Dr. Danielle Williams joined ChesPenn as a Family Medicine physician at our Eastside health center in September 2022.  She had heard good things about us from the staff at the Health Federation of Philadelphia and was sold on ChesPenn when she visited Eastside and met CEO Susan Harris McGovern and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Letitia O’Kicki.   “I liked the fact that ChesPenn has multiple locations and has grown over time. It felt like there was stability and a vision for the organization – something that was growing and that I could be a part of.” The team at Eastside also helped win her over.  She was impressed by the emphasis on patient satisfaction, and she was excited about the support staff who complement the care provided by the medical and dental providers.  “For example, if I see something going on with a patient, we have social workers who can help with mental health challenges or with resources the patient may need.”

This year, ChesPenn is celebrating our 50^th Anniversary. In 1973, Dr. Rekha Yagnik, a young pediatrician who had just completed her residency, opened The Children’s Clinic of Chester and Vicinity in a double-wide trailer at the corner of 7^th and Tilghman Streets with one nurse and one receptionist to assist her. In 1983 we became ChesPenn Health Services, added adult medical care and dental services, and were awarded FQHC status.

Over the 50 years since that first trailer, we have expanded to three health centers across Delaware and Chester Counties, and we now serve over 15,000 adults and children who would not have access to healthcare without us. We are able to celebrate this wonderful milestone through the work of ChesPenn employees and Board Members past and present, the generosity of donors and community foundations, and most important, the families who have entrusted their wellbeing to us. We can’t overstate our gratitude.

While we are proud of our history, we are also looking to the future with plans for growing our capacity to serve and we are developing innovative new approaches to care. With that in mind, the theme for our anniversary is “50 years of Caring Is Only the Beginning.”

We invite you to celebrate 50 years of caring for the community with us throughout the year. On June 9, we will be dedicating the building at our Eastside location in Dr. Yagnik’s memory. On September 29, we will host a night of magic, music and memories at our Only the Beginning Anniversary Celebration. For sponsorship information on our Celebration, click on the image below.

Stay tuned for more information. and thank you to everyone who has supported us on this epic journey!

January is National Cervical Cancer Month and it’s a good time to focus on the importance of cervical cancer prevention.  The bad news about cervical cancer is that in its early stages there are typically no symptoms.  The good news is that with the HPV (human papilloma virus) vaccine, it’s largely preventable.  And regular screening for HPV and Pap tests can detect precancerous conditions when treatment is likely to be highly successful.

First, if you or your child is between 9 and 26, the HPV vaccine is an important tool for prevention.  Some adults up to 45 years old may also decide to get the vaccination after speaking with their doctor.

Next, be sure to get screened annually, even if you’ve had the vaccine, beginning at age 21 and until you are 65.  The recommendation for most women is to be screened every 3 years, or 5 years if you have both HPV and PAP screening and both results are negative. After 65, women with no history of abnormal Pap tests or cervical cancer can consult with their physician about the need for further screening.

During the pandemic, many women put off getting screened because they didn’t want to risk COVID-19 exposure or had difficulty getting an appointment.  Over the past two years, ChesPenn has worked with the American Cancer Society to catch our patients up on cancer screenings, including screening for cervical cancer.  Our clinicians have also strongly encouraged parents to keep up with their children’s well child visits and immunizations.  In addition, adults have also been encouraged to stay current with all recommended immunizations.

The experience of one of our new patients brings home the importance of both HPV vaccination and timely screening. In April, Christina (not her real name) came to ChesPenn as a new patient.  She received a Pap test and screening for HPV, which  revealed that she had HPV.  Dr. Kimberly Arkebauer, our OB/GYN provider, performed a colposcopy (a procedure that allows detailed examination of the cervix) and recommended a loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP), an outpatient procedure that removes potentially cancerous cells from the cervix.  Christina had recently immigrated from South America and was uninsured.

Christina met with DaNesha Mack, our Complex Care Team Lead, who helped her apply for insurance and helped her apply for emergency medical assistance.  The LEEP procedure was performed and determined that Christina did not have cervical cancer.  Because of her HPV status and the presence of some abnormal cells, Christina will have a follow-up Pap and colposcopy to ensure she stays healthy.  Our hope is that in the future other women can avoid the kind of scare Christina had to endure by getting vaccinated and keeping up with their Pap screenings.

Dequacia Catlin is a nursing student in her senior year at Lincoln University.  In 2022, she received an email from the university inviting her to apply for an internship with Americorps’ Public Health Nursing Fellowship. She was selected and placed at ChesPenn’s Center for Family Health at Coatesville in October.

Dequacia remembers that her interest in nursing goes back 10 years. “When I started in community college I majored in criminal justice, but it didn’t feel like my niche.  In 2012 I took a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) course and when we had our clinicals I liked it.  I started working at the hospital as a CNA.”  Later she went on to enroll in Lincoln University’s Bachelors program in nursing.

“In the beginning my academic experience was a little tough.  You start with the prerequisites and then you’re thrown into this program where you are required to critically think.  But as I learned and did some tutoring, my grades got better.”  Her grades were critical to her success.  Lincoln requires a B average to remain in the nursing program. She shared that, “ I’ve been on the Dean’s List every semester.  I’ve been really grateful to Lincoln University because they push their students.”  They push us to learn clinical reasoning and judgement.”  She’s also enjoyed the friendship and support of the staff.  “ChesPenn has been really great to me.  I’ve learned things.  I really like it.  I can learn here.”

Dequacia has encountered surprises and some challenges along the way.  She’s learned a lot about what it means to provide care in a vulnerable community. “Some things have surprised me as far as interacting with the patients.  Just seeing the diverse community that comes here –  no matter who they are or whether they speak  English or not we’re able to communicate with them and give them the best care possible. I really love that ChesPenn is  able to relate to the patients.   They really trust the staff – the front desk staff are so open.  That makes a difference in a person’s life.  I feel that ChesPenn goes beyond to make the patient feel like a person.  In other places I’ve seen the patient is more like a number, but here, they know their name, their children, their family.”  She also acknowledged the challenge of contacting patients who often rely on prepaid phones or who may take time to get back to us.

An avid traveler, Dequacia has visited countries in Latin America and the Caribbean and has studied in Ghana.  In her travels, she’s seen the impact of health disparities in in the regions she has visited.  Her experience has inspired her ambition to pursue a career in public health.  And she has very specific goals – first, to work at the county level in health and human services while she works on a master’s degree in public health, then a role at the CDC and on to the World Health Organization.

Even Dequacia’s leisure time is dedicated to community service.  She belongs to Chi Eta Phi Nursing Sorority.  When she’s not in school she often volunteers in the community.

ChesPenn nurse Kenisha Parks has served as Dequacia’s mentor at ChesPenn.  She has been impressed with the Americorps nurse internship program and especially with Dequacia.   “You don’t run across those kind of students all the time” she commented. “ The patient comes first with her always.  She’s going to go a long way.” We’re proud to be part of her journey.