Temple opens clinic to serve North Philly, including former Hahnemann patients
Temple University's College of Public Health has opened a nurse-led primary care clinic in North Philadelphia's Sharswood neighborhood.
A new primary-care clinic in North Philadelphia’s Sharswood neighborhood aims to improve access to basic health-care services for patients displaced by the closure of Hahnemann University Hospital.
Vaux Community Health Center, a nurse-managed primary-care clinic operated by Temple University’s College of Public Health, is part of a neighborhood transformation plan led by the Philadelphia Housing Authority.
The clinic, open since Sept. 3, is in the former Vaux High School building at 2300 W. Master St., which has been transformed to serve as a hub for community resources. In addition to the health clinic, the building includes housing and workforce development services, and a shared meeting space. The Philadelphia School District’s Vaux Big Picture High School, now in its third year, occupies the building’s upper floors.
“By bringing together these community services, these community partners, in a space that’s highly visible, we’ve opened the door for lots of families,” said Marti Kubik, a professor of nursing at Temple and the health center’s executive director.
» READ MORE: In Philadelphia, some neighborhoods lack access to primary health-care clinics
Plans for the clinic were in the works well before Hahnemann’s closure. But Kubik said she hopes the health center will be a place for neighborhood residents who relied on the hospital — or who went without care -- because they couldn’t travel far.
The clinic, staffed by registered nurses and nurse-practitioners who specialize in pediatrics and family medicine, expects 400 to 600 patients a month.
» READ MORE: Closing Hahnemann could deprive some struggling neighborhoods of a key safety net
In addition to providing care, the clinic also will help educate neighbors about their chronic health conditions and how to manage them.
“Our goal is to become a hub of comprehensive services that will be of value to the community, promoting health as well as treating illness," said Laura A. Siminoff, dean of Temple’s College of Public Health.
Diabetes, hypertension, asthma, and children’s dental care are among the major issues the center’s nurses said they see in the community.
The clinic is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and will accept Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance.