National Health Center Week and Public Health in Housing: Family First Health Teams with HUD to Provide Mobile Community Medical Services

HUD’s partnership with Family First Health has been vitally important to improving the health outcomes of individuals in underserved communities and this partnership continues to grow as Family First Health expands its access to more HUD-assisted properties.” ~ Brandon Porinchak, Senior Management Analyst, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Field Policy and Management

National Health Center Week runs from August 6th through the 12th with each day highlighting the important work health centers, like Family First Health, do day in and day out. You can find the list of each day’s theme here. To kickoff National Health Center Week 2023, and to recognize “Public Health in Housing” day, we want to shine a light on our Community Medical Program work with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to improve public health in their housing properties in underserved communities.  

Family First Health’s collaborative work with HUD approved housing began in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, our Community Medical Program provided free COVID-19 vaccines, for both adults and children, COVID-19 education, and PCR testing. The Community Medical Team had the ability to come onsite to eliminate barriers to the residents to receive vaccines and testing.  

As we navigate out of the COVID-19 pandemic, our Community Medical Program has been back in contact with HUD properties about providing health screenings, referrals to care, and health education. The team has been at HUD approved housing facilities in Lancaster, Lebanon, and York counties during the past few months. In that time, they have done three blood pressure events where they have done 44 blood pressure checks to residents. The team has also linked residents to Family First Health services and assisted with insurance needs.   

For the residents of HUD properties, having our Community Medical Program coming onsite and providing these services is breaking down any potential barrier that they may have previously had, such as transportation. The residents are able to walk downstairs to the community room where the team is set up, meet with an RN, get their blood pressure checked, and receive health information, or talk to a Community Health Worker about social or insurance needs.  

Currently, the Community Medical Program is at two HUD approved sites for monthly visits. From these monthly visits, the team is able to track monthly trends among the residents. Any HUD approved housing in Columbia, Gettysburg, Lebanon, and York looking to have our team come onsite and provide services can contact our Community Medical Program Manager at 717-845-817 ext. 4876.