Thursday, September 24, 2020

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Public Health Management Corporation, Penn Medicine, Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic and Independence Blue Cross to Launch Innovative Health Care Collaboration in West Philadelphia

Transformation of Mercy Catholic Medical Center—Mercy Philadelphia Campus will feature high-quality health care and social services for the West Philadelphia community

PHILADELPHIA – A coalition of the region’s premier health care organizations announced today their intention to join forces to transform Mercy Philadelphia into a thriving, reimagined campus built on a guiding principle to provide high-quality, community-informed health care and services at an innovative public health campus designed to serve the needs of the facility’s West Philadelphia neighbors.

Coalition partners – Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC), Penn Medicine, Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic and Independence Blue Cross – plan to develop a campus focused on health equity for the surrounding West Philadelphia community. Its operations will rely heavily on a patient-centered approach to high-quality medical care and social services. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is also exploring the option to offer pediatric behavioral health services on the campus.

“For nearly 50 years, PHMC has been embedded in Philadelphia providing public health programs and services to individuals and families that address social determinants of health in communities,” said Richard J. Cohen , president and CEO of PHMC. “With our history and experience in West Philadelphia, we look forward to this exciting collaboration with these premier health partners to further support access to high-quality integrated health care and social services.”

The planned deal involves PHMC owning and operating the current Mercy Philadelphia facility, and leasing the space to community partners. A portion of the campus will include PHMC programming. PHMC will also lease space to Penn Medicine to run the facility’s emergency department and accompanying inpatient medical and behavioral health beds as a remote location for the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP). In addition to this oversight, Penn will provide both onsite and remote inpatient care, leveraging services from both HUP and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. Independence Blue Cross will support engagement of community-based, non-profit social services. Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic, the current hospital owner, will continue to serve the community through a variety of health care and social service programs.

Working together with other local health care and social service organizations, the coalition partners aim to create a multifaceted public health campus to ensure that members of the community have access to primary and community care, emergency services, limited acute care, expanded behavioral health services, and other social support services.

“We are committed to finding new solutions to ensure that West Philadelphia residents can easily receive health care services – especially from primary care providers, whose help provides the foundation for good health across all the regions we serve,” said Kevin B. Mahoney , Chief Executive Officer of the University of Pennsylvania Health System. “The COVID-19 epidemic has underscored the necessity of working together past the walls of individual institutions – collaboration and bringing together diverse expertise is the best way to make a difference for our communities.”

“At Independence we have pledged to work with the community and partner organizations to address racial inequities in the healthcare system. Across Philadelphia, Black residents experience higher rates of chronic conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and hypertension,” said Daniel J. Hilferty , Chief Executive Officer of Independence Blue Cross. “This unique collaboration will put the priorities and needs of West Philadelphia residents front and center. Together, we will enhance access to a range of services, with a new model for community health including critical social services to close the health gaps and inequities which have existed for far too long.”

While some acute care beds will be retained to support the emergency department, providers will work to connect patients to primary and community care providers. Unlike the recent closure of Hahnemann Hospital, which remains a stark example of the perils of any wind-down process, the coalition partners will provide an array of medical, behavioral and social service program options that will maintain – and ultimately improve – community access to care, while retaining jobs and ensuring the reimagined Mercy campus is a thriving center of activity.

PHMC, Penn Medicine, and Independence Blue Cross will explore community partnerships to identify supplemental offerings to address key community issues, such as food insecurity, health and wellness education, and activities to support the community. Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic began initial work in this area earlier this year following its announcement that it was seeking to transition the Mercy Philadelphia Campus from an inpatient hospital to a facility better suited to the needs of the community.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney applauded the coalition’s innovative collaboration.

“Thank you to the coalition partners for their planned and thoughtful approach in maintaining and enhancing necessary health care and social services in West Philadelphia,” Kenney said. “Now more than ever our residents deserve access to high-quality health care and social services in their communities. The City supports the efforts of the partners and this exciting opportunity to address the full spectrum of our residents’ health needs.”

“ This new partnership between PHMC, Penn Medicine, Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic and Independence Blue Cross provides an opportunity to maintain high-quality medical care at this
location – and to offer emergency medicine and social services to West Philadelphia residents,” said City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier. “I look forward to working together as we continue to serve the needs of our community.”

While Mercy Philadelphia’s physical plant will be transformed through this new collaboration, the Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic team will remain engaged with the community it has served for more than a century through several initiatives and by continuing to operate and expand the Mercy Senior Center.

“Earlier this year, we began a slow and deliberate process of transitioning this campus away from an inpatient hospital – a model we determined was not sustainable – shifting toward an approach better equipped to address the current and future needs of the West Philadelphia community,” said James Woodward , President and CEO of Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic. “We’ve done our best to include our patients, community and colleagues throughout this process, and we firmly believe the collaboration between PHMC, Penn Medicine, and Independence is best positioned to bring the right mix of services and care to the community for the long-term. We are committed to help make this as smooth a transition as possible.”

As the collaboration continues, the institutions will evaluate the need for additional services to complement the offerings at the new public health campus.

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About PHMC
Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) is a nonprofit public health institute that builds healthier communities through partnerships with government, foundations, businesses and community-based organizations. It fulfills its mission to improve the health of the community by providing outreach, health promotion, education, research, planning, technical assistance, and direct services.

PHMC has served the Greater Philadelphia region since 1972 as a facilitator, developer, intermediary, manager, advocate and innovator in the field of public health. With more than 3,000 employees, hundreds of programs and a network of subsidiary organizations, PHMC serves 350,000 clients annually and is one of the largest and most comprehensive public health organizations in the nation.

About Penn Medicine
Penn Medicine is one of the world’s leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation’s first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System , which together form a $8.6 billion enterprise.

The Perelman School of Medicine has been ranked among the top medical schools in the United States for more than 20 years, according to U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $494 million awarded in the 2019 fiscal year. The University of Pennsylvania Health System’s patient care facilities include: the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center—which are recognized as one of the nation’s top “Honor Roll” hospitals by U.S. News & World Report—Chester County Hospital; Lancaster General Health; Penn Medicine Princeton Health; and Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation’s first hospital, founded in 1751. Additional facilities and enterprises include Good Shepherd Penn Partners, Penn Medicine at Home, Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital, and Princeton House Behavioral Health, among others.

Penn Medicine is powered by a talented and dedicated workforce of more than 43,900 people. The organization also has alliances with top community health systems across both Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey, creating more options for patients no matter where they live. Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2019, Penn Medicine provided more than $583 million to benefit our community.

About Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic
Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic is a Regional Health System that includes Mercy Catholic Medical Center – Mercy Fitzgerald Campus in Darby, Pa.; Mercy Catholic Medical Center – Mercy Philadelphia Campus in West Philadelphia; Nazareth Hospital in Northeast Philadelphia; Saint Francis Healthcare in Wilmington, Del.; St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne, Pa., and home health and LIFE programs throughout the region. These entities include hospitals, associated clinics, medical offices, specialized facilities, affiliated
institutions and foundations serving together in the spirit of the Gospel as a compassionate and transforming healing presence within their communities. Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic is a member of Trinity Health.

About Independence Blue Cross
Independence Blue Cross is the leading health insurance organization in southeastern Pennsylvania. With our affiliates, we serve 8 million people nationwide. For more than 80 years, we have been enhancing the health and well-being of the people and communities we serve. We deliver innovative and competitively priced health care products and services; pioneer new ways to reward doctors, hospitals, and other health care professionals for coordinated, quality care; and support programs and events that promote wellness. To learn more, visit www.ibx.com. Connect with us on Facebook at facebook.com/ibx and on Twitter at @ibx. Independence Blue Cross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 19, 2020
Contact: Veronica Mikitka Reed, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 215-434-7194

Dawn Holden Woods, Public Health Management Corporation Chief Social Services Officer, Recognized as a “Minority Business Leader”

PHILADELPHIA, PA— Dawn Holden Woods, Chief Social Services Officer at Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC), has been named one of the Philadelphia Business Journal’s 2020 “Minority Business Leaders.”

The award recognizes the Philadelphia region's top minority business leaders based on demonstrated business success, community leadership, and philanthropy over the past 12 to 18 months. The honorees will be profiled in the publication’s special edition on August 21 and will be recognized at an event in the fall.

“During this time in our country, I am especially honored and humbled to be recognized by the Philadelphia Business Journal as one of its ‘Minority Business Leaders,’ and be included with such a distinguished group of recipients,” said Holden Woods. “I am extremely fortunate to have a career doing something that I am so passionate about, and I am humbled to be in a position that affects change in the lives of the children and families in Philadelphia.”

Holden Woods oversees all Child Development and Family Services, including PHMC subsidiary Turning Points for Children, where she served as CEO for the past three years; PHMC’s Research & Evaluation Group, Health Promotion Services and PHMC subsidiary Health Promotion Council. Holden Woods previously served as the Managing Director of Children and Family Social Services at PHMC and Chief Executive Officer of Turning Points for Children. In her previous role with Turning Points for Children, Holden Woods oversaw four Community Umbrella Agencies (CUAs) as part of the Department of Human Services’ Improving Outcomes for Children initiative, which is responsible for the safety, well-being and permanency of more than 5,500 children and their families. Her passion for helping Philadelphia communities has helped improve the lives of thousands of children and families in the region.

Holden’s commitment to improving the welfare of children was evident early on in her career when she was tapped for the role of CFO at Turning Points for Children at age 30. Under Holden Woods’ leadership, Turning Points for Children has grown to be one of the largest social service organizations providing a broad continuum of care including inpatient addiction services, foster care and adoption services for more than 17,000 children and adults.

Holden Woods was voted the Philadelphia Business Journal’s “40 under 40” in 2014 and “Nonprofit CFO of the Year” in 2010, and a Burlington-Camden Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi “Woman of Distinction” in 2009.

About PHMC
Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) is a nonprofit public health institute that creates and sustains healthier communities. PHMC uses best practices and evidence-based guidelines to improve community health through direct service, partnership, innovation, policy, research, technical assistance and a prepared workforce. PHMC has served the region since 1972. For more information on PHMC, visit www.phmc.org.

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STATEMENT OF RECORD
SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

Richard J. Cohen Honored with 2020 Trailblazer Award at Turning Points for Children’s Kids at Heart Gala

Virtual “Light Up the Night” event shines a spotlight on families made stronger and futures made brighter and recognizes local leaders

PHILADELPHIA – Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC), a nonprofit public health institute that creates and sustains healthier communities, is pleased to announce that Richard J. Cohen, President and CEO, was recognized at Turning Points for Children’s virtual “Light Up the Night” gala on Thursday, September 10. He was honored alongside Mike Innocenzo, President & CEO of PECO and Rakia Reynolds, Founder & CEO of Skai Blue Media for their impact on underserved communities in the region.

Richard J. Cohen was recognized with the 2020 Trailblazer award for leading one of the largest and most innovative public health organizations in the nation. Known as a social entrepreneur throughout his career, Richard is a visionary leader who has helped innovate the field of public health and not-for-profit management. He was honored for his steadfast dedication to the mission and enduring commitment to ensuring the well-being of PHMC staff and the community during this COVID-19 crisis.

“I’m incredibly humbled to be recognized by Turning Points for Children, an asset to the PHMC family and an organization dedicated to supporting local families,” said Cohen. “The inclusive team at Turning Points is doing a better and better job at finding the answers to real issues for vulnerable populations and creating public health responses that will best serve people for generations to come.”

Turning Points for Children has been in existence for 180 years and serves more than 17,000 vulnerable men, women and children through a continuum of care rooted in evidence-based programming and high-quality care. By connecting children and their caregivers to primary care,
behavioral health, financial services, parenting programs, workforce readiness and early childhood education, the organization is committed to providing a holistic, client-centered approach to delivering services.

All proceeds from “Light up the Night” will benefit Turning Points for Children programs and support its mission to build stronger families and brighter futures. Additional information on Turning Points for Children is available at https://www.turningpointsforchildren.org/.

About PHMC
Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) is a nonprofit public health institute that creates and sustains healthier communities. PHMC uses best practices and evidence-based guidelines to improve community health through direct service, partnership, innovation, policy, research, technical assistance and a prepared workforce. PHMC has served the region since 1972. For more information on PHMC, visit www.phmc.org.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JULY 28, 2020

Contact:
For Public Health Management Corporation
Emily Charles, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Public Health Management Corporation Announces C-Suite Additions

Sara Molina Robinson promoted to Chief Educational Services Officer

Dawn Holden Woods promoted to Chief Social Services Officer

Robert Block, CPA, named as Chief Financial Officer

PHILADELPHIA – Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC), a nonprofit public health institute that creates and sustains healthier communities, is pleased to announce several additions to the executive leadership team. Two new Chief-level positions have been created to represent PHMC’s public health work and have been filled with members of the organization’s leadership team. Sara Molina-Robinson has been promoted to Chief Educational Services Officer and Dawn Holden Woods has been promoted to Chief Social Services Officer. In addition, Robert Block, CPA, has been named Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and joins PHMC from Community Health Center Inc. in Connecticut. These new leadership positions cap an exciting year of growth for the organization and aim to foster continued integration and collaboration across the enterprise.

“I’d like to give a warm welcome to Bob Block and extend my deepest congratulations to Sara and Dawn, whose years of hard work and unwavering dedication have positively impacted the lives of countless children, individuals and families in Greater Philadelphia,” said Richard J. Cohen, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of PHMC. “The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us just how critical our work in public health is. Sara, Dawn and Bob will be tremendous additions to the executive team as we continue to serve communities in need across our region.”

As Chief Educational Services Officer Molina-Robinson will manage PHMC’s Special Education and Support Services portfolio, Child Development and Family Services and PHMC’s subsidiary National Nurse-Led Care Consortium (NNCC). She began her career with PHMC in 1992 as a Family Support Coordinator, successfully rising through the ranks to Managing Director during her nearly 30-year tenure with the organization. Prior to her current position, Molina-Robinson served as the Managing Director of Special Education and Support Services, where she oversaw the ChildLink and PersonLink programs and specialized schools, Fairwold Academy and the Mill Creek School. Notably, she spearheaded the launch of PersonLink’s integrated employment initiative PersonWorks – the first-of-its kind among any Pennsylvania Supports Coordination Organization. Her expertise in the field and her tireless work in the development and management of program components ensures high-quality services, efficiency, sustainability and program growth.

As Chief Social Services Officer Holden Woods will oversee PHMC’s subsidiary Turning Points for Children and The Bridge, PHMC’s Research & Evaluation Group, Health Promotion Services and PHMC’s subsidiary Health Promotion Council. Holden Woods previously served as the Managing Director of Children and Family Social Services at PHMC and Chief Executive Officer of Turning Points for Children. In her role as Managing Director, Holden Woods oversaw four Community Umbrella Agencies (CUAs) as part of the Department of Human Services’ Improving Outcomes for Children initiative, which is responsible for the safety, well-being and permanency of more than 5,500 children and their families. Her passion for helping Philadelphia communities has helped improve the lives of thousands of children and families in the region. Holden Woods was recently recognized as one of the region’s top minority business leaders for 2020 by Philadelphia Business Journal.

As CFO, Block is responsible for the fiscal oversight, control and related operations for PHMC and its hundreds of programs and network of subsidiaries. Block brings more than 35 years of experience in finance, accounting and operations, having most recently served as CFO for Community Health Center Inc., a federally qualified health center that provides primary care, dental and behavioral health services through 19 clinics and more than 110 school-based health centers in Connecticut. Block’s previous roles have included Vice President of Finance at St. Vincent’s Medical Center, Chief Financial Officer of the Jewish Home for the Aged, Chief Administrative Officer at the APT Foundation, Director of Finance at American Medical Response, Manager of Budget and Finance at Yale-New Haven Hospital, and CEO of The AuctionBlocks (a company he founded and ran for ten years). He earned his BS in Accounting and Finance from The Wharton School and later earned his MS in Public Policy from The University of Pennsylvania.

About PHMC
Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) is a nonprofit public health institute that creates and sustains healthier communities. PHMC uses best practices and evidence-based guidelines to improve community health through direct service, partnership, innovation, policy, research, technical assistance and a prepared workforce. PHMC has served the region since 1972. For more information on PHMC, visit www.phmc.org.

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