In the News

Family First Pharmacy is set to open by the end of September on South George Street in York, aiming to provide essential healthcare services and low-cost medication to residents affected by recent pharmacy closures.

“It’s a real, tangible step toward better health for our community,” said Rep. Carol Hill-Evans of the 95th District in York County.

Family First said a pharmacy desert is when a person lives in a place where the closest pharmacy is more than a mile from their home or work. With the closures of several chain pharmacies in York in the past few months, the majority of the city falls into that category.

Read the full article here

 

In recent years, 17 Rite Aid stores have closed in York County, including one in the city of York. No other county in the region was hit harder by Rite Aid store closings.

But a new pharmacy is slated to open this fall in downtown York. It won’t replace 17 locations, but at a time when pharmacy closings have been happening rapidly, it’s good news when one is opening.

“Family First Pharmacy is a direct investment in the health of our community,” Jason Long, lead pharmacist at Family First Pharmacy, said in a news release. “We know that cost, time, and coordination are some of the biggest barriers to patients filling prescriptions. By offering affordable medications and immediate access in the same place where patients receive care, we’re simplifying the process and improving outcomes.”

Read the full article here

A new, on-site pharmacy is opening in downtown York this fall.

Family First Health, focused on community-based healthcare, will open Family First Pharmacy, an on-site pharmacy, according to a news release.

Located on the first floor of the George Street Center in the heart of downtown York, the pharmacy will be open to all individuals regardless of insurance status or income. Family First Pharmacy will offer prescriptions on a sliding scale for uninsured and underinsured patients, helping to remove cost barriers to needed medications.

“Family First Pharmacy is a direct investment in the health of our community,” said Dr. Jason Long, lead pharmacist at Family First Pharmacy. “We know that cost, time, and coordination are some of the biggest barriers to patients filling prescriptions. By offering affordable medications and immediate access in the same place where patients receive care, we’re simplifying the process and improving outcomes.”

Read the full article here: https://www.ydr.com/story/news/local/2025/07/31/family-first-health-to-open-pharmacy-in-downtown-york-pa-this-fall/85437927007/

Perry voted to gut Medicaid and explode the national debt – all so that he could fund tax cuts for billionaires

Scott Perry cast a decisive vote for Republicans’ Big, Ugly Bill, and now his Central Pennsylvania constituents are reading about just how devastating it could be for their communities.

The York Daily Record reports that thousands of Perry’s constituents could lose their health care and food assistance. The York Dispatch Editorial Board torches Perry’s budget bill as “nothing less than a giveaway to the wealthiest Americans and powerful corporations.” And the Dispatch reports that Perry’s vote will “raise the federal deficit,” despite his faux posturing as a deficit hawk.

See the brutal local coverage for yourself:

According to the governor’s projections, 18,720 residents of York County Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Perry’s 10th Congressional District will lose Medicaid coverage and 6,029 will lose SNAP benefits

“Pennsylvania can’t backfill this. We can’t fix this for them,” Shapiro said, referring to the federal legislators who approved of the bill and sent it to the president, who signed it into law. “They are taking billions of dollars away from Pennsylvania, and we can’t make up for that. This is our sad, new reality … and the consequences hang on them.”

Masked in patriotic flourish and rhetorical sleight of hand, this legislation is nothing less than a giveaway to the wealthiest Americans and powerful corporations at the expense of the poor, the sick and future generations.

More than 11 million people could lose health insurance. Another 3 million may lose SNAP benefits, including parents of teenagers now forced to work to qualify for food stamps. More than 13% of York County residents currently rely on SNAP benefits, incidentally. Nearly 21% are on Medicaid.

We should call it what it is: a tax on our conscience, a debt on our democracy, and a disgrace to the ideals we claim to celebrate.

One in five York County residents are on Medicaid. Thirteen percent, meanwhile, rely on SNAP food assistance. Those two facts have raised alarm among some residents and social service agencies after President Trump signed his so-called “big, beautiful bill” that calls for significant reductions to both programs.

Jenny Englerth, president and CEO of Family First Health, the York-based community health entity that serves vulnerable populations, said health care costs will increase for everyone as the number of uninsured people grows.

[Perry] touted the legislation as ‘America first’ despite the bill being anticipated to raise the federal deficit over the next several years
With smaller, rural hospitals already thin on resources, officials with the Hospital and Health system Association of Pennsylvania see the legislation destabilizing the remote facilities.
Read the article here.

One in five York County residents are on Medicaid. Thirteen percent, meanwhile, rely on SNAP food assistance.

Those two facts have raised alarm among some residents and social service agencies after President Trump signed his so-called “big, beautiful bill” that calls for significant reductions to both programs.

Beyond the impacts on individuals, the Medicaid cuts could also have unintended side effects on healthcare systems that receive Medicaid reimbursements for services provided to the poor and the sick. York County struggled for decades to expand medical services in rural areas.

President Donald Trump bangs a gavel after signing his signature bill of tax breaks and spending cuts at the White House in Washington, Friday, July 4, 2025.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)
Jenny Englerth, president and CEO of Family First Health, the York-based community health entity that serves vulnerable populations, said “health care costs will increase for everyone as the number of uninsured people grows.”

Under the legislation, the wealthiest households in America are expected to see a $12,000 income increase from the legislation, and the bill would cost the poorest people $1,600 a year, mainly due to reductions in Medicaid and food aid, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office analysis of the House’s version.

Jenny Englerth
“The Medicaid and Medicare cuts could be devastating for millions of Americans on the largely popular public healthcare program that, thanks to the “One Big Beautiful Bill” will have patients filling out more paperwork and jumping through more hoops to prove their eligibility.”

Read the full article here: York Dispatch News

Jenny Englerth
York Daily Record
July 1, 2025

When a neighborhood pharmacy closes its doors, the loss is far greater than a place to pick up prescriptions. Nearly one in four neighborhoods in the United States is now considered a “pharmacy desert,” with closures disproportionately impacting low-income, rural and Black and Latino communities.

The ripple effects threaten medication adherence, chronic disease management and even trust in the health care system itself. With several recent pharmacy closures in and around York City, we are seeing residents’ pharmacy access limited, especially in areas already facing non-medical health challenges like transportation, financial constraints and gaps in insurance coverage.

At Family First Health, we see these challenges play out every day in the lives of our patients. Delayed prescriptions or inaccessible medication can lead to complications, hospitalizations, and worsening health conditions. With more than 55 years of service in York, our mission has always been to remove the barriers that stand between our community and better health.

Jenny Englerth
As pharmacies close in York, accessible health care slips out of reach for many

We know that pharmacies play a vital role in keeping our neighborhoods healthy — offering easy access to medications, trusted health guidance, and preventative care close to home.

This moment calls for innovative, person-centered solutions, and Family First Health is ready to meet that challenge.

That’s why Family First Health will soon open Family First Pharmacy, expanding our integrated care model to make accessing prescriptions more affordable and convenient for all. Opening this on-site pharmacy builds on our legacy of putting patients first by offering trusted, personalized care and prescriptions all in one location.

Health care should never be out of reach. When care teams and medications are under one roof, we improve outcomes and change lives.

We invite every York resident, from longtime patients to downtown workers, to visit our new pharmacy this fall and experience how community-centered care can support health.

— Jenny Englerth is president and CEO of Family First Health.

See the full article here: Coming Soon Family First Pharmacy

We’re honored to be part of the movement making a difference across our community—especially in our schools.

Family First Health’s school-based health centers provide students with medical and behavioral health care where they need it most. Your support helps us break down barriers and bring essential services directly to kids, right in their schools.

Learn more about the impact of Give Local York in this feature from FOX43 News

A York County nonprofit was awarded a $1 million grant from the federal government that it hopes will help improve access to healthcare for individuals reentering the community from incarceration. By improving access to healthcare, the organization aims to reduce recidivism and improve health outcomes.

Family First Health was awarded the grant from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration to improve access to primary care for individuals reentering the community from incarceration at the York County Prison.

“This funding enables us to better support individuals reentering society by addressing their health needs early, paving the way for healthier, more stable lives. Together with York County, we are creating a stronger system of care that promotes positive outcomes for all residents,” Jenny Englerth, president and CEO of Family First Health, said in a news release.

Family First Health said it was the only health center in Pennsylvania selected for this funding and one of just 54 centers nationwide. The organization is partnering with the York County Reentry Coalition to deliver targeted services to incarcerated individuals nearing release.

“York County is a community that comes together through collaboration and innovation to solve some of our most pressing issues,” York County Commissioner Julie Wheeler said in the news release. “This innovative partnership with Family First Health is the first of its kind in Pennsylvania. Together, we are leading the way in addressing both the physical and behavioral healthcare needs of those who leave incarceration and reenter our community, creating a healthier York County.”

The grant was awarded on November 18, and the program officially began on December 1. Since then, Family First Health has been working in collaboration with the York County Reentry Coalition to establish a framework for this initiative, officials said.

Over the next few months, officials say the focus will be on hiring a nurse care manager and a community health worker to be based at the Reentry Opportunity Center, a subsection of the York County Reentry Coalition located on the York County Prison campus.

The focus of the program will be on chronic health condition identification and coordination of management with Prime Care, the jail’s medical provider; prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment for Hepatitis C, HIV, and other infectious diseases; screening for substance use concerns and providing bridge medications; connection to primary medical, dental, optometry, and podiatry care in the community upon release; assessing and providing bridge support and services for behavioral health concerns; and providing accessible pharmacy options for individuals pending release. The team will also support individuals participating in this program with health-related social needs including housing insecurity, food insecurity, financial strain, and lack of transportation or access to public transportation.

A provider and clinical care team member will provide services onsite at the prison, which include clinical assessment and screening for individuals pending release within 90 days.

The program will be piloted by targeting individuals on work release and minimum-risk incarcerated individuals at the prison.

Family First Health was founded in 1970 and offers a range of primary health, dental and social services in several south central Pennsylvania counties.

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