Thank you, Dr. Van Zandt. You're welcome.
Silvana, please raise your hand.
Okay. Savannah, please raise your virtual hand once more.
Okay. They've been allowed to speak.
Hello. Thank you. All of the clinics vary. The wound care visits last year, we did 829.
We did over 600 PrEP visits that included medical care and navigation. And I want to add that not
a single person seroconverted to becoming HIV positive. The HIV primary care, 1,334 visits,
and HIV tests, 1,450. For the medication for opioid use disorder, we had 2,426 throughout
the year. And, you know, we are unfortunately not open in the evening. As Dr. Van Zandt stated,
She is one of our key providers to do linkages for inpatient substance use treatment at two different facilities.
We do have a, you know, some of the community engagement team after hours does do linkages to inpatient care.
And we have bridge relationships with really all of the hospitals.
Dr. Meisner, who spoke, has done admissions after hours and we have providers at really every major hospital that can do a note in the electronic medical record, letting them know that a patient is headed to that hospital.
But unfortunately, when we are closed at night or the weekends, yes, people are going other places for care.
I also, you know, having the primary care that we have in sauna and having the other services, as Dr. Van Zandt stated, you would not want to go to an ER for all of these services as a patient if you didn't have the same type of critical injury or concern.
And for a medical institution like a hospital, that is also a burden to have everyone come to an ER rather than other facilities in the hospital.
Yeah, I understand. Yep. So I asked a question before. You're hiring of the security specialist. Was that for problems outside?
No. You know, many of the clinics highlighted on those maps that the architect Janice Woodcock showed that security. We had security for many years. This is a neighborhood that has a lot of things going on around the building and in the general area.
there you know enhanced police patrols all over the area I've had security for years we did we
do feel that it is very important to have an additional measure of security like the other
clinics and social services in the area and you have do they stand outside too they stand outside
they walk up to people and ask them to move on or into the building as do the staff that we have
de-escalating and talking to people. So we are- So I guess the question is, is that a problem
outside for you? We would prefer to have additional security, and we are planning on hiring a second
person to support this person and the crisis de-escalation team. But it is important to,
as you saw with the architectural analysis, we are trying to actively get people into the building
or to move on from the block.
But, Counsel, you had mentioned before
about drug dealers on the corner.
Didn't you say that?
I mean, there's, you know, we're in...
Is that a problem right outside the building?
It is not right outside the building,
but in the area, it is a challenge.
Okay. Thank you.
And, Silvana, are these challenges unique,
as Janice's report indicated,
Are these challenges unique to the block and area around Prevention Point, or is this something that's seen throughout Kensington?
This is seen throughout Kensington. And as you know, additional officers have been deployed throughout Kensington.
I have no further questions.
I have an additional question. So since you guys have been operating, has there been any, like, what are the number of actual police reports you guys had to file?
So incident reports with the police.
Can you hear me?
Yes, I can hear you.
So, um, police reports, uh, critical incidents are, are not common. Um, when there are incidents
of what was just discussed in the general area, we may close. Um, and, and, you know,
that is noted by police. We do call 911 for, um, medical emergency.
We do call 911 for medical emergencies, and we help facilitate transport to medical emergencies.
We partner with AR2, EMS, and PPD, but the staff are very skilled at crisis de-escalation, as is this security specialist in the previous team.
and and i i guess one more question i mean when you went through your stats about how many
patients you've seen in a year close to 10 000 uh definitely not those are medical visits that
are unique to different clinics well that's what i'm saying but i mean but at least 10 000 in and
5,000 to 6,000 visits throughout the year.
Just out of curiosity, is the building up to par to handle that?
It is.
We have adequate rooms.
The landlord has done work to create a space for each patient visit for medical care that
is certainly adequate and up to code.
Thank you.
And while we're here, you know, if I can just briefly even walk through these floor plans
just so, you know, we have a bit of an idea. This is the main entry where I'm dragging my cursor,
right? And then we have the reception area that I showed the photo of for intake. This is a drop-in
center and mail room. And then these are, you know, behind this door, these are the exam rooms
that we were speaking of. There's also a second floor with additional offices and rooms. I mean,
You know, those being utilized often or, you know, are they are they full?
It seems, you know, that there are more clearly more rooms than you have providers.
So you just speak to the capacity, as the chairman mentioned.
Yes. So we actually one of the modifications was flipping rooms.
We didn't do construction, but the what is now medical reception was once the drop in center.
However, this expanded space ensures that people have adequate space to check in and wait for a visit. They can get pulled in by the case manager, get seen in advance, go to do phlebotomy, et cetera. But yes, there is adequate space for what is being operated.
Thank you.
And this is the building where you had the single doctor initially?
Correct.
So this large building you put one doctor was in there?
Well, again, that is just one of the services provided at the property.
Right. And then later it was the administrative came in with sort of your headquarters, right?
Yeah. And these are all the services offered.
Michael, you have your next witness?
Yeah, they're called James Sherman.
James Sherman.
The virtual audience, please raise your hand.
I don't see them, but I see four other people.
One is Roxy Rivera.
The second is Callie Lamb.
Call Callie Lamb.
She was my next witness.
They've been about to speak.
And Ms. Lamb.
Could you please state your name and spell it for the court stenographer?
Yes, Callie Lamb, and it's K-A-L-I-L-A-M-B.
You swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Mr. Phillips.
Ms. Lamb, I'll be brief.
I just want to know, what is your relationship with prevention point in this property in general?
And OK, let me back up a bit. I am 37 years old.
When I was 16, I started using injectable drugs and I struggled with it for a long portion of my life.
So in 2019, I was diagnosed with hepatitis C and Prevention Point was where I went and got my diagnosis.
At that time, I was not unhoused and I began using their medical services.
I did become unhoused in 2020 and I continued to use their services for treatment for hepatitis C.
I also was put on medication for opioid use disorder. I have since then gotten sober. I just
I have since then gotten sober. I just bought my first house. I just celebrated a year of continuous sobriety, and they're still in my life.
My roommate, who has also been sober for a little over two years, still uses Prevention Point services because I connected him with their medical services, again, not while he was unhoused, but well after he had gotten sober.
And what was it about Prevention Point and the property that caused you to go there as opposed to going to another location to receive medical services?
It's hard to explain what it's like to be living in active addiction and be unhoused.
I usually describe it like my world today is so big, right?
I have a job. I take care of my dogs. I go grocery shopping. I have all these things.
And when I was living in active addiction, my world was so small.
And, you know, I'm not talking about physically, right?
I didn't have the capacity for a lot of things.
And I didn't care enough about my health or my well-being or even my being alive to go and seek out medical care and to make doctor's appointments.
I didn't have a home.
I didn't have a phone.
I needed somewhere that I could walk up, not feel ashamed of the fact that I had lice, that I hadn't bathed, that I maybe can't keep my appointments, but I'm never going to get, you know, shamed for that.
I could walk in, receive love and compassion at any time and receive medical care.
um and if it weren't for the medical care being provided at uh uh 2913 kensington uh do you think
you would have gotten the medical care you need and would you be where you are today
absolutely not um i actually work now as a paralegal with a non-profit civil law firm
and Philadelphia. I work with low-income individuals today and have everything I have
because of the people at Prevention Point and because that it is so low barrier, right? And
what I mean by that, I'd like to give an example. A friend of mine that I was on the streets with
who also actually just celebrated a year of continuous sobriety, he calls me once right
after I got sober and tells me he can't breathe. And so we go to the hospital. I go with him.
He finds out he has a collapsed lung. He also has an infection throughout his body.
And he told the medical provider that he wanted to stay and enter treatment from there.
And a couple hours later, the doctor comes back to us and she hands me a study
of about 12 individuals, I think were in this study, of how a collapsed lung can heal itself
and that he didn't need to be admitted and they were going to let him go.
And I've never heard of that. So yes, we can get medical care, but I think there's a lack
of understanding. It is the bare minimum often. And when we ask for help, we don't always get
the help that we need, that we want. I am sober because I had a medical provider connect me with
the services i need and we can't get those we're judged people don't want to smell us they don't
want to look at us um we already don't like who we are we don't like being alive it's not an easy
life it's not a happy life so to have a single place you can go and feel compassion and love
and worthy and valued and like you need other people to want you to stay alive because when
you're in that it's hard to want that for yourself and prevention point is the only place I know of
that I felt like that and like I said I'm sober today I have a relationship with my dad I have
a retirement account I have a savings account I just bought a home I have three dogs and I have
a year of sobriety and I have all of that because people loved me when I couldn't love myself and
told me it was okay if I couldn't be consistent if I made mistakes if you know I couldn't be the
best patient it's so necessary and I understand people have a lot of strong opinions on this
but for me I'm alive because of that I can't count how many times I've overdosed and my friends
had the supplies they needed to keep me alive because they went to prevention point
it kept me a continuum of care when I would get incarcerated I'm a felon I would get incarcerated
and because prevention point made sure I had my medications when I was released I didn't die
There are so many important things for people that are living on the streets and I know
There are so many important things for people that are living on the streets.
And I know that we like to think, yes, the community in Kensington are the residents as well,
but the people that are also living on the streets in Kensington are part of the community.
And I think that every human deserves health care and to feel that, you know, from health care providers.
Thank you.
I have no additional questions.
The board does, and then I have one final witness.
This is going to be your last witness.
All right.
Please.
Thank you.
We started with your, remember your 20 minute case.
Yeah, I know.
And I should have written those words when they, when they came out.
I, you know, my wife always gives me a hard time for my time estimation.
So I apologize.
James Sherman is my last.
What's your next witness?
James Sherman is our last witness.
Mr. Sherman.
They've been allowed to speak, sir.
This is James Sherman.
hi could you spell your last name please for the court stenographer yep i sure can j-a-m-e-s-s-h-e-r-m-a-n
james sherman right you swear or affirm to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the
truth i sure do uh please proceed counsel mr sherman can you please uh explain for the board
your relationship is with prevention point and uh this property at 2913 kensington
Absolutely. So I identify as a person in long-term recovery. I was homeless in the
Kensington area for over almost two years, and eventually I found sobriety, became a certified
recovery specialist, and I worked at Prevention Point for about seven and a half months.
Did you receive medical services at Prevention Point while you were unhoused?
I did. When our when our supply was really changing to different things, you know, due to my IV drug use, I started developing some really bad abscesses and wounds.
You know, being homeless to that extent, I had no insurance. I didn't know where to turn.
I was approached by a prevention point outreach worker who walked me back to prevention point to receive wound care and antibiotics.
And I don't think that I would have my arm if I didn't address it with prevention points held during the lowest time of my life.
And can you just briefly describe for the board what your sobriety journey and how, you know, how your life has changed over the past year in relation to the services you provided at you were provided at 2913 Kensington?
Yeah, absolutely. Prevention point, you know, I learned a lot of this during my time there, too, is that, you know, it's a vital part of that community. Many of my friends who are, you know, staying on their recovery journey go there for their medication.
A lot of people that I, you know, I serve on the streets in the community that, you know, need these services go there.
I've watched members of the community come and use that, use their services.
I just think we're in a vital point of a public health crisis.
And I just can't fathom what, you know, the community of people would look like without the services of Prevention Point.
I don't think that I would have ever found sobriety if it wasn't for people at Prevention Point loving me at my lowest.
um, you know, advocating and recovering out loud and telling me that I could do it.
And why prevention point? Why not? Why did you not seek services elsewhere?
Uh, many reasons. Um, you know, it was there. Um, it was trusted. Um, the consistency served
a really good point in my life of like, uh, constantly feeding me constantly giving me,