Real World Exposure to Public Health In Philadelphia

National Health Corps has exposed me to the often not so pretty reality of public health.

Coming into my year of service with National Health Corps I was largely looking forward to real life exposure to the field of public health. Prior to the start of the term, most of what I knew of public health had been from the classroom. I was eager to gain a firsthand experience in such a valuable setting like Philadelphia. However, I quickly learned of the long list of disparities that goes hand-in-hand with healthcare in a big city. These largely systemic problems work against individuals as they attempt to gain access to basic necessities. Long wait times in the health centers, lengthy applications processes, limited access to transportation, single parenthood, working full time jobs with little time off, etc. All of these aspects of their daily life create obstacle after obstacle. Because of this, very early on I began to feel overwhelmed by all the hardship I was seeing around me and helpless to making any sort of positive impact during my service term.

I was able to receive some rejuvenation in the midst of my initial frustrations during our monthly member meetings. A couple of speakers from different public health organizations were invited to present to our Corps. They explained what it is their organizations are doing around the city. It was very encouraging to see how much good they are doing for the communities they’re serving and how passionate they are about making change happen. It was obvious the speakers cared so deeply about bettering the health and daily lives of the communities. Despite the daunting array of disparities working against them, they are enacting real change. For example, because of Pathways to Housing PA homeless individuals are gaining access to free permanent housing. Pathways also helps employ these individuals, provide mental health services, and set up access to medication. The Center for Urban Health, among many other things, has programs working with corner stores to improve access to healthy foods.

While there is no quick fix to many of these problems, it has been great to learn how much many are doing around Philadelphia to improve the current situations. Progress, however slow, is being made.

Through trainings, including trauma-informed care, ACE’s, and de-escalation, NHC has worked to better prepare us for this field. We’ve learned the proper mindset and actions when going to serve those dealing with current and past traumas. I apply this knowledge on an almost daily basis at my host site --  remaining calm with a frustrated or unkind patient and understanding that her five minute interaction with me is only a piece of her day navigating the system and taking care of her family. Simply working in a city health center has exposed me to the daily ups and downs of public health.

NHC has provided not only the reality of the situations, but the skills to cope with this reality and serve these individuals.
 

This blog post was written by NHC Philadelphia member Grace Marshall.
Grace serves as a Patient Advocate at Philadelphia Department of Public Health-Ambulatory Health Services: Health Center 10.