NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 13, 2012

Contact: Lulu Todorov (215.825.8202 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

Patients Enthusiastically Nominate Clinical Director for APEX

PHILADELPHIA— On November 15, Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers (PACHC) awarded Sister Magdelene “Maggie” Greco, nurse practitioner at Public Health Management Corporation’s (PHMC) Mary Howard Health Center, its 2012 Patients Choice Award for Primary Care Excellence. Mary Howard Health Center is the only primary health center in Philadelphia that serves exclusively the homeless population and, in particular, chronically homeless adults. “Sister Greco’s patients were thrilled to nominate her for this award,” says Melissa Fox, managing director of health at PHMC. “Our patients are drawn to her caring spirit and vibrant personality.”

The Awards for Primary Care Excellence (APEX) were distributed by PACHC at an honorary luncheon as part of its Annual Statewide Conference and Clinical Summit in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Established in 2009, the APEX represent the pinnacle of service, quality, innovation and achievement in primary health care and recognize the outstanding efforts of dedicated individuals and teams who work in Pennsylvania's Community Health Centers.

“The award recognizes Sister Greco’s dedication, care and commitment to the patients she serves,” says Richard J. Cohen, President and CEO of PHMC. “The award also highlights the undeniable difference Sister Greco’s care is making in the overall quality of health and well-being of homeless patients throughout Philadelphia.”

As part of the Health Care for the Homeless Project, Mary Howard Health Center, a comprehensive primary health care center that also offers behavioral health and social services, opened in February 1997 with support from Philadelphia's Department of Health and Human Services, the Independence Foundation, and other public and private funders. Named after a woman known for her vibrant personality who died due to health conditions exacerbated by homelessness, Mary Howard Health Center currently serves 2,100 patients and receives 7,000 visits each year.

For more information or to schedule an interview with Sister Greco, please call Lulu Todorov, Communications Account Manager at 215.825.8202 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

###

Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers (PACHC) is the state primary care association representing Community Health Centers. PACHC comprises over 200 non-profit health center delivery sites and provides care for more than 700,000 Pennsylvanians through more than two million office visits every year, making it the largest network of primary care providers in Pennsylvania’s rural and urban communities. For more information, visit www.pachc.com.

About PHMC

Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) is a nonprofit public health institute that creates and sustains healthier communities. PHMC uses best practices 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.