Pennsylvania Hospital Stories of Healing, Health, and Hope
Pennsylvania Hospital Stories of Healing, Health, and Hope: UPMC Hamot
According to the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care, students perform better when they show up for class healthy and ready to learn.
During April 2010, Hamot, now UPMC Hamot, Erie, began investigating the possibility of establishing northwest Pennsylvania’s first school-based health center. A community needs assessment performed during the exploration process found that Wayne School, located on the lower east side of the city, was the most appropriate site for a school-based health center.
The report classified almost 60 percent of individuals residing in the Wayne School community as low-income. It revealed that only slightly more than half of parents of students at Wayne could identify a medical home by name, and only 47 percent indicated that their child was covered by insurance or Medical Assistance. In addition, the report identified a disproportionate share of visits to Hamot’s emergency department made by residents of the Wayne community as non-urgent complaints that should be treated in a primary care setting.
The Erie Community Foundation, Erie School District, UPMC Hamot, and Hamot Health Foundation partnered, and in combination with federal aid and private donations, have worked to make the vision for a school-based health center at Wayne School a reality.
Wayne Primary Care opened during August, 2012, and already is improving access to health care that meets the needs of the Wayne student population as well as their families and the community, with the ultimate goal of improving health and reducing physical and emotional barriers to education. Community Health Net, The Sight Center of NWPA, and Safe Harbor Behavioral Health all provide services in the new health center, in addition to the primary care services provided by UPMC Hamot.
This is just one of the many examples of Pennsylvania’s hospitals providing healing, health, and hope every day to millions of Pennsylvanians.
Behind the blue and white “H” stand thousands of committed people who want to make a difference by saving lives, restoring good health, and tackling community health problems. As Congress addresses the fiscal cliff, hospital payments must not be cut––there is too much at stake.
— Carolyn F. Scanlan, President and CEO, The Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania
Leave a comment