Stephen & Sandra Sheller 11th Street Family Health Services Center
Drexel University built a 17,000 square foot, two-story addition to its Stephen and Sandra Sheller 11th Street Family Health Services (11th SFHS) facility thanks to Reinvestment Fund’s $9.5 million New Markets Tax Credit transaction with U.S. Bank as the investor.
By doubling the size of the facility, 11th SFHS is able to serve more than 40,000 patient visits annually in a severely distressed part of North Philadelphia. Many of 11th SFHS’s patients are residents of public housing throughout Philadelphia; 32% of its patients are uninsured and 55% are covered by Medicaid.
The health center began in 1996 as an effort between Drexel University and Philadelphia Housing Authority to address the health issues of public housing residents through health promotion, disease prevention and primary care. A national model of innovative care, 11th SFHS is a nurse-managed health center operated by Drexel’s College of Nursing and Health Professionals and Resources for Human Development, a federally qualified health center (FQHC) operator.
Drexel is an active and experienced developer in Philadelphia with an aspiration of being the nation’s most civically engaged university and a champion of regional economic development. Drexel’s deep involvement in 11th SFHS is consistent with these goals. 11th SFHS is supported by and integrated into the curriculum of departments across the university.
The expansion will increase the number of medical exam rooms, dental operatories and behavioral health and therapy rooms from 18 to 39. In addition, as part of its comprehensive approach to care, the addition will include a larger teaching kitchen and fitness center and dedicated studios for yoga and the creative arts.
11th SFHS is a partner of the Porch Light Initiative. A project of the Mural Arts Program and the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services, the Porch Light Initiative situates art and human connection at the heart of recovery and healing in distressed Philadelphia neighborhoods.