Esperanza Health Center e-News - October 2021

OCTOBER IN REVIEW

Esperanza Receives Three APEX Awards for Primary Care Excellence Each year, the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers honors outstanding health center staff, teams or volunteers through the Awards for Primary Care Excellence (APEX Awards). The APEX Awards represent the pinnacle of service, quality, innovation and achievement in primary health care, and are designed to recognize the outstanding efforts of dedicated individuals and teams who work in and/or volunteer for Pennsylvania's health centers. This year, we are honored to announce Esperanza's three 2021 recipients of the following APEX Awards for Primary Care Excellence:

KATHLEEN MCGETTIGAN, Practice Administrator Recipient of the 2021 Wilford Payne Health Center Mentor Award The Wilford Payne Health Center Mentor Award is presented to an individual who exemplifies a commitment to preparing the next generation of health center leaders by mentoring others to support their growth and development. VIEW THE AWARD

DEBRA ORTIZ-VASQUEZ, Director of Community Health & Wellness Recipient of the 2021 Community Ambassador Award The 2021 Community Ambassador Award is presented to an individual who champions the community health center mission through a steadfast commitment to build relationships, enact change, and promote awareness and bring positive attention to their health center.  VIEW THE AWARD

MEDICATION-ASSISTED TREATMENT (MAT) TEAM (Photo from L to R: Anna Perkins, Samantha Baker-Evens CRNP, Sarai Melendez, Jabez Yeo, Gretchen Echegoyen, Guillermo Caro & James Tiderington) Recipients of the 2021 Outstanding Primary Care Clinician Award (Team category).  The 2021 Outstanding Primary Care Clinician Award is presented to an individual or team, whose work has made a significant contribution in the delivery of primary care to vulnerable populations, thereby improving quality, accessibility and/or outcomes of care. VIEW THE AWARD

DR. BRYAN HOLLINGER ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT An announcement from Susan Post, D.Min, MBA - Chief Executive Officer

It is with heaviness and hope that we announce our beloved Dr. Bryan Hollinger will be retiring from Esperanza Health Center as medical director in December 2021. For over 27 years, Bryan Hollinger has faithfully and humbly served the Lord at Esperanza. Bryan’s love and concern for his patients goes beyond the exam room. He offers to take patients to church and support groups. Photos of precious patients grace the walls of his office. No job is beneath him; he has fixed employee plumbing issues, dug medical assistants’ cars out of snow so they can come to work, served as parking attendant for events, and moved furniture so new spaces can open.  As Bryan retires from Esperanza and his role here decreases, I am confident that the work of God will increase both through Bryan’s life and Esperanza Health Center. Join us in praising God for Bryan’s incredible service and pray as we grow into this next season as a community of faith, hope and love.  Read the Full Announcement

PAINT THE BLOCK!

On Wednesday, October 6th, 2021, we gathered together at one of Esperanza's lots in Kensington for a fun-filled community event, Paint the Block! Community members played lawn games, painted their own masterpieces, and learned about our new Community Wellness Center (coming to Kensington in 2022) and its programming for families and children. We were pleased to see our community enjoying an evening filled with music, snacks, games, and crafts! Thank you to C. Erickson & Sons, Inc., our construction company for our new Community Wellness Center, for sponsoring our event!

ADDITIONAL ANNOUNCEMEMTS

Fall 2021 Staff Retreat Last week, staff from all three Esperanza sites gathered together for the first time in over TWO YEARS for our Fall Staff Retreat! We enjoyed an afternoon of fellowship, worship, and heard testimonies written by patients and staff. We meditated on the passage from John 11: 1- 45 about the Death and Resurrection of Lazarus and heard encouraging words from Pastor Fred Harvey from Spirit & Truth Fellowship in Hunting Park. Thank you to St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Germantown for hosting us!

Get Your COVID Vaccine at EHC! It's not too late to get your COVID-19 vaccine! We are continuing to offer the Moderna vaccine for individuals ages 18 and older at our Hunting Park and Kensington sites (vaccine schedule available on our website). The Pfizer vaccine is also available in limited quantities. Head to our website for more information! Schedule a Vaccine Appointment

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Our Mission: Compelled by the love of God in Christ Jesus, in cooperation with the Church and others, Esperanza Health Center is a multi-cultural ministry providing holistic healthcare to the Latino and underserved communities of Philadelphia.