The nation's opioid epidemic disrupts individuals, families and entire communities. The epidemic demands a coordinated response with significant, sustainable funding consistent with other public health crises.

Public Health Management Corporation's research, advocacy and treatment is grounded in science and the understanding that the disorder is a chronic, medical condition from which recovery and wellness are possible. All individuals deserve dignity, respect and compassion in an environment that rejects stigma and misconception.

• Download our Guiding Principles to Address Opioid Use Disorder. (PDF)
• Read our public health perspective on opioid addiction in Independence Blue Cross Foundation's Journal of Change.

Worried about someone using opioids? Download this resource card and find help today. For immediate treatment and information, contact PHMC's Centre of Excellence for Opioids: 215.309.6500. (PDF)

Treatment

PHMC provides high-quality, evidence-based programs and services to improve the social determinants of health that impact the well-being of our communities.

Our Center of Excellence is a model of coordinated care offered through a patient centered medical home to help individuals access a variety of services to support recovery. The Center of Excellence operates in three of PHMC's health Center's in Philadelphia: PHMC Care Clinic, Mary Howard Health Center for the Homeless, and Rising Sun Health Center.

Access the Center of Excellence treatment programs and other health center information through our Health Network website.

Patients are also referred to other levels of care within PHMC's network of programs and to external resources.

Our inpatient, outpatient and residential programs offer comprehensive, therapeutic, holistic and culturally sensitive approaches that focus treatment on the emotional, physical, and spiritual effects of recovery from substance use and co-occurring disorders. Our programs incorporate individual and group therapy, evidence-based treatment, trauma informed care and patient-centered conversations about medication choices.

Pathways to Recovery
Partial Hospital

Interim House Inc.
Outpatient, Intensive Outpatient, Halfway House, Short-Term and Long-Term Residential

Interim House West
Short-Term and Long-Term Residential

The Bridge
Adolescent Program - Outpatient, Intensive Outpatient Residential

• Access information about these programs and others through our behavioral health services.
• Referring partners, download our referral guide here. (PDF)

Other Programs / Resources

Forensics Division
PHMC's Integrated Health Services Forensics Division includes various programs for persons involved with the criminal justice system in need of substance use treatment and other behavioral health services. Learn more.

Health Promotion Council
A PHMC subsidiary that addresses chronic disease prevention and management through direct service, capacity building and policy- and systems change initiative. Learn more.

• Download our full program directory here. (PDF)

Research

PHMC's Research & Evaluation Group offers a broad range of services related to health services research, evaluation and assessment. The program areas and population groups we study reflect a broad-based public health interest and perspective including our division of substance use and addiction. Learn more.

Taking Action and Advocacy

National Public Health Week
In recognition of National Public Health Week, PHMC convened local partners and stakeholders to discuss the elements of the opioid epidemic and foster sustaining collaborations. The event included an Opioid 101 session, expert-led panel discussion and training on how to properly administer Narcan^®, the nasal spray medication used to reverse opioid overdose.

Read more in our news room. 

PA Opioid Prevention Project
PHMC launched the PA Opioid Prevention Project campaign to educate youth, parents and employers on opioid use disorder, linking them to preventive strategies, resources and actionable steps. Funded by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, this statewide multimedia campaign aims to prevent opioid misuse among youth, ages 14-18. Access the website here.

Narcan Training
PHMC hosted one of Philadelphia's largest Narcan® trainings at its annual employee meeting at the end of 2018. More than 500 PHMC employees and staff learned protocols for administering Narcan, the prescription medication that temporarily reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. More trainings are being planned for staff and the community. Learn more here.

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 11, 2014
Contact: Veronica Mikitka Reed, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 215.434.7194

Data coincides with National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month to raise awareness of the importance of screening in Southeastern PA

PHILADELPHIA— Only 19 percent of men (ages 45 and over) in Southeastern Pennsylvania (SEPA) without insurance had a prostate cancer screening in the past year, according to data from the 2012 Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey, a survey conducted by Public Health Management Corporation's (PHMC's) Community Health Data Base. In addition, only 23.6 percent of men without a regular source of care have been screened in the past year.

This September we celebrate National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, sponsored by the Prostate Health Council of the American Foundation for Urological Disease that works to educate men on prostate disease, treatment and maintaining prostate health. Nationally, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men (after skin cancer). Positively, the American Cancer Society reports there are more than 2.5 million survivors across the nation. This valuable information demonstrates how important it is for men to prioritize prostate cancer screenings for early detection and treatment.

The SEPA Household Health Survey data below illustrates how economic barriers and lack of a regular care provider impacts prostate screenings, while also demonstrating the characteristics of men who have a higher risk of cancer in the region.

Prostate Cancer Screenings in Southeastern Pennsylvania:
- Only 19 percent of men ages 45 and over without public or private insurance had a prostate cancer screening in the past year. In comparison, the majority of insured men 45+ (56.9%) had a prostate cancer screening in the past year.
- Less than one-quarter of men age 45+ without a regular source of care (23.6%) have been screened in the past year, compared to more than one-half of men with a regular source of care (57.3%).
- Men age 45+ with incomes below the federal poverty level were less likely than non-poor men age 45+ to have had a prostate cancer screening in the past year (39.6% vs. 56%).
- Men who are at higher risk for prostate cancer, such as black men ages 45 and over, are only slightly less likely than white men to have had a prostate cancer screening in the past year (54.3% vs. 56.1%).
- Married and divorced men (58.3% and 57.7%) are more likely than men living with a partner (44.1%), single men (44.3%), separated men (46%), or widowed men (50.8%) to have been screened.

The Household Health Survey is conducted by telephone and includes 10,000 households in the SEPA region (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties). For more information about these findings, contact Lisa Kleiner at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

About Public Health Management Corporation's Community Health Data Base
Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) is a nonprofit public health institute that creates and sustains healthier communities. The Community Health Data Base (CHDB) includes the Household Health Survey, one of the largest regional health surveys in the country. The Pew Charitable Trusts, William Penn Foundation, United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, United Way of North Penn, Green Tree Community Health Foundation, North Penn Community Health Foundation, Thomas Scattergood Foundation, Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation, and over 350 local agencies from the health, government, nonprofit and academic sectors, help to support the CHDB and survey. For more information, visit www.phmc.org.

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Funder:

The William Penn Foundation

Purpose:

To develop a plan to support employers of low-wage workers in Philadelphia in
providing incentives for their employees to choose high-quality childcare.

Background:

High quality early childhood education is critical to support the growth and
development of young children (particularly those at risk), ensure school
readiness and success, and to support a robust and engaged work force. In
Philadelphia, there is an inadequate supply of high quality childcare that is
affordable to working and low income families. In Pennsylvania, the cost of infant
child care is 43% of the median income for a single mother family. In addition to
supporting child and family outcomes, research indicates that there are additional
benefits to employers for participating in the child care market including reduced
employee absenteeism and reductions in staff turn over from maternity leave.

Benefits:

• Employers:
  Sustainable and socially progressive Employee Benefit with a positive
  return on investment (ROI)
  Increased employee reliability and productivity
• Employees: Increased availability and affordability of high quality childcare
• Children: Better prepared children for educational success in kindergarten and beyond

Action:

Participate in one of two activities:

In-depth case study:

• Approximately 1 – 2 hour interview
• Approximately 1 – 2 hour follow-up

Data collection interview:

• Internal assessment of the need for a child care initiative
• Approximately 1.5 hours
• Employee child care needs assessment
• Direct employee input-focus groups

To find out more about the Employer Sponsored Childcare project and how you can be a part of
developing a plan to benefit both your organization and employees please contact Lizette Egea-
Hinton at 215-985-6880 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 24, 2014
Contact: Veronica Mikitka Reed 484.241.0473 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Certified Application Counselors from PHMC's Health Network helped Philadelphians apply for insurance as part of Obama's Week of Action.

PHILADELPHIA – Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC), a nonprofit public health institute that creates and sustains healthier communities, hosted two open house events today at Rising Sun Health Center and PHMC Health Connection to help Philadelphians navigate the Health Insurance Marketplace before the March 31st deadline. In addition to the insurance and health information sessions led by PHMC's Certified Application Counselors (CAC), attendees were able to meet 100.3's Lady B, Hot 107.9's Mia Mendez and participate in family friendly activities.

According to PHMC's Pennsylvania Household Health Survey, the neighborhoods surrounding these two health centers have 61,700 uninsured adults. Under the Affordable Care Act citizens who do not have health insurance by year end will face expensive fines. The open house events gave these community members another opportunity to learn about how they qualify for and enroll in insurance on the Health Insurance Marketplace. In addition the event also showcased the primary care and wellness services available across the PHMC health network for the 53,300 adults in the region who have deferred or delayed care when they were sick.
"At PHMC, we're dedicated to educating and assisting the uninsured in our community so they can more easily apply for and choose the best insurance plan to fit their needs," said Melissa Fox, Managing Director of Health Services at PHMC. "These open house events helped us address our goal to increase awareness about the Marketplace, the available insurance options and stress the importance to enroll before the deadline."

Since September, PHMC has conducted local events offering knowledge and enrollment assistance to the community on the Health Insurance Marketplace. Due to the initial issues with the Marketplace website, PHMC CAC's have become a critical resource in helping the uninsured navigate the enrollment process. Since the beginning of 2014 PHMC is also managing InsurePA, a statewide consortium for the Community Catalyst Certified Application Counselor Initiative. With the last enrollment deadline approaching, this grant gives PHMC access to CAC's from across Pennsylvania to work to attain optimal enrollment for the most vulnerable populations across the state.

"Across the PHMC health network we're emphasizing that health insurance isn't just a requirement, but a necessity to offer preventive healthcare options for individuals and their families," added Fox.
For those not able to attend the day's events, PHMC's Certified Application Counselors are available across the PHMC heath network Monday through Friday during center hours for patients on a walk-in basis. The five centers in the network include: Mary Howard Health Center, PHMC Health Connection, PHMC Care Clinic, Rising Sun Health Center and Congreso Health Center. More information can be found on PHMC's website, www.phmc.org.

About PHMC Health Network
Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) is a nonprofit public health institute that creates and sustains healthier communities. The PHMC health network consists of five nurse-managed, federally qualified health centers offering affordable, high-quality, patient centered health services to communities throughout the Philadelphia area, including public housing populations and individuals experiencing homelessness. They share a simple mission: to provide comprehensive primary health care, family planning, disease management, social services and more to men, women and children. Nurse-managed health clinics are staffed by advanced practice nurses and an interdisciplinary team of healthcare professionals working in collaboration with the community to serve as a medical home and safety-net provider for America's underserved communities, regardless of a patient's ability to pay. The PHMC health network is committed to their Beyond Care concept, a holistic, patient-centered approach to quality care provided by experts who organize care around the community's needs. Three locations have certification by the National Centers for Quality Assurance as a Patient Centered Medical Home. PHMC is also home to the National Nursing Centers Consortium, a network of over 250 nurse-managed health centers nationally. For more information visit www.phmc.org and www.phmchealthnetwork.org.

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