By Michael Gorsegner, CBS 21.
CBS 21 talks with Caring Together Program Manager Becky Wilson about National HIV Testing Day and the importance of getting tested for STD’s.
See the interview and coverage here.
CBS 21 talks with Caring Together Program Manager Becky Wilson about National HIV Testing Day and the importance of getting tested for STD’s.
See the interview and coverage here.
ABC 27 talks with Family First Health Community Program Manager Erin Schmidt about FFH’s mobile trailer and vaccination statistics for Pennsylvania.
See the interview here.
York Dispatch publishes highlights from the first federal Juneteenth celebration in York – showing Family First Health’s Dr. Asceline Go near our table, where we administered HIV tests and COVID-19 vaccinations.
See the photos here.
By Sam Ruland, York Daily Record.
Family First Health’s CEO Jenny Englerth talks with the YDR about reacclimating to being in public again, and how the easing of COVID-19 restrictions brings on mixed feelings.
Read the story here.
See the spotlight on Good Day PA here
ABC 27 has partnered with Give Local York to highlight non-profit organization doing a great work for their community, to share their mission non-profits are welcome to submit a video. Today’s video is from Family First Health.
By Matt Barcaro, WGAL.
A York health clinic is setting up a live question and answer session with doctors to answer vaccine-related questions. WGAL’s Matt Barcaro has the story. Watch his report above.Advertisement
The Q&A starts at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. You can watch using either of the links below:
By Jenny Englerth
In early February the Biden administration announced an important Community Health Center Vaccination Program to guarantee greater access to vaccines for underserved communities through Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC).
This plan affirms the importance of FQHCs, also known as Community Health Centers, often located in underserved regions of our state providing accessible care to populations most affected by COVID-19. A recognized leader in comprehensive primary and preventive care to patients of all ages in urban and rural areas, we accept every patient, regardless of their ability to pay.
As the President and CEO of Family First Health, serving 25,000 patients every year, I believe the federal government’s decision to focus vaccine distribution though the FQHC network recognizes the important role our health centers play in helping to solve the massive divide in access to quality care, even beyond the vaccine.
Bridging the expansive levels of disparity in care in our country requires intentional focus on how healthcare should be reflective of our changing communities in order to provide care through the lens of the unique needs of our growing diverse populations. We must meet our patients where they are in their health journey in order to build trust to motivate patients to put themselves first with routine care.
Now is the time to have serious conversations about how access to quality care affects every corner of every community. According to a Columbia University study, the number of Americans living in poverty grew by eight million in a six-month span in 2020 amid the pandemic. That means the care FQHCs deliver is in even greater demand than just 12 months ago.
Throughout COVID, national headlines have continued to draw our attention to the disparities in health outcomes within communities of color. National data shows that Black and Hispanic populations represent the highest at-risk individuals with the greatest challenges to accessing health care services.
I’m proud to say that Family First Health, like many FQHCs, has assumed an essential frontline role in establishing care models designed around the realities of our communities. And we’re making a felt difference at a time when the need is growing at rapid pace. Our goal is to build trust as a fundamental aspect of our relationship.
We understand that for decades minority communities have struggled to build relationships with health care organizations who fail to understand their needs. FQHCs are the exception to this history of mistrust.
We are truly a health center that looks and sounds like the community we serve. From Spanish-speaking providers, to accessible and diverse health care professionals and health care facilities actually located in their local neighborhoods, we are the quality health care home of the community.
Our team has taken on the necessity to be innovative in how we deliver care – most recently expanding the reach of our health center at Hannah Penn K-8 School in York City.
Through a $2 million multi-year grant from the United Health Foundation, we are taking care into the school to reach students while deploying community health workers into the school community and surrounding neighborhoods to build trusting relationships with the families living in the Hannah Penn area.
By establishing a true school-based health care model, we’re tearing down barriers and building healthier futures for our children. Our organization was not willing to accept the declining health of our community’s youth and we rose to the occasion.
The Hannah Penn Center is now the county’s only school-based health center with medical services also available to community residents. This facility which already provides access to health care, preventative care and mental health services, will now help those living within that community to seek out and receive more accessible care, including COVID vaccinations, from a trusted facility, where patients and local residents feel most at ease.
This level of familiarity is important to how we care, and we must absolutely continue to evaluate how we continue to innovate with a constant lens of our changing patient. This will be especially important as we take on the post COVID care environment. Patients, of very diverse backgrounds, are able to manage their health due to constant fear of infection and numerous other pressures. How we develop care models in the midst of this massive shift in consistent care will require a level of understanding like we’ve never faced before.
Community Health Centers will meet this need and play a more vital role than ever before. Our knowledge of our community will be a key factor in how we foster community health.
Family First Health and the other FQHCs throughout Pennsylvania will be the difference in supporting the advancement of the health of our broader community through our established roots within the most vulnerable communities. Our ability to provide primary and integrated healthcare services is essential to our communities and our economies recovering from this pandemic.
We look forward to caring for you and your community.
Jenny Englerth is President/CEO for Family First Health.
Providers and doctors agree: The demand for vaccine is greater than supply. Gov. Wolf says the state needs to get vaccine out more quickly and fairly.
YORK, Pa. — After a tour of Family First Health in York, Governor Tom Wolf told FOX43 he is not satisfied with the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
“If you want me to acknowledge that need to do a better job. I’m there. We need to do a better job,” said Gov. Wolf.
Vaccine providers and doctors agree: The demand for vaccine is greater than supply.
“The greatest challenge we continue to see is vaccine supply,” said Dr. Michael Ripchinski, Chief Clinical Officer for Lancaster General Health.
“Access, absolutely access,” said Jenny Englerth, CEO of Family First Health.
It has resulted in thousands of Pennsylvanians who wait their turn for the COVID-19 vaccine.
“It’s clear: We are receiving a lot fewer vaccines than we need. This week, this week, the number of vaccines applied for, first doses, is double than what we actually received. We requested about 400,000 doses, and we have about 200,000,” stated Gov. Wolf. “We need to do a better job at getting it out quickly and getting it out fairly. I think we’re around the national average when it comes to the percentage of the population that has been inoculated. I want to be above average.”
According to data from Johns Hopkins University and Medicine, Pennsylvania is among the worst states when it comes to the % of population fully vaccinated. However, it is among the top 10 states when it comes to how many people have been fully vaccinated: 1,160,000 people and counting, according to the data and the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
“The burden is falling on you guys to get it out faster. You get a lot of criticism. How do you respond to that?” asked FOX43’s Grace Griffaton.
“I think it’s deserved. In any system, if all you do is hear what you want to hear so I appreciate the criticism,” responded Gov. Wolf.
The governor says the state continues to learn and is taking notes from providers.
“WellSpan, Family First, places like this are doing a good job, and we need to learn what they’re doing,” stated Wolf.
Family First is starting its own version of ‘March Madness’ except, for them, it’s shots into arms not baskets that will make the difference.
“We’re turning all three floors of this building into a vaccination site every Friday for the foreseeable future. All of our primary care will be taken virtually during those days,” explained Englerth. “It really will become a hub that people will be able to recognize as a place to get a vaccine and information about the vaccine, and we’ll be here as long as it takes.”
Englerth says anywhere between 200 and 300 people will be vaccinated at Family First Health each Friday.
YORK, Pa. (WHTM) — York County Commissioners announced on Friday that a website, described as a “one-stop-shop†for residents seeking COVID-19 vaccination information in the county, launched this week.
The commission says the new website provides information about vaccine eligibility, where to find the vaccine and links to local providers.Want the latest on the coronavirus vaccine in Pennsylvania? Visit Vaccination Frustration for more info
Information regarding vaccine progress and York County COVID-19 statistics are also available through the website.
“We thank York County residents for their patience throughout this often frustrating process,†said York County President Commissioner Julie Wheeler. “We’re hopeful that as more vaccine becomes available in the next few weeks from the federal and state governments, we can
significantly increase the number of people getting vaccinated in York County. This site will increase visibility on how York County is progressing with our vaccinations.â€
The site is a collaboration between York County officials and local healthcare providers. this includes the York County Commissioners, York County Planning Commission, York County Office of Emergency Management, WellSpan Health, UPMC and Family First Health.
Data housed on the site is provided by the Pa. Department of Health. This information includes tracking vaccination progress and other COVID-19 statistics.
The website will also contain resources for housing assistance, food access, as well as how-to information about travel assistance to vaccination sites.
Once available, the website will also have more information on the community vaccination site located at the old A.C. Moore building at Manchester Crossroads on Route 30 once it’s operational.
To visit the York County vaccine website, click here.