Valley Health Partners Community Health Center

Nuestros socios de la Kellyn Foundation organizan el “Mercado móvil Eat Real Food” todos los martes y jueves. Kellyn invierte en el poder de una alimentación saludable al proporcionar frutas y verduras frescas y comidas preparadas saludables. ¡TODOS en la comunidad están invitados! Para obtener más información y actualizaciones del menú semanal, visite https://healthyfood.kellyn.org.

Our partners at Kellyn Foundation host the “Eat Real Food Mobile Market” every Tuesday and Thursday. Kellyn invests in the power of healthy eating by providing fresh fruits, vegetables, and healthy prepared meals. EVERYONE in the community is invited! For more information and weekly menu updates visit https://healthyfood.kellyn.org.

Happy Fourth of July! Please enjoy today's holiday safely with family and friends.

We're collaborating with Community Services for Children at their Summer Registration events all summer long! Stop by to register your eligible little ones for Pre-K, as well as learn more about VHP's dental, vision, and primary health care services. Have questions? Message us!

By providing culturally sensitive and accessible mental health care, Valley Health Partners is helping address the persistent behavioral health disparities rooted in systemic racism. Our VHP Integrated Behavioral Health team provides care to all right in our primary care practices. Call (610) 969-4200 to schedule an appointment, or visit valleyhealthpartners.org to learn more.

Thank you to our friends at United Way of the Lehigh Valley for inviting us to connect at their Passport & Collaboration event yesterday. Michelle Mieses, our Sr. Program Manager for School-Based Health shared VHP’s resources, and connected with other organizations doing great work in our community!

Congratulations to Joseph Yozviak, DO, FACP, VHP's Chief Medical Officer. He is one of the recipients of the 2024 Dr. Mark Young Memorial Award for Community Health. The award honors practitioners who have a passion and commitment to advancing health and wellness in the region.

He compassionately provides equitable and comprehensive care to his patients as well as serving as VHP's clinical leader. Along with excellent clinical care, his phenomenal work on treatments and vaccine trials are just some of the many reasons for his nomination.

Congratulations!

Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery. Community Health Centers, like Valley Health Partners, were born nearly a century later to address persistent racial disparities in access to health care and beyond. To this day Community Health Centers continue to promote health equity for all. We are to serve our community with compassionate and equitable care.

VHP Street Medicine team participated in the Juneteenth event this past Friday hosted by New Bethany and The Cathedral Church of the Nativity. VHP Street Medicine and New Bethany Ministries partner in collaborative outreach initiatives to help unsheltered community members and those battling substance abuse disorder. Our team had an incredible time handing out giveaways, providing resources, and educating the community. We look forward to attending next year's Juneteenth event.

Kimberly Brown, MD, Medical Director of VHP School-Based Health program, addressed early childhood literacy for the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley Talk, Read, Sing campaign. The national campaign empowers parents and families to be their children’s first teachers through literacy and social engagement activities. Follow the link, https://vimeo.com/934990830/7f335afb0f?share=copy, to listen. For more information about the Talk, Read, Sing campaign visit https://www.unitedwayglv.org/talk-read-sing/.

We were our community partner United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, invited us to attend their annual event, the United Way Partner Agency Meeting today at Northampton Community College's Fowler Center in Bethlehem. The event welcomed, Marci Lesko, as the new CEO. Community leaders, partners, and advocates discussed economic disparities in housing, and wages and how these issues impact the Greater Lehigh Valley. We were thankful to participate in the discussion. We look forward to participating in next year’s Partner Agency Meeting.

June is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month. PTSD is a mental health condition which develops after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. Symptoms can include recurrent, intrusive memories, nightmares, flashbacks, as well as other physical and emotional reactions. A recent study found that the prevalence of PTSD has more than doubled in college students between 2017 and 2022 (Zhai & Du, 2024).

PTSD Awareness Month provides the opportunity to shed light on a condition with which many individuals silently navigate. June is a reminder to be gentle with one another, as not all wounds are visible. Safe and effective treatment is available, with new approaches also being developed and studied. For more information on PTSD, please visit The National Center for PTSD at https://www.ptsd.va.gov/

is for everyone! Valley Health Partners is to provide culturally competent and inclusive services to everyone, including the LGBTQIA+ community. Happy Pride Month!

Period poverty is a pressing issue affecting millions of women and girls worldwide. From lack of access to menstrual products to limited education about menstrual health, the barriers are many. This issue crucially impacts women and girls across the Lehigh Valley as well. This month we at VHP, along with our partners at Lehigh Valley Health Network and Allentown Health Bureau are collecting and distributing sanitary napkins, hygiene, and feminine care products to those in need.

In an article published by Lehigh Valley News, Dr. Ashwini Kamath Mulki of LVHN Family Medicine and Valley Health Partners Family Health Center said, "The groups are working on a Menstrual Equity map for the city (of Allentown). It will be a simple map for menstruators to locate free period products and for anyone in the community to donate sanitary products to support this cause."

We encourage autonomy over your health and well-being. As a community we can give women and girls leverage by advocating to end period poverty. If you want to donate sanitary napkins, hygiene, and or feminine products call 610-437-7760 for more information or follow the link https://www.lehighvalleynews.com/health-news/period-poverty-allentown-collects-distributes-menstrual-products-to-expand-access.

"Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who have died in military service in the United States of America. We at Valley Health Partners remember and honor those men and women who have courageously made the ultimate sacrifice. The 'national moment of remembrance' is an annual event that asks all Americans, wherever they are, at 3:00 PM local time on Memorial Day to pause for one minute to remember those who have died in military service to our country." —Alexander Alex, MSHA, C-WCH, Director of VHP Veteran Health Program

Valley Health Partners honors our military heroes every day through the tireless work of our Veteran Health Program team. To learn more, visit valleyhealthpartners.org/veterans.

Yesterday was an amazing day at VHP as we spent the morning with all of our colleagues in one place at our 2nd annual Review/Preview. We celebrated all we’ve done, where we’re going, and highlighted the incredible achievements of our teams caring for our community. Special thanks to John Porcari, who gave an inspirational talk on Serving Leadership. What a wonderful morning! Shout out to the great 📸 work of Marco Calderon.

During Mental Health Month, we’re celebrating the important work of Community Health Centers in promoting emotional well-being. As an FQHC Look-A-Like Valley Health Partner provides mental health services through our Integrated Behavioral Health program. We serve children, youth, and adults. VHP does not turn patients away based on their ability to pay and removes financial barriers for receiving care. We care deeply about your mental well-being. If you are seeking care for your mental health or a family member contact us at 610-969-4200. Also, be sure to check out Mindful Tips with Tommy on our social pages.

That's our very own Alexander Alex, Director of VHP Veteran Health Program last year, readying to fire a strike right across the plate!

Hey 'Pigs fans 👋

Don’t forget to nominate a veteran for a chance to receive four (4) free tickets to an IronPigs game from Tuesday, May 21 through Saturday, May 25 during Salute to Veterans Week presented by Toyota!

Nominate Here: https://www.milb.com/lehigh-valley/forms/lehigh-valley-ironpigs-salute-to-veterans

May is Foster Care Awareness Month, and we were to participate in the Pinebrook Community Fair this weekend to help raise awareness. The event was hosted in Allentown, where community members were able to gather information and resources about health, wellness, and education. We would like to thank Pinebrook Family Answers for inviting us to help advocate for children in foster care.

We're of Becca Flohl, HR Coordinator, for being awarded with the Heart of the Community award! Consistently going above and beyond, Becca learned new skills to help her team in a pinch. She always shows kindness and a willingness to help, no matter how busy she gets. Thank you, Becca!

Today we stand united in the fight against AIDS, showing support for securing the rights of people living with HIV, and fighting HIV stigma and discrimination.