STATEMENT OF RECORD RELEASE
November 4, 2022
Media Contact:
For Public Health Management Corporation
Emily Charles, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 215-589-7183
Public Health Management Corporation Awarded $3M HRSA Grant
Funds will support the development and implementation of a Community Health Worker Training Program
PHILADELPHIA – Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC), a nonprofit public health institute that creates and sustains healthier communities, has been awarded a $3 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW) to launch a Community Health Worker (CHW) Training Program in Pennsylvania and Delaware. The grant is part of $226.5 million in American Rescue Plan funding to increase the number of community health workers throughout the country, strengthen the public health workforce, and reduce health disparities.
CHWs play a critical role in connecting vulnerable communities to care, including COVID-19 care, mental health and substance use disorder prevention, treatment and recovery services, chronic disease management, and other important health services. PHMC will partner with subsidiary National Nurse-Led Care Consortium (NNCC) to implement a new, three-year initiative with the goal of building trust, empowering CHWs, and engaging communities and individuals. Plans include providing competency-based training, technical assistance for new and seasoned health service workers, and connecting CHWs with internships, apprenticeships, and on-the-job training programs.
“As trusted messengers representing the diversity of the communities they serve, CHWs are uniquely positioned to advance health equity by connecting individuals to necessary public health resources, primary care, and behavioral health services,” said Stephanie Shell, Managing Director of Strategy Development at PHMC. “We are thankful HRSA, and the Biden Administration is recognizing the important role CHWs play – especially at this time of stark health inequities – and we look forward to further supporting the health care workforce and bridging access to care.”
HRSA estimates an increased demand for CHWs of up to 11 percent between 2016 and 2030, and the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates the current CHW shortage of 7.2 million to grow to 18 million by 2030 worldwide. Through the new program, HRSA aims to train more than 13,000 CHWs throughout the U.S., with PHMC hoping to reach more than 240 across Delaware and Pennsylvania.
This grant builds on PHMC work to support CHWs throughout the region and arm them with the information and resources to reach underserved individuals and families. In September 2022, PHMC launched the HRSA funded “My Vaccine Counts” campaign to provide CHWs with toolkits, videos, and training to help increase COVID-19 vaccinations in Pennsylvania and Delaware.
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 RELEASE
OCTOBER 31, 2022
Media Contact:
For Public Health Management Corporation
Jessica Sharp, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
PHMC Awarded Additional $2.69 Million RACP Grant to Support PHMC Public Health Campus on Cedar
PHMC wins a third round of funding from PA’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program
PHILADELPHIA – Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC), a nonprofit public health institute that creates and sustains healthier communities, has been awarded a $2.69 million Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This is PHMC’s third round of RACP funding, bringing its total to $6.44 million. The first two rounds of RACP funding have been used to support the ongoing development of the PHMC Public Health Campus on Cedar, an innovative and integrated public health campus designed to serve the needs of the West and Southwest Philadelphia communities.
PHMC will use this most recent award to support the expansion of its outpatient programs for adults and children, and to begin the construction phase of an adult and child/adolescent outpatient mental health and substance use disorder program.
“We are humbled and proud to have been awarded the RACP grant for a third time,” said Richard J. Cohen, PHMC President and CEO. “The work we are doing through our PHMC Public Health Campus on Cedar demonstrates the power of collaboration, partnership and engagement with the community. Our great thanks to local elected officials, core partners and community supporters as we look to our shared vision of an integrated health and wellness campus with a focus on serving our West and Southwest Philadelphia neighbors.”
The RACP funds are supporting the renovation, restoration and development of the PHMC Public Health Campus on Cedar, which opened on March 25, 2021. PHMC is working with partners – Penn Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Independence Blue Cross Foundation – to transform the site into a 21st century hub for health and wellness. The project also supports local job retention and job growth, with an estimated $217 million in economic impact based on an independent review from Econsult Solutions, Inc.
PHMC would like to thank the following individuals for their support, encouragement and letters of support for the Campus: Senator Anthony Williams, Senator Vincent Hughes, Representatives Rick Krajewski, Amen Brown, Matt Bradford and Joanna McClinton, and Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, as well as the community leaders and Cedar core partners.
The RACP is a Commonwealth-funded grant program that supports the acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational and historical improvement projects. Additional information about the program can be found on the Office of the Budget’s website at www.budget.pa.gov.
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
SEPTEMBER 21, 2022
Media Contact:
For Public Health Management Corporation
Amanda Piccirilli-Hall, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
My Vaccine Counts Campaign Launches to Promote COVID-19 Vaccines in Under-Served and Under-Vaccinated Communities in Pennsylvania and Delaware
Toolkits, videos, trainings and a website now available to consumers and community health workers
PHILADELPHIA – Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC), a nonprofit public health institute that creates and sustains healthier communities, received an $11 million grant from the Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA) to conduct a Community Health Worker (CHW) COVID-19 vaccine outreach initiative - My Vaccine Counts - aimed to increase COVID-19 vaccination and booster doses across communities in Pennsylvania and Delaware. PHMC partnered with its subsidiary, Pennsylvania Public Health Association (PPHA) and the Delaware Academy of Medicine/DE Public Health Association in both states.
The grant also supports a COVID-19 vaccine media campaign to raise awareness by reaching individuals in their local community through traditional and digital media. The campaign launched recently and supplements the on-the-ground efforts by CHWs and Community Health Organizations working with PHMC.
My Vaccine Counts offers free resources and support to consumers, CHWs and local organizations to help reduce COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among the unvaccinated and under vaccinated. The campaign’s focus is primarily in vulnerable and under-resourced communities, in addition to newly identified individuals eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
“As a public health institute, we exist to ensure that every person and community has what they need to achieve optimal health, including factual information about and access to vaccinations,” said Stephanie Shell, Managing Director of Strategy Development at PHMC and Executive Director of PPHA. “The My Vaccine Counts campaign provides resources, toolkits, and face-to-face support in local communities to address hesitancies about the COVID-19 vaccine and educate residents with facts and research highlighting the benefits of vaccination.”
To date, PHMC has contracted with 22 community-based organizations and have deployed more than 80 CHWs in Pennsylvania and Delaware communities. PHMC identifies, engages, trains and supports CHWs to connect them with individuals in underserved communities to achieve better health outcomes. This initiative employs a multi-faceted approach of deploying CHWs, imparting ongoing trainings and toolkits, strategies to engage communities in meaningful conversations about their health, community outreach events, a strategic communications media campaign and education materials to educate communities to overcome myths about the COVID-19 vaccine.
“The PHMC HRSA grant has allowed us to continue our grassroots and hyperlocal partnerships-based work as part of our CATE (Community-Accessible Testing & Education) program,” said George Fernandez, Founder and CEO of Latino Connection. “We deliver free, essential COVID-19 resources and education to marginalized communities that have been severely impacted by major social, economic, and health disparities. Our teams continue to reach folks who are receiving their first dose, almost three years into this pandemic. A notable success of the CATE program is that it spans the borders of private-public partnerships and brought a complex idea to fruition in a matter of only a few months.”
PHMC’s media campaign includes videos, digital ads and collateral materials launched in PA and DE counties with low vaccination rates. The creative strategy aims at disrupting the saturated media market through humor and getting the attention of families and youth to learn more or to get their vaccine and booster. With the tagline, “You never know what life throws at you,” these series of videos catch the viewer’s attention featuring people getting caught by surprise through entertaining situations that cannot be controlled and urging people to prepare for some things you can control like getting vaccinated. The digital campaign will run on social channels including Facebook, Instagram, Google Display, Snapchat and You Tube. Traditional media in urban and rural counties includes advertising at grocery and convenience stores, shopping malls, bars/casual dining, pharmacies, doctors’ offices and gyms.
To view My Vaccine Counts resources, research, vaccination sites, campaign videos, CHW eligibility and more, visit www.myvaccinecounts.org.
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 3,500 employees, hundreds of programs and a network of subsidiary organizations, PHMC serves hundreds of thousands of clients annually and is one of the largest and most comprehensive public health organizations in the nation.
About Pennsylvania Public Health Association
Pennsylvania Public Health Association (PPHA), a subsidiary of Public Health Management Corporation and a state affiliate of the American Public Health Association, is an all-membership organization working to promote the health of Pennsylvania residents. PPHA does this through the advancement of sound public health polices and practice.
About Delaware Academy of Medicine/Delaware Public Health Association
Delaware Academy of Medicine (Academy) is a private, nonprofit organization founded in 1930 with a mission to enhance the well-being of the community through medical education and the promotion of public health. The educational initiatives span the spectrum from consumer health education to continuing medical education conferences.
In 2013 the Academy was designated as Delaware’s affiliate to the American Public Health Association (APHA) and took on the second name “Delaware Public Health Association” (DPHA). In 2020 the Academy/DPHA was recognized as APHA’s “Affiliate of the Year” for its novel work on behalf of both medicine and public health, and as publisher of the Delaware Journal of Public Health, Delaware’s only PubMed indexed periodical dedicated to public health and related topics.
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STATEMENT OF RECORD
OCTOBER 6, 2022
Media Contact:
For Public Health Management Corporation
Jessica Sharp, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
PHMC Announces the Retirement of Dr. Richard J. Cohen as President and CEO
After 42 years in his role, Dr. Cohen will transition his focus to leading the Public Health Fund, PHMC’s foundation
PHILADELPHIA – Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) announced President and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Richard J. Cohen will retire at the end of this calendar year after nearly five decades of steadfast leadership. Recognized nationally as an authority in the public health arena, Dr. Cohen has held the position of President and CEO since 1980 – 42 of the agency’s 50-year history. He will transition to the Public Health Fund (PHF), PHMC’s foundation, where he will continue his leadership role in advancing the Fund’s mission to support PHMC and the collective work of public health across the Greater Philadelphia region.
As the leader of one of the largest and most comprehensive public health agencies in the country, Dr. Cohen has led with the singular focus to create and sustain healthier communities and achieve positive outcomes for the region’s most vulnerable. He has been a key influencer, thought leader and visionary in transforming public health by broadening its definition and scope; integrating services to best meet the needs of individuals, families and communities; and establishing groundbreaking partnerships that prompt cross-sector collaboration and public health innovation.
PHMC’s work is grounded in science, using best practices and evidence-based guidelines in partnership with government, foundations, businesses and community-based organizations. PHMC addresses social determinants of health through direct service, intermediary services, and research and evaluation. PHMC currently employs more than 3,000 people and provides services to hundreds of thousands of individuals annually through its family of programs and subsidiary organizations. PHMC’s broad array of services includes programming across several distinct areas: Health Services, Addiction Services, Mental Health Services, Community Engagement, Child Development and Family Services, Health Promotion Services, Nurse-Led Care, Child and Family Social Services, Research and Evaluation, and Special Education Programs and Support Services.
“Richard is a visionary leader who has helped innovate the field of public health and nonprofit management,” said Sam Patterson, Chairperson, PHMC Board of Directors. “Under his profound leadership, PHMC’s operating budget has grown to $500 million and the organization produces an annual economic impact of $986 million across Pennsylvania. At a time when PHMC celebrates 50 years of public health work, we are enormously proud of and grateful for Richard’s steady leadership and clear vision. His impacts will be felt for generations to come.”
Among Dr. Cohen’s many significant contributions is the recent opening of the PHMC Public Health Campus on Cedar, an innovative and integrated public health campus developed in partnership with Penn Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Independence Blue Cross Foundation. His focus on location-based services is also evidenced PHMC’s transformative new multi-program space at 4601 Market Street. Additionally, Dr. Cohen established the Pennsylvania and Delaware Public Health Institutes, created the PHMC Health Network integrating physical and behavioral health and social services and initiated a multitude of public/private partnerships. Professionally Dr. Cohen has contributed to more than 30 publications and conference presentations locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. Nationally, PHMC’s Research and Evaluation Group improves the health of communities by producing timely, effective data that clients across the country use to inform public health solutions. Dr. Cohen’s commitment to sound fiscal and organizational management has helped more than 20 nonprofits continue to provide critical health, human and social services through strategic affiliations with PHMC, resulting in increased service delivery to populations most in need.
Dr. Cohen has held board leadership roles in many distinguished organizations that include the American Public Health Association, Social Current, Evident Change, Pennsylvania Public Health Association, College of Physicians of Philadelphia, American College of Health Care Executives, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and Penn Medicine.
The Executive Committee of PHMC’s Board of Directors has engaged Diversified Search Group to help identify PHMC’s next leader and is working closely with PHMC executive management to ensure a seamless transition.
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
AUGUST 24, 2022
Media Contact:
For Public Health Management Corporation
Emily Charles, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
PHMC Announces Executive Leadership Appointments
Dr. Kevin Caputo appointed organization’s first Chief Medical Officer
Katherine Addison named Program Director of Interim House, Inc. and Karen Sinclair named Executive Director of Visiting Nurse Association of Greater Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA – Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) is pleased to announce several executive leadership appointments across the enterprise. Kevin Caputo, MD, FAPA will provide leadership and guidance to PHMC’s clinical activities as the organization’s first Chief Medical Officer. Subsidiary appointments include Katherine Addison as Program Director of Interim House, Inc. (IHI) and Karen Sinclair as Executive Director of Visiting Nurse Association of Greater Philadelphia (VNA).
“PHMC continues to grow and extend our mission and we look forward to building on this exciting momentum with several key leadership additions,” said Richard J. Cohen, President and Chief Executive Officer of PHMC. “With their passion and commitment to public health, impressive credentials, and deep understanding of the social determinants of health, we are certain Kevin, Katherine and Karen will contribute greatly to PHMC’s advancement.”
As Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Caputo will ensure high-quality, patient-centered health care delivery across the PHMC enterprise and lead continued relationship development with health care systems throughout the region. He joins PHMC following an impressive career with Crozer-Keystone Health System, where he served as the Chief Behavioral Health Officer, which encompassed dual roles as Chairman of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health and President of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health service line. Kevin built a long and distinguished career at Crozer, joining the health system as a house physician in 1986.
“I’m proud to join the PHMC team at a time when the need for high-quality, affordable, and integrated care through a health equity lens has never been greater,” said Dr. Caputo. “The opportunity to provide patient-focused health care and care coordination to the communities across our region that need it the most isn’t a responsibility I take lightly, and I look forward to identifying new and innovative approaches to achieve this mission.”
Katherine Addison brings nearly 20 years of experience working in behavioral health, mental health, and addiction treatment settings to IHI, most recently serving as Director of Case Management and Program Standards at PHMC’s Forensic Intensive Recovery program, where she has held various roles since 2002. As Program Director for Interim House Inc., a PHMC subsidiary, she will oversee the organization’s mission to provide a continuum of comprehensive services to women with substance use and mental health challenges. She transitions into this role following Kathy Wellbank’s retirement after a nearly 30-year tenure with the organization.
“I’m thrilled to join the IHI team and continue with the PHMC family. I couldn’t be more thankful for the incredible roadmap Kathy has provided as I step into this new role,” said Addison. “My career has been dedicated to improving care for individuals impacted by addiction, behavioral health, and mental health challenges, and I look forward to continuing IHI’s mission of providing specialized, innovative treatment for women.”
With a successful track record in health care leadership, Karen Sinclair will lead VNA in its continuing mission and legacy of delivering comprehensive home health, palliative, and end-of-life care of the highest quality. Sinclair has been a member of the VNA family for more than half her career and was a pivotal member of the executive leadership team for 13 years as the Chief Nursing Officer and Executive Vice President of Home Health. Most recently, Sinclair served as Administrator of Home Care with Blessings4Ever Home Care in Philadelphia, where she was responsible for quality service delivery and day-to-day operations. She joins the organization following VNA’s affiliation with PHMC earlier this year.
“I couldn’t be more excited to be welcomed back into the VNA family for this wonderful next chapter,” added Sinclair. “VNA is the region’s leading nonprofit home health, palliative, and hospice provider, and integrating with PHMC’s vast array of programs and subsidiaries will provide us with the opportunity to expand services and serve more communities.”
For more information on PHMC, its programs, and services, please visit www.phmc.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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