College
- Center City Campus
- Sidney Kimmel Medical College
Degree Earned
- Residency
Program Length
3 years
Call to Actions
Leadership
Program Contact
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Community Medicine
The Department of Family and Community Medicine at TJU has long pursued opportunities to partner with local communities to:
Assist in identifying needs
Expand access to care
Provide culturally appropriate care and health education
Indeed, the centrality of "community" to our mission was highlighted by the addition of "Community" to the Department's official title in 2005.
The foremost goal of our residency program is to train residents to meet the health needs of underserved communities through various community health rotations. These unique experiences expose our residents to different organizations seeking to address social determinants of health and improve the health of vulnerable populations in Philadelphia. Through partnering with community health organizations, residents are able to understand the concept of community-oriented primary care, learn to assess the health needs of communities, gain an awareness of health disparities in Philadelphia, and develop an understanding of how we can work as a multi-disciplinary team to address social determinants of health.
Wyss Wellness Center
The Wyss Wellness Center is a health and wellness center designed to provide clinical care and social services to the immigrant and refugee community of Philadelphia, regardless of insurance status. Since it’s opening in April 2021, Wyss has served as a hub for clinical and educational outreach activities with a focus on the immigrant population in addition to the surrounding South Philadelphia community. By partnering with SEAMAAC, a community based organization created to support the immigrant and refugee community, the center provides a platform to deliver full-spectrum primary care, social services, wellness activities, and other community focused programming.
The Wyss Wellness Center is an extension of the Jefferson Center for Refugee and Immigrant Health that was created by Dr. Altshuler in 2007. Dr. Jessica Deffler (Jefferson Family Medicine Residency, 2020) is the medical director.
Refugee Health
Refugee Health is an integral component of our residency curriculum and affords our residents a unique learning and service opportunity. In 2007, the Department pioneered a special clinic to provide healthcare to refugees newly arrived in the United States. We have grown to become a medical home for refugees. We screen approximately 5-10 new refugees each week and continue to provide ongoing care for these individuals, including management of chronic conditions, facilitating access to specialists, and providing obstetric and pediatric care. Through office and home visits, residents are able to build trust within the refugee community, improve their understanding of family systems, broaden their medical experience, and develop cultural competency.
Stephen Klein Wellness Center: Project Home
Stephen Klein Wellness Center (SKWC) is a newly-opened federally-qualified health center (FQHC) in North Philadelphia that provides full-spectrum care to individuals experiencing homelessness, the formerly homeless, and the underserved in North Philly. All residents rotate here. It is also a site for our Underserved Care Area of Concentration (AoC). This FQHC features a co-located YMCA, a pharmacy, legal services through a medical-legal partnership, behavioral health consults, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, community meeting and education rooms, physical therapy, mental health services, dental services, pantry and laundry, etc. Highlights include a comprehensive OB program with a prenatal nurse coordinator, centering pregnancy, and centering parenting, MOUD (formerly MAT) program, and LARC services under RHEDI.
Mazzoni Center: LGBTQ Health & Well-Being
Rotating at the Mazzoni Center is a unique experience afforded to the residents of the Jefferson Family Medicine program. The medical clinic is also located in Center City Philly, but the patient population is distinct from that of our continuity clinic. The Mazzoni Center is an LGBTQ-focused clinic that is at the forefront of HIV/AIDS primary care and contraception access. Physicians there manage various aspects of HIV/AIDS care, from PrEp to HIV screenings, to new diagnoses and medication management. The Mazzoni Center provides gender-affirming care, including hormone therapy, for the trans community in Philly. Residents also receive further training in contraception counseling and management, including LARCs at the center.
Mazzoni Center is the main clinical site for our LGBTQ health AoC.
Puentes de Salud
Puentes de Salud (“Bridges of Health”) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes the health and wellness of Philadelphia’s rapidly growing Latinx immigrant population. Jefferson faculty and residents provide culturally competent care to patients at this clinic in collaboration with faculty from other Philadelphia institutions.
Puentes de Salud Clinic serves as a clinical site for our Community Medicine Rotations and our Immigrant and Refugee Health AoC for residents to provide care for this population.
JeffHOPE & Refugee Health Partners
Housed within the Department of Family and Community Medicine, JeffHOPE and Refugee Health Partners are student-run free clinics serving individuals experiencing homelessness and refugees, respectively. Our residents routinely serve as preceptors and physician guidance for medical students at these clinics. These are wonderful opportunities to serve our communities and provide education for our medical students while also reinforcing to both learners and patients the important role of primary care.