Frequent readers will know we strongly believe in bringing students in our to the places where healthcare and science take place. Last week, the students in the fifth cohort of the visited the . Observant readers will notice the Center shares its name with our program, as both were made possible through generous contributions from Nicholas and Athena Karabots and the Karabots Foundation. While at the Center, our students toured their facilities and met with members of their dedicated healthcare staff.
Opened in 2013, and located in West Philadelphia, the Karabots Center offers a host of different healthcare and outreach services for communities in West Philadelphia and beyond. In addition to , the Center offers community health and wellness programs, assisting in such capacities as literacy, education for new mothers, asthma prevention, homeless assistance, support for victims of domestic violence. Their facilities see roughly 60,000 patients per year.
During their visit, they met with , a renowned specialist in childhood asthma. Dr. Bryant-Stephens is the founder and Medical Director of the Community Asthma Prevention Program (CAPP) at CHOP. She shared her personal journey, her work in asthma prevention, as well as some health and wellness tips. They also met with , MSN, CRNP, one of their experienced pediatric nurses who talked about her personal and professional experience.
The students were excited to briefly tour the Center's medical facilities. They also got to visit their . Maintained by members of the West Philadelphia community, the garden produces healthy fruit, vegetables, and herbs for patients and families in the . In 2016, the garden yielded roughly 1,000 pounds of herbs and vegetables.
We are thankful for CHOP opening their doors and sharing their wonderful work with our students.