Press Releases

Collaborative effort helped deliver more than 7,500 life-saving vaccines to community

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 22, 2022

YORK, PA – March 22, 2022 – Family First Health, in partnership with WellSpan Health and the York City Bureau of Health, is closing the York City Collaborative Vaccine Clinic. Since March 23, 2021, staff and volunteers from each organization have provided more than 7,500 COVID-19 vaccines to the community at the vaccine clinic, which operates out of the first floor of the Family First Health York City location at 116 S. George Street in York. The final date of operation for the vaccine clinic is Tuesday, March 29, 2022.

“The York City Collaborative Vaccine Clinic was successful because the partners agreed and delivered on the vision of equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for all residents, thereby impacting the spread of COVID-19 in our community. The clinic offered steady and reliable walk-in or scheduled access to York residents, to all three vaccines – including for the pediatric population – and with Spanish-speaking team members supporting each session,” says Jenny Englerth, CEO and President of Family First Health.

The vaccine clinic will remain open Tuesdays in March from 1:00 – 6:50 p.m. with the final date being March 29. Appointments are available for Moderna and Pfizer 2nd, 3^rd, and booster doses (ages 5+) by calling (855) 851-3641. After March 29, residents should contact their medical providers or local pharmacies to explore available vaccine options. Vaccine availability may also be found at www.familyfirsthealth.org and www.wellspan.org.

Other than the closing of the Collaborative Vaccine Clinic, there is no change to the operations at the Family First Health George Street Center. Visit https://www.familyfirsthealth.org/locations/george-street to view the hours of operation for medical and dental services.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Amanda Peterson Martin | 484-949-1320 | apmartin@gavinadv.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 20, 2021

York, PA – Governor Tom Wolf today visited Rivas Deli Grocery II in York, an upcoming
COVID-19 vaccine site, to encourage eligible Pennsylvanians who are not yet vaccinated to
take advantage of their local community vaccine clinics.

“For people with irregular or unpredictable work hours, limited mobility, language barriers, and
other challenges, hosting vaccine clinics where and when people shop for groceries is an
excellent opportunity for vulnerable populations to get vaccinated,” said Gov. Wolf. “This
upcoming clinic is a great example of how trusted community leaders and organizations can
make a difference when they get involved in the vaccination effort.”

On Thursday, September 23, COVID-19 vaccinations will be offered by Family First Health from
12pm – 4pm at Rivas Deli Grocery II, 174 S. Pine St. York, PA 17403.

Last week, the Pennsylvania Department of Health announced that, since January 2021, 97
percent of COVID-19-related deaths and 95 percent of reported hospitalizations due to COVID19 were in unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated people.

“Getting vaccinated is our way out of the pandemic. My administration will continue to work with
trusted community partners to make vaccines easily accessible for the people who need them,”
said Gov. Wolf. “I encourage everyone who is not yet vaccinated to take advantage of this
opportunity on Thursday, September 23, at Rivas Deli Grocery II.”
To find local vaccine clinics near you, visit vaccines.gov.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Lyndsay Kensinger, Governor’s Office, lkensinger@pa.gov

A website designed as a one-stop shop for residents seeking COVID-19 vaccine information in York County launched this week.

The website, vaccinateyorkpa.org, provides information on who is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, where it is available and links to local vaccine providers. The site also contains information on vaccine progress and COVID-19 statistics in York County.

The site is a collaboration among the York County Commissioners, York County Planning Commission, York County Office of Emergency Management and local health care providers WellSpan Health, UPMC and Family First Health.

The county used money from its CARES Act allocation to pay for costs associated with establishing this website. “We thank York County residents for their patience throughout this often frustrating process,” said York County President Commissioner Julie Wheeler. “We’re hopeful that as more vaccine becomes available in the next few weeks from the federal and state governments, we can significantly increase the number of people getting vaccinated in York County. This site will increase visibility on how York County is progressing with our vaccinations.”

On the site, data is provided by the state Department of Health depicting the impact COVID-19 has had on the community. This will include tracking vaccine progress and other COVID-19 statistics. Additionally, links for resources such as 2-1-1 for housing assistance, food access as well as acquiring transportation assistance to get a vaccine are on the site.
The website will have more information on the COVID-19 community vaccination site once it is operating at the old A.C. Moore building at Manchester Crossroads on Route 30.

Media contact: Mark Walters, 717-779-6508

York, PA – Governor Tom Wolf visited Family First Health in York today to thank staff and to tour the federally qualified health center’s vaccination area, learning first-hand how the facility is vaccinating Pennsylvanians amid equity issues.

“Pennsylvania’s federally qualified health centers are crucial community partners focused on community-based care that serves some of the most vulnerable communities in the commonwealth,” Gov. Wolf said. “The community connections that federally qualified health centers such as Family First Health build and the equity-based care they provide make them an important part of our efforts to administer an efficient, ethical, and equitable vaccine rollout.”

To date, Pennsylvania has administered more than three million doses of COVID-19 vaccine and is working through the priority population in Phase 1A as quickly as possible. More than one million Pennsylvanians are now fully vaccinated.

Federally qualified health centers, including Family First Health, have played a big part in ensuring that vaccines get to the vulnerable populations who need them through direct outreach to patients.
Family First Health will be offering all-day Friday vaccination clinics beginning tomorrow. Center President and CEO Jenny Englerth described how Family First Health has made it a goal to vaccinate more patients each month.

“The Family First Health response to the pandemic has been consistent with our approach to delivering care to vulnerable populations for over 50 years: leverage our clinical expertise and trusted relationships with patients to improve lives,” Family First Health President and CEO Jenny Englerth said. “With a current focus of delivering vaccines, we are guided by our patients, which is allowing us to design approaches that will build confidence and reduce hesitancy.”

The center has vaccinated approximately 1,000 people since receipt of its first doses in late December 2020. With the new Friday clinics, the goal is to vaccinate at least 3,000 people between now and the end of April.
Family First Health’s evolution in providing vaccines in not unlike that of the commonwealth, Wolf said.

“As we learn more, we change our processes to better serve Pennsylvanians and as we receive more vaccine, we have the resources to expand the rollout and give Pennsylvanians new vaccination opportunities.
“I am grateful to all of our vaccine providers for their dedication to protecting their communities.”

Read more about the state’s vaccination plan here.
Read more about Family First Health here.
MEDIA CONTACT: Lyndsay Kensinger, ra-gvgovpress@pa.gov

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York, PA – December 1, 2020: Oluwatomi Uwazota, MD, primary care physician at Family First Health, recently joined our Caring Together team that provides comprehensive medical services to patients living with HIV. She has also recently completed her MS in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Dr. Uwazota joined Family First Health in 2019. In her relatively short time at Family First Health, she has found that the knowledge gained from her patients she has learned that their overall health is truly a function of where they live, work, learn, and play, as well as their social network and other support structures. She frequently engages both clinical and non-clinical team members who can help address barriers that our patients face. During patient visits, she actively finds ways to engage family members and the patients together because of her strong belief that patients’ families play an invaluable role in helping the patient succeed. Using the tools afforded her by her public health training allows her to troubleshoot challenges she encounters as a medical provider as well as issues that she faces within her team, looking for ways to continue to serve our patients better.

On her recent inclusion on the Caring Together team, Dr. Uwazota remarked: “This is very exciting for me because I get to work within an incredible team of people who are already applying the ecological construct to influence behavior and achieve better health for our patients.”

Through Family First Health’s Caring Together program, we offer a seamless system of coordinated, high-quality care for people who are HIV positive, so they can access the services they need. Family First Health also offers free, confidential HIV testing and counseling for individuals age 13 and older at our George Street Center. Interested individuals can call 717-846-6776 for more information.

About Family First Health

Founded in 1970, York Health Corporation, now Family First Health, is a nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center dedicated to providing accessible, high-quality health care at seven convenient locations in Adams, Lancaster, Lebanon, and York counties. Family First Health strives to improve the health of all members of the communities we serve through primary medical and dental care and a wide range of community health programs. Our uniquely qualified team of health care professionals creates an environment that is patient-centered, helping patients to live happier, healthier lives.

For more information, visit www.FamilyFirstHealth.org. Se habla Español.

A new health center will provide access to primary care, integrated behavioral health care and other essential health services to Lebanon County residents.

FFH is a Federally Qualified Health Center with six sites in Lancaster, York and Adams counties. Building on a 50-year history, FFH is designed to help patients address barriers to good health that are often experienced by the 30 percent of Lebanon County residents living in poverty. A 14-member community advisory group of Lebanon leaders chose FFH as the primary care partner for the Dixon Center.

Jenny Englerth, president and CEO of FFH, said the new center has received strong support from other local health providers and social service agencies, as the community works together to open doors to better health for vulnerable patients. For example, Family First will send its obstetric patients to Lebanon Family Health Services, where they will receive services provided by the WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program. Lebanon Family Health Services also will provide educational classes in parenting, diabetes prevention and tobacco cessation to FFH patients.

“We appreciate the warm welcome the Lebanon community has offered us,” Englerth said. “Together, we will work to help local residents achieve their best health.”

To provide easy access to FFH, a new entrance was added off the rear parking lot of the WellSpan Dixon Foundation Health Center. The entrance also gives patients and visitors access to other services located in the building, including WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital’s rehabilitation unit, WellSpan Family Medicine – North Fourth Street and WellSpan diabetes and nutrition counselors.

Plans are to add a community room and space for other services that will support vulnerable patients to the adjoining area of the Dixon Center.

“WellSpan is excited to support this health center,” said Tom Harlow, senior vice president of WellSpan Health and president of WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital. “We look forward to continuing to partner with Family First Health in supporting the health of our community.”

York, PA: Family First Health is pleased to announce that we will be recognized as a finalist in Central Penn Business Journal’s 2019 Nonprofit Innovation Awards Program.

Family First Health will receive this recognition for our Connections for a Healthy Pregnancy program. Connections for a Healthy Pregnancy is a free community outreach program that supports expectant mothers living in York City and surrounding communities by connecting them to community resources that can mitigate or remove barriers to good health – increasing the likelihood of a healthy pregnancy outcome.

Community Health Workers meet with expectant mothers at their prenatal visit with the obstetric care provider and then check in on a regular basis through home visits and phone calls to access needs, provide peer support and offer connections to community resources.

The Connections for a Healthy Pregnancy program began in December 2017. Currently nearly 80 expectant mothers are participating in the program.

An awards breakfast will be held on Wednesday, March 20, from 7:30 a.m. to 10 am at the Valencia Ballroom in York. Tickets are available online at www.CPBJ.com/events.

York, PA: Pressley Ridge and Family First Health are welcoming referrals for Healing Ahead, a supportive group for children and youth, ages 12-17, directly impacted by substance use in their families or with their friends.

The program includes 6 weekly sessions, held from January 16 until February 20. Sessions will be held at the Pressley Ridge York Office from 5:00-6:00 p.m. The Pressley Ridge York Office is located at 141 E. Market Street in York. Snacks and drinks will be provided.

The group is FREE to all participants, made possible by support from the Rotary Club of York. Participants will receive a $25 gift card upon completion of the 6-week program.

Please contact Pressley Ridge for referral forms at 717-845-6624.

York, PA: Family First Health will observe the 30^th anniversary of World AIDS Day with several activities on Friday, November 30^th. This year?s theme is ?Know your status.? Significant progress has been made in the AIDS response since 1988, and today three in four people living with HIV know their status. But there is still progress to be made in reaching people living with HIV who do not know their status and ensuring that they are linked to quality care. Through Family First Health?s Caring Together program, a collaborative partnership with WellSpan Health, we offer a seamless system of coordinated, high-quality care for people who are HIV positive, so they can access the services they need.

World AIDS Day observance activities planned for Friday, November 30^th include:

• Free, confidential HIV testing at Family First Health?s George Street Center from 9:00 am-1:00 pm for anyone age 13 and older. The George Street Center is located at 116 South George Street in York. Testing will be done on the 3^rd An Informational booth will be set up on the 1^st floor during the same hours.
• Time of reflection and remembrance at the Serenity Garden of Hope from 2:00-3:00 pm. The Serenity Garden of Hope is located at Albemarle Park, 117 South Albemarle Street in York.
• Informational booth at Minnich?s Pharmacy from 9:00 am-1:00 pm. Minnich?s Pharmacy will also donate a portion of sales of over the counter items to support the Caring Together program. Minnich?s Pharmacy is located in the Colonial Shopping Center, 976 South George Street in York.
• Family First Health?s building will be illuminated with red lights on both Friday, November 30^th and Saturday, December 1^st.
• Patient quotes and informational facts will be posted on Family First Health?s Facebook page (facebook.com/fFamilyFirstHealth) on both Friday, November 30^th and Saturday, December 1^st.

Family First Health is also seeking donations of toiletries and women?s hygiene products to support Caring Together clients. Donations can be dropped at the George Street Center on the 3^rd floor at any time during normal business hours.

Individuals or medical providers interested in more information about the Caring Together Program can contact Program Manager, Rebecca Wilson, at 717-846-6776 ext. 4855.