West Philadelphia Health Fair
Time to Check Up on the Wellness of West Philly
The Solution
An alliance of Penn graduate students from across the University of Pennsylvania are hoping to make a dent in the problem by providing health services to West Philadelphia adults and children who are underserved by medical care. All student volunteers were asked to perform tasks learned in their programs, which lead to 10 different stations including Women's Health, Pediatric Health, Nutrition, Neurology, and Insurance Services, and more. Doctors and practitioners from the surrounding area also joined to provide specialize exams and to foster a better relationship with the West Philly community. Over 300 attendees were present, ranging from 3-65 years old, predominantly African American and Hispanic with 5th grade level health literacy.
The Challenge
Despite a growing number of people covered by health insurance due to the Affordable Care Act, routine health care remains difficult to access for many individuals in the United States, including the population of Philadelphia.
