Address: 230 South Broad Street, Suite 810, Philadelphia, PA 19102
Phone: 215.546.4290
Email: amhealy@philahealthpartnership.org
Web: philahealthpartnership.org
Philadelphia Health Partnership (PHP) is a private foundation that was established in 1997 as the First Hospital Foundation in conjunction with the merger of Pennsylvania Hospital with the University of Pennsylvania Health System. The foundation was established to continue the mission of Pennsylvania Hospital to address the health needs of vulnerable community members of the Greater Philadelphia region. In 2018, the foundation announced its new name, Philadelphia Health Partnership (PHP), reflecting the foundation’s commitment to Philadelphia County, emphasis on health, and philosophy towards collaboration.
PHP envisions a city in which everyone has the opportunity to achieve optimal health and wellbeing. That vision is anchored in the belief that factors such as who we are, where we live, and how we make a living should not limit our chances to pursue health and well-being. Yet evidence from research and practice shows that social and economic barriers are the root causes of many health disparities. For that reason, the foundation works to advance health equity and to address social determinants of health. Supporting integration and coordination of care and services is a key part of PHP’s approach, through which the foundation aims to foster collaboration between providers in different fields and between practitioners and community members to improve health outcomes.
Program Information:
PHP’s grantmaking focuses on individuals who are uninsured, underinsured, and medically underserved, with current strategic initiatives focusing on early childhood health and development and immigrant and refugee health access and navigation. Throughout PHP’s work, the foundation emphasizes the importance of supporting community voice and leadership by actively engaging people in the program, policy, and systems-changes that affect their health and well-being.
Setting children on the pathway to lifelong well-being requires intensive investment in the earliest years, from connecting children with high-quality care and services to engaging families and caregivers in promoting children’s physical, cognitive, linguistic, and social-emotional development. For this reason, PHP is currently focusing on early childhood health and development. Promoting the positive childhood experiences that are critical to child well-being provides an opportunity to bring together diverse community members, providers, and stakeholders across systems and sectors to improve results for young children and their families in Philadelphia County.
Many foreign-born residents thrive in Philadelphia County. Yet, immigrants and refugees also face unique barriers to accessing and utilizing quality care and services, particularly those who are not citizens. In addition to facing challenges accessing health care coverage, foreign-born residents often struggle to navigate the health care system when they do seek care. Many providers do not have the capacity to bridge linguistic and cultural differences, limiting immigrants’ and refugees’ connection to the information and resources needed to make appropriate health decisions and to connect with supports like legal services. To address these issues, the foundation supports organizations working to improve immigrant health and well-being.
Financial Information:
Total Assets: $42.4 million FY18
Amount Dedicated to Health-Related Grants: $1.6 million
- Special Initiatives and/or Representative Health and Human Services Grants
Public Citizens for Children and Youth—advancement of public policy solutions that meet the health and early learning needs of children, including advocating to prevent childhood lead poisoning, make health insurance coverage available for every child in Pennsylvania regardless of immigration status, and increase access to high-quality infant and toddler child care. ($65,000)
Legal Clinic for the Disabled (LCD)—expansion of PhilaKids, LCD’s Medical-Legal Partnership at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, to the Newborn Clinic and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Step Down Clinic, providing patients and families with onsite access to a lawyer to address the legal issues that affect health, independence, and quality of life. ($60,000)
La Puerta Abierta—support for pro bono mental health support to youth and families who cannot access services elsewhere due to language, economic, legal, and social barriers and building capacity of systems and providers to support the mental and behavioral health of immigrant families. ($30,000)
Nationalities Service Center—support for providing immigrants and refugees with comprehensive client-centered services that help individuals achieve a life of safety and stability, sustainable opportunities, and meaningful community connections. ($50,000)
Pennsylvania Health Access Network Support—support for patient and consumer activation, leadership development, and advocacy to protect and expand access to high-quality, equitable, and affordable health care. ($75,000)
Strategic Changes in Grantmaking Direction/Orientation
Throughout its history, Philadelphia Health Partnership has believed that everything connects to health and that health connects to everything. We know that health and well-being are influenced by factors such as race/ethnicity, place, and socio-economic status long before individuals enter a doctor’s office. For that reason, much of our work aims to address social factors that influence health through the integration and coordination of care and services. By supporting integration, we aim to provide individuals and families with the full range of resources and supports that they need to thrive.
– Ann Marie Healy, Executive Director, Philadelphia Health Partnership
A strategic focus for the foundation is early childhood. We are committed to building on family strengths across generations to promote children’s health and development. In addition to continuing to support direct service delivery, we focus our efforts on advancing effective systems and policies that influence opportunities for child well-being.
As a small foundation, we understand the value of partnership and collaboration among nonprofits, community leaders, government, and academia to address community needs. We also help foster interconnected and culturally vibrant communities in which residents have the opportunity to feel a sense of well-being. PHP works collaboratively with other foundations as well as public and private organizations to increase our collective ability to make a positive impact on people in Philadelphia.