academic Preceptor:
Annette Gadegbeku, MD
Drexel University College of Medicine
Community Preceptor:
Monica Mallory-Whitmore, DO
Greater Philadelphia Health Action, Inc.
Community Site:
Greater Philadelphia Health Action, Inc. (GPHA) is a large Federally Qualified Health Center that has been serving patients for over five decades. GPHA has 12 clinical sites throughout Philadelphia and is the largest non-hospital health provider in the region. Its mission is to provide quality, comprehensive medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, and child development services through an expert staff of professionals. While using a fiscally responsible approach, it seeks to meet the needs of a diverse patient population, regardless of the ability to pay.
Team’s Experience:
The Bridging the Gaps student interns focused on creating health initiatives to improve quality measures across the six GPHA primary care sites. They focused on quality measures for colorectal screening, diabetic eye and foot screening, and asthma control medication pickup. Working with health center administrators and clinical directors, the interns identified potential barriers faced by patients in the community and created solutions, including educational materials that connect patients with resources. The interns also worked on establishing a more sustainable workflow for pediatric autism patient referrals, including creating a workflow document, a tracker-to-document referral process, and a parent educational booklet to enhance understanding of the process. When not working on these health initiatives and program assessments, the interns helped care coordinators reach out to patients to confirm their annual physical appointments and worked with patients to complete their annual health risk assessments before scheduled appointments.
Reflections
“Working at GPHA over this summer has been a valuable experience that showcased the organization as a significant contributor in increasing healthcare access for the underserved and marginalized communities throughout the Greater Philadelphia area. Throughout the time at GPHA, we worked closely with clinical directors and nurses across various GPHA sites throughout Philadelphia, learning about the various socioeconomic barriers patients face preventing them from taking care of their own health. Notably, across all clinics, we witnessed the priority to improve patient education and health literacy. Whether it be from brochures, links on their website, or simply providing thorough explanations over the phone, every staff member at GPHA clearly understands the importance of keeping their patients as informed as possible and is committed to giving patients agency over their well-being. Despite having to navigate a wide variety of challenges, we were inspired to witness the ubiquitous love of patient-centered care and overall optimism to make a difference.”
Ada Liu & Karsyn Terry