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News

October 10, 2024

York Daily Record: Health center for students opens at York High

October 10, 2024: Family First Health marked the grand opening of its new school-based health center at
William Penn Senior High School with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday, Oct. 9.

This facility will provide comprehensive healthcare services to more than 1,800 students,
ensuring they have easy access to quality care while minimizing the amount of time they are
outside the classroom for medical needs, according to a news release.

The health center will address students’ physical and mental health needs, including routine
check-ups, vaccinations, mental health counseling and more.

The York County Economic Alliance hosted the event, featuring comments from Jenny
Englerth, Family First Health President and CEO, Dr. George Fitch, assistant superintendent
of student services, Mayor Michael Helfrich
and others.

Category iconIn the News

September 24, 2024

WGAL News 8: New health center opens at William Penn High School in York

YORK, Pa. —

 

A new medical center opened Monday at William Penn High School in York.

The center will offer comprehensive primary medical and behavioral health care to students, primarily those who are underserved and have limited access to care.

The School District of the City of York said the center will improve academic success by reducing the amount of time students are outside the classroom to receive medical care.

“If there are acute problems or if there’s a need for a wellness check, students can come down with an appointment if they are registered. They can have that appointment here at the school, not leave, not get any absences from school. It’s a convenience,” Superintendent Andrea Berry-Brown said.

Family First Health is running the health center.

It said many families in York face significant barriers to accessing medical care for their children, including the inability to miss work, limited transportation, lack of health insurance and high costs of treatment.

The see video, click on WGAL William Penn Segment 09.23.24

Category iconIn the News

September 23, 2024

FOX43: New health center opens in William Penn Senior High School to treat students at school

Author: Kayleigh Johnson
Published: 11:19 AM EDT September 23, 2024
Updated: 11:19 AM EDT September 23, 2024

YORK, Pa. — Students in a York school district now have easier access to medical care thanks to a new school-based health center.

Family First Health’s clinic in the School District of the City of York will provide the nearly 2,000 students at William Penn Senior High School with comprehensive primary medical and behavioral healthcare, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay.

“We know that when healthcare is accessible on school campuses, it improves academic success by reducing the amount of time students are outside of the classroom to receive medical care,” said Jenny Englerth, Family First Health president and CEO. “Starting today, we will provide care to the students at William Penn Senior High School to further support healthcare accessibility and student success in York.”

District officials say 55% of students in the SDCY live in acute poverty. In 2018, the district reported that 28% of its students did not finish the year in the school they started in.

Poverty, the inability to miss work, limited transportation, lack of health insurance and high costs of treatment are just some of the barriers parents in York face when trying to access medical attention for their children.

“Accessible healthcare in our high school is vital to supporting both the physical and mental well-being of our students, ensuring they have access to essential medical resources,” says Dr. Andrea Berry-Brown, superintendent of the School District of the City of York. “Through our incredible partnership with Family First Health, students receive regular health assessments that help identify potential issues early on. This proactive approach allows for timely interventions, creating a healthier learning environment while promoting lifelong wellness habits.”

The clinic in William Penn Senior High School is FFH’s second school-based health center in York County. The first, at Hannah Penn Pre-K-8, offers primary care, integrated behavioral health care and health and wellness coaching to more than 40% of the students at the school, benefitting nearly 2,000 families, organizers say.

“I commend Family First Health’s dedication to making sure every child is covered, regardless of their family’s financial situation and I am so excited to now have their presence at York City’s William Penn Senior High School,” says Representative Carol Hill-Evans. “Health care is not just about treating illnesses but about fostering an environment where children can thrive both in and outside the classroom. When students are healthy, they are better able to focus, participate and succeed in school.”

The National Health Institute conducted a study and found that opening a school-based health center during their study period was associated with a 4.1% increase in overall graduation rate and improved GPAs, FFH said. Similarly, a study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health which examined 17 school-based health centers in a large urban area, found that students experienced a 1.02% monthly decline in attendance before receiving mental health care. After their first mental health appointment, their attendance improved by 1.44% per month. These findings show that with access to healthcare, students not only improve academically but enhances their overall wellbeing, FFH said.

Parents can sign their students up for medical services at William Penn Senior High School here.

The form is available in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole.

Category iconIn the News

August 27, 2024

York Dispatch: ‘Resource for them’: This is how William Penn High School’s new health center will help students

Students attending William Penn Senior High School this fall can expect one major change coming soon — though it’s a change that will benefit the well-being of the entire student body.

Family First Health’s new school-based health center will be open soon, just after the start of the school year, providing students with on-site care and behavioral health support.

“Research has shown that school-based health centers are valuable for both health outcomes, but also educational outcomes,” said Amy Chamberlin, the senior director of development at Family First Health. “Because it’s in the school, students won’t have to leave. They’ll be in the classroom more.”

This is Family First Health’s second school-based health center in York City, with its first being located at Hannah Penn K-8.

The Hannah Penn facility has been a success story for Family First Health for the last 27 years, prompting a desire to expand to other schools in York City, Chamberlin said.

With this project in the works for the last couple of years, construction will finally come to a head this fall.

“We’re excited to open our new school-based health center in the school soon, making sure these students are happy and healthy!” Family First Health announced in a Facebook post. “Good luck to all of the York City School District students going back to the classrooms this week!”

In total, the facility will contain two exam rooms, one consult room and a refrigerator and freezer for vaccines. Family First Health will employ a physician assistant who will be starting out over there as a provider and a host of supporting staff.

This includes a site lead medical assistant, medical receptionist, community health worker, behavioral consulting associate and health center coordinator.

“They can expect what they would get at a regular doctor’s office,” Chamberlin said, adding that the facility will support preventive and chronic care, long-term care and acute care for diagnostic purposes.

Additional resources will include family planning work and behavioral health support, she added.

“When patients come to our centers, they go through a screening that could detect anxiety and depression,” Chamberlin explained. “So if something comes up in that screening, we’ll be able to do a handoff to the behavioral health consultant and they’ll be able to come in and provide resources to support that student.”

During the 2023-24 school year, William Penn’s school nurse received more than 10,000 school visits, Chamberlin said.

Chamberlin said she wanted to be clear that the new health facility will not replace or eliminate William Penn’s school nurse — but rather provide additional support.

“One of the reasons that they wanted us to come is to support the school nurses because they are sometimes overwhelmed with students that come to see them,” she said. “And some of the things like chronic health conditions, diabetes, asthma, sickle cell disorder, things like that, the nurses can’t really support them with. So this will be a resource for them.”

Category iconIn the News

August 15, 2024

ABC27: New school-based health center opening at William Penn Sr. High in York

YORK, Pa. (WHTM) — It’s a first of its kind for an area high school and, Wednesday, we got our first look inside.

Family First is opening a new school-based health center inside York’s William Penn High School.

Workers are putting the finishing touches on it.

It will be far more extensive than your typical school nurse’s office.

“Nurse practitioners, physicians assistants and physicians will be rotating through this site so we can provide comprehensive primary care, which will include, acute care,” said Jenny Englerth, President and CEO of Family First Health. “We really want to be their primary care provider.”

The idea is that students won’t have to choose between missing a doctor’s appointment for school, or vice versa.

Family First also has an in-school pediatric clinic inside the Hannah Penn K-8 school.

Watch the video here.

Category iconIn the News

August 9, 2024

Building a Brighter Future for York’s Students Starts with Accessible Healthcare

By Jenny Englerth

Millions of children nationwide are missing a significant number of school days for health-related reasons. While illness cannot always be prevented, more can be done to provide healthcare access to families to make it easier for kids to return to the classroom in less time.

A March 2024 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics found 5.8 percent of school-aged children in the U.S. experienced chronic absenteeism in 2022 for health reasons. That correlates to about 2.9 million students ages 5 to 17 who missed more than 15 days of school. Those missed days can lead to poorer academic performance and school engagement and increased risk for dropping out of school.

The problem is even worse for families struggling to make ends meet. A total of 7.9 percent of children in the study’s lowest income bracket were chronically absent due to injury, illness or disability.

Providing affordable, accessible health care to students can help more children get to school and stay in their classrooms. At Family First Health, a federally qualified health center (FQHC) serving patients at eight locations in Central Pennsylvania, we’ve seen the impact first-hand.

FFH’s Hannah Penn Center is the only school-based health center in York County. The health center provides pediatric care, routine health exams, preventive care, referrals and integrated behavioral health services to 40 percent of the students at the school. In addition to health services, FFH leads health and wellness lessons, supports school events and programs, distributes hundreds of hygiene products and books and forms connections with students in need of emotional support.

That kind of success can be emulated elsewhere. We want to be a part of bringing health care access to even more of the bright young minds in our community. That’s why we are looking towards the future of school-based healthcare and expanding our reach to William Penn Senior High School at the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year.

The journey to being a healthy adult is challenging for all young people, but some face a steeper climb.  At William Penn Senior High School, 55 percent of the district’s students experience acute poverty and the district reported a 28 percent transiency rate in 2018. These families often face significant barriers when it comes to getting their children medical care, such as missing work, finding transportation, lack of insurance and affording treatment.

FFH’s new school-based health center at William Penn Senior High School will provide primary medical and behavioral healthcare to students in school regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. Students will get the support and care they need so health is not one of their barriers to engaging in education.

Patient visits to the center will reduce the amount of time students are outside of the classroom and provide much-needed support for the school nursing staff. Students will not need to leave school for a half or full day to see a doctor. Challenges related to transportation will be eliminated as students will be able to walk down the hall to get the care they need.

Meanwhile, the center will support overall student well-being, which has been shown to increase attendance, improve graduation rates and decrease dropout rates setting students up for success as they prepare to join the workforce.

Our community will be stronger in the future, if together, we support today’s students by investing in their health and education. With this new school-based health center, we can develop an environment where more children have the opportunity to thrive academically and personally. Let’s come together as a community to ensure that students are plugged into the resources and opportunities they need to achieve their best health, today and in the future.

Jenny Englerth is the President and CEO of Family First Health

Category iconNews

August 5, 2024

Family First Health CEO to Present at NACHC’s 2024 Community Health Institute (CHI) & EXPO Jenny Englerth to Share Insights on Strategic Community Advocacy Efforts

Jenny Englerth
Jenny Englerth, President & CEO of Family First Health

YORK, PA – (August 5, 2024) – Family First Health (FFH) is pleased to announce that Jenny Englerth, CEO of Family First Health, has been selected from among hundreds of submissions to present at the 2024 Community Health Institute (CHI) & EXPO national convention in Atlanta, GA., hosted by the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) in August. This event is the nation’s premier gathering of Community Health Centers, attracting healthcare professionals dedicated to advancing health equity and providing accessible primary care.

The 2024 CHI & EXPO will address significant challenges facing health centers amid a backdrop of Medicaid redeterminations and growing competition for primary care providers. It will offer a platform for health centers to share innovative solutions and best practices, while also focusing on new disciplines, collaboration, workforce development, technology, and innovative models of care that address both social drivers of health and emerging public health issues.

With more than 25 years dedicated to enhancing the health of vulnerable populations, Englerth has built an impressive career with federally qualified community health centers. As the President & CEO of Family First Health, a not-for-profit healthcare system, she spearheads efforts to provide high-quality, cost-effective care to both urban and rural communities throughout south-central Pennsylvania. Her expertise and influence have been recognized in leading media outlets, including ProPublica, WITF’s Smart Talk, MSN.com, Fox 43, ABC27, Yahoo! News, Central Penn Business Journal, and PennLive. 

She will share how consistent storytelling and media engagement have positioned Family First Health’s leadership as community health advocates, leading to increased visibility and influence. The session will highlight the importance of aligning PR strategies with organizational goals, setting and monitoring KPIs, and developing innovative campaigns that engage new audiences and build credibility.

“I am honored to present at the 2024 Community Health Institute & EXPO. At Family First Health, we have seen firsthand the transformative power of strategic advocacy and taking control of our narrative to elevate our mission and amplify our health outcomes,” Englerth said. “I look forward to sharing our journey and insights on how health centers can leverage media relations, storytelling, and thought leadership to advance health equity, affirming our position as a provider, employer and partner of choice.” 

Englerth, along with co-presenter Amanda Peterson Martin, Senior Account Director, Health and Human Services – Public Relations at GAVIN™, will lead the session entitled “Advocacy in Action: Engaging Stakeholders and Leveraging Strategic Publicity for Community Health Centers” on Sunday, Aug. 25, from 8:45 to 10 a.m. ET at the national convention in Atlanta, GA. This session will explore the integration of strategic public relations and community advocacy.

Family First Health (FFH), serves over 25,000 patients in Pennsylvania, and has used strategic media and public relations for more than a decade to elevate its mission, resulting in over $20.7 million in publicity value, leading to increased partnership opportunities, support from larger donors and funding sources, employee evangelism, and increases in patient trust and engagement.

To learn more about the CHI & Expo Conference and to register, click here. 

About Family First Health

Founded in 1970, York Health Corporation, now Family First Health, is a non-profit, federally qualified health center dedicated to providing a broad range of primary health, dental care and social services at its sites on South George Street in York, Columbia, Gettysburg, Hanover, Hannah Penn K-8 School, Lebanon, and Lewisberry. As a Federally Qualified Health Center, Family First Health offers a reduced fee program for the uninsured and accepts most other health insurances. For more information regarding the programs and services offered through Family First Health, please visit the website at www.familyfirsthealth.org. Se habla español.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Amy Chamberlin | 717-801-4808 | achamberlin@familyfirsthealth.org

Category iconPress Releases

July 22, 2024

York Daily Record: A healthy re-start program in York focuses on mind and body for ex-offenders

The people who ex-offenders cross paths with the days and weeks after they leave prison is crucial to their success. Bro2Go, an empowerment organization for those who have served time and at-risk youth, has partnered with Family First Health to help launch a healthy start for these men and women.

“It’s vitally important to have organizations … family members, friends that are connecting with their loved ones that are incarcerated, because everyone makes a mistake, everyone goes down the wrong road,” Da’Laine Simpson, founder and CEO of Bro2Go said while launching a partnership with Family First Health.

Simpson said that he is in York County and Dauphin County prison on a weekly basis.

The organization helps those leaving prison with emergency shelter, obtaining valid identification, aids in workforce development, resume writing, searching for jobs and helping to obtain tools for work, like protective gear, Simpson said.

With an office in York at 101 S. Queen St. and in Harrisburg at 1821 Fulton St., Bro2Go serves at-risk, ex-offenders from York, Dauphin and Cumberland counties.

Simpson learned of Family First Health through their social media presence and thought that a partnership was a natural evolution for both services.

“As a federally qualified health center, we work with individuals that are under-insured, any medical, dental or optical. … We do a lot of work with reentry, we also go to the York County Prison. We try to meet individuals where they are,” Erin Schmidt, community medical program manager for Family First Health said.

Simpson said that the partnership is important to make ex offenders aware that the resource exists as they relaunch their lives.

“Your health is the most important thing you can do,” Simpson highlights as a foundation for success in life.

“It’s that one person that is looking out for someone to help them, to pick them up, a person to lean on and guide them along the way that will make the difference” that Simpson sees as a game changer for someone exiting prison.

Watch the video here.

Category iconIn the News

July 22, 2024

York Dispatch: This is how York City’s Bro2Go is helping ex- offenders ‘who need a chance’

Da’Laine Simpson served time in jail for 90 days, and it took him exactly 90 days to change his entire outlook on life.

“A lot of individuals never thought about having an exit plan when they come home,” Simpson said. “It takes all of us to work together to change the lives of these individuals who need a chance.”

While serving time at Dauphin County Prison, Simpson began shaping the framework for what would become Bro2Go — a nonprofit based in Harrisburg providing assistance to formerly incarcerated folks reentering their communities.

On Wednesday morning, Simpson chatted with Family First Health employees who set up a table at Bro2Go’s York location. The two organizations recently partnered this year to provide free blood pressure screenings and HIV testing to ex-offenders who need it.

Family First Health staffers also helped formerly incarcerated individuals enroll in and navigate insurance. While inmates might go for health screenings and have access to medication while serving time — how do those individuals continue receiving health care once released?

“We’re making sure that when these individuals get out, they have medical coverage. That way they are sustaining on their medicine and they’re not going backward,” Simpson said. “So having the partnership with Family First is vital to the reentry community.”

Under the Federal Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Policy, incarceration automatically strips inmates of their Medicaid coverage. There is no equivalent system to reconnect released prisoners with health insurance, according to the Boston University School of Public Health.

Erin Schmidt, community medical program manager at Family First Health, said the most important thing for her is eliminating all barriers to care. As such, the organization often collaborates with senior centers, homeless shelters — and now, Bro2Go, too.

“I have a very wonderful nurse and community health worker who will greet you with a smile and be more than happy to help you with any of your needs and talk to you privately,” Schmidt said.

By noon on Wednesday, not a single person stopped by Bro2Go’s York Location at 101 S. Queen St. in York City. The organizers said that such pop-up events can be hit or miss.

Schmidt said the stiflingly hot weather may have also played a role. That won’t stop them from continuing to get the word out, however.

Though this is the first event collaboration between Family First Health and Bro2Go, Simpson said this won’t be the last chance to receive medical care for ex-offenders.

At its York location, Bro2Go currently serves five juvenile clients and 21 adults. As part of its outreach program, Simpson and his team visit York County Prison every Monday and Wednesday to meet with both incarcerated men and women and hold life skill seminars.

The nonprofit also has a location in Harrisburg, located at 1821 Fulton St.

“What I want to connect with people is that you’re not alone. My biggest message is that you are not alone,” Simpson added. “We can take care of your basic needs support. I can show you the path and I can get you on a path.”

Category iconIn the News

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