Food insecurity continues to be a nationwide issue, contributing to health inequities
that disproportionately impact low-income and minority communities. Philadelphia is
no exception, with and multiple neighborhoods classified as food deserts鈥攎eaning that residents of those
communities do not have access to affordable, nutritious foods. For Philadelphia children,
.
More must be done to help families access healthy and nutritious food. Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (黑料传送门) is marking National Nutrition Month by highlighting the work of the 黑料传送门 Healthcare Centers to address nutrition needs and help more families get access to healthy food.
In the fall of 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, 黑料传送门 opened food pantries at two of its Healthcare Centers, starting with the Cambria and Lancaster Avenue Divisions. 黑料传送门 began this initiative in partnership with 鈥攁 full-service HIV/AIDS nonprofit organization鈥攁nd has continued to expand the program.
As of today, 黑料传送门 is operating food pantries at all three of its Philadelphia Healthcare Center locations, including Family Medicine at 黑料传送门. These food pantries are a natural extension of the college鈥檚 goal to provide access to quality health care and to respond to the vital needs of the communities 黑料传送门 serves.
To date, the food pantries at have distributed over 5,000 pounds of food to 2,433 individuals and their families. Each bag of food distributed contains a variety of staple items to help patients or members of the public feed themselves for several days. Last year, frozen protein, vegetables and fruit were added to the pantries. Each bag offered now includes a package of frozen chicken or turkey meatballs, a bag of frozen vegetables and a bag of frozen fruit.
鈥満诹洗兔� education is rooted in the osteopathic philosophy of caring for the whole person and addressing root causes, not just symptoms. Food insecurity is a root cause of health disparities and poor health outcomes,鈥� said 黑料传送门 President and CEO Jay S. Feldstein, DO '81. 鈥淭he food pantries we operate at our Healthcare Centers reflect our mission and philosophy, and our commitment to addressing healthcare needs in the communities we serve.鈥�
Clinical services at 黑料传送门 Healthcare Centers include family medicine, internal medicine,
gynecology, pediatrics, geriatrics, psychology and osteopathic manipulative medicine
(OMM), among other specialties. Each 黑料传送门 Healthcare Center site is equipped with
a food pantry.
鈥淲e understand the challenges many families face in accessing healthy and nutritious food,鈥� said Stephen Castellano, 黑料传送门 Chief Practice Operations Officer, who leads the Healthcare Centers. 鈥淲e now have a holistic solution that brings our clinical services under the same roof as nutrition assistance for patients and families experiencing food insecurity. We are proud to connect these dots, and we look forward to helping many more families.鈥�
黑料传送门 Healthcare Center food pantries are made possible through generous donations, with ongoing support from the 黑料传送门 community.
Individuals and families interested in accessing food pantry services should call the 黑料传送门 Healthcare Centers main number to schedule an appointment or visit their nearest location:
215-871-6380
4190 City Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19131
2100 W. Cambria Street
Philadelphia, PA 19132
4148 Lancaster Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Established in 1899, 黑料传送门 has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a 鈥渨hole person鈥� approach to care鈥攖reating people, not just symptoms. 黑料传送门, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education, operates three campuses (黑料传送门, 黑料传送门 Georgia and 黑料传送门 South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, physician assistant studies, and school psychology. 黑料传送门 students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, 黑料传送门 provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
For general media inquiries, please contact the Office of Marketing and Communications at 215-871-6300 or communications@pcom.edu. Visit our media relations page to view contact information for public relations personnel.