Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
LCH receives COIVID-19 funding
KENNETT SQUARE » A nonprofit organization that provides lowcost or free health care service to underserved residents in Chester County has received COVID-19 funding.
La Comunidad Hispana, with locations in Kennett Square, West Grove and Oxford, received a $50,000 award from the Philadelphia Foundation’s PHL COVID-19 Fund, a partnership between the Philadelphia Foundation and United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey.
La Comunidad Hispana has erected a large tent outside its Kennett Square site to serve elderly patients suffering from respiratory symptoms common with coronavirus.
“LCH is still seeing patients at all of our sites, including those with COVID-19 symptoms,” said Mariana Izraelson, CEO of La Comunidad Hispana. “Our phenomenal medical team is still here and working hard to make sure our patients get care they need.”
The funding will help lower income residents receive care they would otherwise be unable to afford, in a time of business closings due to the pandemic.
“This is a very vulnerable time for the community,” said Federico Ceppa, director of primary care at LCH. “We have to be open and available, especially now.”
The grant will enable acute services for children and adults, dental and women’s health emergencies, pediatrics for infants, behavioral health, social assistance, and Telehealth appointments to continue at LCH.
“This is a wonderful reflection of collaboration,” said Izraelson.“Everyoneisworking together to fight this.”
COVID-19 funding at LCH is focused on personal protective equipment for staff, additional cleaning services, and technology for Telehealth. During the pandemic, LCH has invested in increased cleaning and sanitation services, as well as obtaining additional protective equipment for its staff. Recently, LCH received a large donation of gloves, gowns and masks for its medical staff from Project CURE in Jennersville.
Izraelson said LCH is still seeing patients at all of its sites, including those with COVID-19 symptoms.
“People still need basic preventative care,” Izraelson said. “And our behavioral health consultants are seeing patients to help them with anxiety, depression, substance abuse disorders or difficulty coping with the stress of life.”
And social assistants have been serving clients to access basic needs like filling out unemployment forms or helping them to find new jobs.
“Somehow in the middle of all this virus madness we managed to open our new pediatrics center on time,” Izraelson said. “We have a beautiful team of pediatric providers. In my short time at LCH, I have been amazed by the amount of support and care in this community, and people have stepped up during this pandemic fantastically,” Izraelson said. “We are looking forward to when our governor starts easing stay-at-home orders and we can gradually return to normal operations.”
La Comunidad Hispana is a federally qualified health care center and evaluates clients to determine eligibility for discounted services. Medicaid, Medicare and most private insurance is accepted, and no one is turned down due to an inability to pay.