Philadelphia, where I plan to stay.

A few years ago, my sister came to Philadelphia for grad school - that was my introduction to this city. We loaded our car with her books and clothes and made the 10 hour drive from the suburbs of Detroit.  I had never been to Philadelphia and was immediately struck by the city - cultured, not pretentious; historically rich, but contemporarily important. Last summer, I applied to several AmeriCorps programs and finally accepted Philadelphia Health Corps’s offer, making my own way to the East Coast to serve.

Nine months later and I’m in love with this city. It’s big, but not unmanageable; biker friendly (most of the time), and vibrant. This year I’ve attended some excellent concerts (Sun Ra Arkestra what?!), countless happy hours, and camping trips all on my AmeriCorps stipend (it’s manageable!). Philadelphia also has a thriving food scene available at a wide range of prices (Mood Café at 46th and Baltimore is a must). I’ve found welcoming art communities in both music and theater that I am excited to continue exploring. At every turn there is something new to check out -- foods trucks, an outdoor event, or a progressive organization.

Besides finding my social niche in Philly, the year has been eye-opening in many other ways as well. I’ve already served more than 1500 hours as a Health and Benefits Advocate at a Federally Qualified Health Center in Southwest Philadelphia. There, I help patients access health benefits they need. Amongst other things, I’ve linked patients to prescription assistance programs, prenatal resources, and signed them up for insurance under the Affordable Care Act. I’ve witnessed the slow and disheartening Kafka-esque nightmare that can accompany insurance application processes. On the other end I’ve seen individuals, formerly unable to qualify or afford insurance, enroll and be able to pay a month’s premium with spare change in their pockets.  Beyond my practical experiences at my host site, I’ve found that it doesn’t take one much research to compile a laundry list of our health care system’s shortcomings. There are still more than 40 million uninsured Americans struggling to access basic health care needs - both mentally and physically. Those who can afford insurance are subject to the will of private insurance companies. However, there are countless individuals working in every state to positively effect change. In Philadelphia, I have been lucky to find a community with health organizations working both legislatively and directly to improve the quality of and access to care and shrink that laundry list I previously created.

The concept of “access to care” comes in a variety of ways here in Philadelphia, with organizations tackling health disparities from a number of angles.  Prevention Point Philadelphia seeks to reduce the spread of communicable diseases amongst drug users by providing clean needles and medical care at no cost; their practices have been credited with a 13% reduction in HIV/AIDS infection rates with that population from 2004 to 2010. Philadelphia FIGHT’s Institute for Community Justice links prison populations reentering society to crucial health and educational services. Philly Urban Creators empowers and unites local communities by working alongside residents to cultivate urban gardens; their organization strives to educate individuals on healthy eating and farming practices, as well as improve the health of the local environment.

Because of all of this, I’ve decided to spend another year in the City of Brotherly Love. I’ve named a few organizations, but there are many more that I am excited to check out. While there is plenty of work to be done, I’m looking forward to further adventures in this city and greater collaboration with its diligent community.
 

This post was written by PHC member Nicholas Johnson.
Nicholas serves at the Family Practice and Counseling Network - Health Annex as a Health and Benefits Advocate.