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NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 24, 2014
Contact: Veronica Mikitka Reed 484.241.0473 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Certified Application Counselors from PHMC's Health Network helped Philadelphians apply for insurance as part of Obama's Week of Action.

PHILADELPHIA – Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC), a nonprofit public health institute that creates and sustains healthier communities, hosted two open house events today at Rising Sun Health Center and PHMC Health Connection to help Philadelphians navigate the Health Insurance Marketplace before the March 31st deadline. In addition to the insurance and health information sessions led by PHMC's Certified Application Counselors (CAC), attendees were able to meet 100.3's Lady B, Hot 107.9's Mia Mendez and participate in family friendly activities.

According to PHMC's Pennsylvania Household Health Survey, the neighborhoods surrounding these two health centers have 61,700 uninsured adults. Under the Affordable Care Act citizens who do not have health insurance by year end will face expensive fines. The open house events gave these community members another opportunity to learn about how they qualify for and enroll in insurance on the Health Insurance Marketplace. In addition the event also showcased the primary care and wellness services available across the PHMC health network for the 53,300 adults in the region who have deferred or delayed care when they were sick.
"At PHMC, we're dedicated to educating and assisting the uninsured in our community so they can more easily apply for and choose the best insurance plan to fit their needs," said Melissa Fox, Managing Director of Health Services at PHMC. "These open house events helped us address our goal to increase awareness about the Marketplace, the available insurance options and stress the importance to enroll before the deadline."

Since September, PHMC has conducted local events offering knowledge and enrollment assistance to the community on the Health Insurance Marketplace. Due to the initial issues with the Marketplace website, PHMC CAC's have become a critical resource in helping the uninsured navigate the enrollment process. Since the beginning of 2014 PHMC is also managing InsurePA, a statewide consortium for the Community Catalyst Certified Application Counselor Initiative. With the last enrollment deadline approaching, this grant gives PHMC access to CAC's from across Pennsylvania to work to attain optimal enrollment for the most vulnerable populations across the state.

"Across the PHMC health network we're emphasizing that health insurance isn't just a requirement, but a necessity to offer preventive healthcare options for individuals and their families," added Fox.
For those not able to attend the day's events, PHMC's Certified Application Counselors are available across the PHMC heath network Monday through Friday during center hours for patients on a walk-in basis. The five centers in the network include: Mary Howard Health Center, PHMC Health Connection, PHMC Care Clinic, Rising Sun Health Center and Congreso Health Center. More information can be found on PHMC's website, www.phmc.org.

About PHMC Health Network
Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) is a nonprofit public health institute that creates and sustains healthier communities. The PHMC health network consists of five nurse-managed, federally qualified health centers offering affordable, high-quality, patient centered health services to communities throughout the Philadelphia area, including public housing populations and individuals experiencing homelessness. They share a simple mission: to provide comprehensive primary health care, family planning, disease management, social services and more to men, women and children. Nurse-managed health clinics are staffed by advanced practice nurses and an interdisciplinary team of healthcare professionals working in collaboration with the community to serve as a medical home and safety-net provider for America's underserved communities, regardless of a patient's ability to pay. The PHMC health network is committed to their Beyond Care concept, a holistic, patient-centered approach to quality care provided by experts who organize care around the community's needs. Three locations have certification by the National Centers for Quality Assurance as a Patient Centered Medical Home. PHMC is also home to the National Nursing Centers Consortium, a network of over 250 nurse-managed health centers nationally. For more information visit www.phmc.org and www.phmchealthnetwork.org.

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News & Events

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 17, 2013
Contact: Lulu Francois (215.825.8202 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

Health Promotion Council Seeks to Tackle Obesity Crisis with Hands-on Nutrition Education

PHILADELPHIA—The number of overweight and obese adults and children in Southeastern Pennsylvania (SEPA) has surpassed two million people, according to data released today from the 2012 Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey, an annual survey by Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) Center for Data Innovation. The telephone survey, which was conducted in more than 10,000 households in the SEPA region, including Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties, examines the nutrition habits, nutrition-related chronic illness and access to healthy foods among children and adults in the SEPA region.

Overweight and obese adults and children are at greater risk for many major health issues such as Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and joint pain. Across the SEPA region:
• 35.1% of adults are overweight and 27.6% are obese, representing approximately 1,919,600 adults who are overweight or obese.
• 15.3% of children are overweight and 18.1% are obese, representing approximately 188,100 children with a weight problem.
• 12.4% of adults (approximately 392,300 individuals) have been diagnosed with diabetes, and 31.0% (about 975, 100 adults) have high blood pressure.
• Within the region, Philadelphia County experiences the highest rates of both diabetes (16.0%) and high blood pressure (37.5%).

A healthy diet plays a critical role in helping to prevent these chronic diseases and conditions. In Southeastern Pennsylvania, many residents are not getting proper nutrition.
• 52.7% of adults and nearly one half of children (46.1%) reported that they consume less than three servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
• 42.1% of adults report eating fast food one or more times per week, and 7.4% consume fast food three or more times per week.
• In Philadelphia, 35.4% of adults and 42.1% of children reported drinking a sugared beverage one or more times per day.
• 5.2% of adults in SEPA report that it is difficult or very difficult to find fruit in their neighborhoods. This number is even higher in Philadelphia County, where nearly one in 10 (9.4%) report difficulty in finding fruit.

COMBATING OBESITY IN SOUTHEASTERN PA

To combat these issues, Health Promotion Council (HPC), a PHMC affiliate focused on community based nutrition programs, is making a difference through programs like Eat.Right.Now. (ERN) and Nutrition for Life (NFL). Funded by the USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed), the programs aim to foster positive behavioral changes related to nutrition and physical activity among their participants.
ERN is a collaborative initiative led by the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) that provides nutrition education and outreach to students and their caregivers. As a partner in the ERN program, HPC reaches more than 15,000 children and caregivers annually in approximately 20 SDP schools.

At Penrose Elementary, one of 18 public and two charter schools in the Eat.Right.Now. network, nutrition educator Jo Fagan worked with the school to build an indoor edible garden to demonstrate how to grow and eat healthy food year-round.
The children were so successful in this project that they were able to harvest healthy greens to eat in the classroom for four weeks. These hands-on lessons allowed the students to understand where their food comes from, how they can grow food and learn the basics of good nutrition. The exposure to fresh greens grown in the classroom was not only lesson in how good "green" foods can taste, but also the ease in which a simple classroom project can translate to the nurture of plants and growing food in any urban environment.

In addition to children's education and programming, HPC reaches approximately 8,000 adults in Philadelphia and Montgomery County each year through its NFL program. Through NFL, HPC provide nutrition education and outreach in a variety of community sites, including health centers, food pantries, group living sites, senior centers, grocery stores, and other community sites. Participants in HPC's nutrition education classes indicate that they have gained valuable knowledge about making healthier choices, and that they plan to make adjustments to their diet based on their participation in nutrition education lessons, including adding more calcium to their diet, how they prepare food and how they shop.

For more information about the data findings and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey, please contact Amy Clark at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If you would like to know more about HPC's nutrition programs, please contact Christina Miller at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

About Public Health Management Corporation Center for Data Innovation

Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) is a nonprofit public health institute that creates and sustains healthier communities. The Center for Data Innovation includes the Community Health Data Base (CHDB) and its annual Household Health Survey, one of the largest regional health surveys in the country. The Pew Charitable Trusts, William Penn Foundation, United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, United Way of North Penn, Green Tree Community Health Foundation, North Penn Community Health Foundation, Thomas Scattergood Foundation, Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation, and over 350 local agencies from the health, government, nonprofit and academic sectors, help to support the CHDB and survey. For more information visit www.phmc.org or contact Francine Axler at
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

About Health Promotion Council

Health Promotion Council of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Inc. (HPC) is a non-profit organization organized in 1981 and an affiliate of PHMC. HPC's mission is to promote health, and prevent and manage chronic diseases, especially among vulnerable populations, through community-based education, outreach and advocacy. Its unique programs advocating positive health behaviors, together with its innovative work with minority groups have advanced the field of health promotion in Southeastern Pennsylvania and across the nation. For more information, visit www.hpcpa.org.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 12, 2013

Contact: Nikki Reen (267-295-3859 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

PHMC health network committed to high-quality, patient centered care

PHILADELPHIA, PA - This week the nation celebrates National Health Center Week in an effort to raise awareness about the mission and accomplishments of America's Health Centers as local solutions for affordable and accessible health care.

Health Center's costs of care are among the lowest and the quality of care is among the best of any providers. Health Centers now serve more than 22 million Americans in over 9,000 underserved communities in every state and territory, filling a unique and vital role in the health care system.

The importance of Community Health Centers cannot be emphasized enough. Over the years these centers, in neighborhoods where people live and work, have transformed from providing just primary care services to providing a wide range of services including behavioral health care, dental, pharmacy, translation services, transportation, insurance enrollment and education. These critical services are essential for a holistic healthcare system.

PHMC health network has also grown to provide access to a wide range of affordable, high-quality services including primary care, behavioral health, vision, family planning and social services and access to translation services for various communities in Philadelphia. They serve vulnerable populations including men, women, children, patients experiencing homelessness and also offer specialized health services for high-risk populations.

Among its expanding services, PHMC health centers will also take a lead role to promote the Health Insurance Marketplaces under the Affordable Care Act by providing education and information to help patients choose health insurance that best meets their family's needs.

PHMC is dedicated to expanding capacity to serve medically underserved communities in the region. This year, PHMC Health Connection and Rising Sun Health Center, both nurse-managed community health centers, will move to larger spaces to continue to serve homeless and public housing communities. The Rising Sun Health Center will celebrate its grand opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony on September 12 followed by center tours, free health screenings, fun family activities, including KYW Newsradio mobile studio.

As Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) with National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) designation as a Patient-Centered Medical Home, the PHMC health network is committed to high-quality, patient-centered care. The centers operate with the Beyond Care concept, a holistic, patient-centered approach to quality care provided by experts who organize care around the community's needs.

PHMC Health Network

Congreso Health Center – provides primary health care, health promotion and wellness services with a bilingual, bicultural staff – 216 West Somerset Street, Philadelphia, PA 19133

PHMC Care Clinic – provides specialized health care to adults for HIV and Hep C diseases and social services – 1200 Callowhill Street, Ste 101, Philadelphia, PA 19123

PHMC Health Connection – nurse-managed health care facility that provides a variety of services to children, teens and adults in the community – Norris Homes and Apartments at 11th and Berks Streets

Rising Sun Health Center – provides primary care services to patients of all ages – 5675 North Front Street, Philadelphia, PA 19120

Mary Howard Health Center – comprehensive primary health care center for patients experiencing homelessness – 125 South 9th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

For more information visit www.phmchealthnetwork.org or call 1.855.887.9229