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Community Connections
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Learn about the partnerships between Health Policy USP and the Philadelphia community. Our faculty and students are engaged in innovative projects to improve the health and health care of our neighbors. |
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Featured Article
LENDING A HAND TO THE UNINSURED
USP Health Policy doctoral student is key to effort to establish a pro bono clinic in Southwest Philadelphia helping patients who are unable to afford rehab care
A Southwest Philadelphia resident diagnosed with West Nile Virus needed physical rehab care last year when his HMO informed him that he was not covered for treatment beyond his 16 visits to a health clinic. The then-mysterious disease affected his neuromuscular system to the extent where he could not use his right arm. Feeling abandoned by the medical system, he had nowhere to turn until a beacon of hope shined upon him with the offer of free treatment.
He stepped into a free pro bono clinic at Mercy Eastwick Wellness Center, located at 2821 Island Avenue, and he was instantly greeted and cared for by several University of the Sciences in Philadelphia (USP) physical therapy students. The man received extensive treatment and therapy at the clinic, and is now back to work and in his normal daily routine.
Through a collaboration with Mercy Rehab Associates, Philadelphia’s Department of Public Health and USP’s Department of Physical Therapy, students and Mercy staff have been providing uninsured residents with services such as physical therapy examination and treatment, wound care consultation, a fitness program and health insurance counseling.
A key member of the team that developed the clinic is USP Health Policy doctoral student Michael Johnson, PT, MS, OCS. He says the clinic has been a success from the moment the doors opened one year ago.
“The feedback we have gotten from our patients has been outstanding,” says Johnson. “The patient with the West Nile Virus was one of our first patients and one of the first people diagnosed with the virus. He had a lot of muscle weakness, but our students worked with him for three or four months. He and the many patients we deal with are very appreciative of the services we have to offer. The Mercy system loves it as well because one of Mercy’s missions is to provide care to the underserved, and you can’t get a better example than the patients we see who are uninsured.”
Johnson had several missions of his own in mind when he helped develop the pro bono clinic. He wanted to help local residents, improve the education and training of USP physical therapy students, and reinforce USP’s strong connection with the community. His vision came to fruition through this project.
“Physical therapists, as any health professionals, must look out for the welfare of the population, regardless of their ability to pay,” says Johnson. “Our students need clinical experience with patients, and the clinic helps them gain this experience above and beyond what they’re required to do as students. The clinic is also a great example of how the University is constantly developing ways to give back to the community. It’s a winning situation all around.”
Johnson’s vision for the facility became a bit blurry in the beginning due to a lack of funding, and then his plan went up in smoke … in a good way. He learned that the Pennsylvania Department of Health would give the clinic $100,000 as part of the tobacco settlement money awarded to Pennsylvania. The widely publicized settlement stipulated that some of the money allocated to each of the states should be used to pay back communities to increase access to health care.
The demand for the clinic has been so overwhelming that it expanded its hours from one night a week to three nights.
“We realized pretty quickly that there was a need for us to be there,” says Johnson. “Many of the patients we see have low back problems, shoulder injuries and other aches and pains. We have seen patients with traumatic brain injuries and strokes. We also have people who are two or three days out of surgery, but don’t have insurance to cover their physical therapy. Getting a turnout to the clinic has not been a problem at all.”
Getting student volunteers has not been a problem either. During each of the three nights the clinic is open during the week, five USP students are volunteering their services and two licensed physical therapists are on board to supervise. Johnson says the students are performing duties at different levels according to their year of study in the physical therapy program.
With Johnson’s leadership, USP’s Department of Physical Therapy formed a coalition with the Mercy Health System, Drexel University’s School of Public Health, Keystone Mercy Health Plan and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health to apply successfully for a $2.2. million federal grant to fund a coordinated system of care for the uninsured, of which the pro bono PT clinic is a major component. Johnson says this grant has ensured the clinic will continue to help the uninsured population of the West and Southwest Philadelphia area who desperately need physical rehabilitation and preventative care. “The grant will help us to create a circle of care for local residents,” says Johnson. “We’ll be able to offer them a variety of services from fitness to physical therapy to educational activities. We plan to have other USP students, such as those in the health psychology program, begin to provide services for our patients. I foresee this clinic being able to run effectively for many years to come,” he adds.
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