Project HOME, Independence Blue Cross, and AmeriHealth Caritas launch community health program in North Philadelphia
Dan Hilferty, Priscilla Bennett of the Project HOME Community Advisory Board, Philadelphia City Council President Darrell Clarke, City Representative Sheila Hess, Sister Mary Scullion, PA Department of Human Services Secretary Teresa Miller, Paul Tufano, and U.S. Representative Dwight Evans.
Innovative initiative to address health disparities in North Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA, PA — January 24, 2020 — Project HOME, Independence Blue Cross (Independence), and AmeriHealth Caritas announce the launch of “Keystone Connection to Wellness.” This new initiative will address the significant health disparities in life expectancy and infant mortality experienced by North Philadelphia residents.
Recognizing that health needs of economically distressed neighborhoods cannot only be met through the doctor’s office, Independence, Project HOME, and AmeriHealth Caritas are creating the initiative to connect Project HOME patients with resources beyond their immediate medical needs.
“We’ve always had an approach of treating the whole person at our Stephen Klein Wellness Center and Healthcare Services,” said Project HOME President and Executive Director Sister Mary Scullion. “This partnership with Independence and AmeriHealth Caritas allows us to reach more people and impact so many lives.”
Project HOME, with financial and operational support from Independence and AmeriHealth Caritas, will work with other social service and health organizations to form a robust association of services to address social determinants of health. Project HOME will also launch and facilitate a community advisory board to help guide priorities and build on neighborhood strengths focused on improving health and quality of life for residents who live in two targeted zip codes of North Philadelphia.
“We cannot tackle the difficult task of improving the health of people in our region without a team effort. That is why we are so pleased to work with Project HOME to address directly the health disparities in North Philadelphia. By engaging with the community and providing information and access to much-needed services, we believe that this initiative can address health issues before they become dire,” said Daniel J. Hilferty, Independence Blue Cross CEO.
Three North Philadelphia Project HOME locations will serve as hubs for “Keystone Connection to Wellness”: the Stephen Klein Wellness Center, Honickman Learning Center Comcast Technology Labs, and the Helen Brown Community Center — but outreach could extend to libraries and other points of contact.
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