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A"Quantitative Analysis of the Community Health Assessment in the Immediate Community Service Area (ICSA)" published in 1994 by the University of Pennsylvania Health System showed that (1) the Hospital of The University of Pennsylvania cared for only 15.8% of the people in the ICSA; (2) in one year, 9000 hospital discharges (20% higher than the Philadelphia total) were "avoidable"(most of these were secondary to asthma and pneumonia); (3) the rates for most reportable conditions were higher in the ICSA than the rates for the state or nation; (4) in Philadelphia County (home of the ICSA), non-white residents had a higher mortality rate than Caucasians (65% of the ICSA residents are Black, 31.4% are Caucasian, and 3.6% are Asian); (5) the high mortality rate was attributable to cardiovascular disease, cancer, neonatal/infant deaths and violent crime; and (6) lack of transportation was a commonly cited reason for missed medical care. In response to the health needs of the local community, the mission of Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Pennsylvania is to develop community programs that provide care to the people in Penn's immediate neighborhoods and develop demonstration projects that model health partnerships between academic and community neighbors. Contact: |
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