Dr. Altshuler’s vision for the the Wyss Wellness Center was to bring healthcare to the community as a way to minimize some of the barriers that the immigrant and refugee populations are faced with every day. As an example, during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Center was one of the largest hubs in Philadelphia for the vaccine, providing about 7,000 shots to those communities in a nine-month span of time.
In early November 2023, the Office of Immigrant Affairs for the City of Philadelphia named the Wyss Wellness Center, in partnership with SEAMAAC (Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Associations Coalition) and Jefferson, as the 2023 Community Winner of the Health and Wellness Achievement Award for the Philadelphia Welcoming Awards.
In selecting the Wyss Wellness Center for the honor, the Office of Immigrant Affairs cited its “outstanding contributions and dedication to fostering a welcoming and inclusive community for Philadelphia’s immigrants,” and noted the inspiring work it does “to create a more just and equitable Philadelphia.”
Since opening its doors two years ago the Wyss Wellness Center has seen thousands of clients.
“We have become the largest healthcare provider for the Afghan refugee community who came here during Operation Allies Welcome... we’ve been taking care of many individuals who are coming on the buses from Texas... and we’ve been involved in providing care to the Ukrainian community,” he says. Altshuler and his team are currently working with colleagues to create additional healthcare-related services throughout Philadelphia in areas with large immigrant populations, including Northeast Philadelphia.
The Center for Refugee and Immigrant Health is designated by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as a Center of Excellence for Refugee Care. Altshuler says the goal is to become a federally qualified health center that will serve as a model for immigrant and refugee health centers throughout the region and the country. He and his colleagues are considered the leading authorities in the area, and are currently writing the guidelines for how to create similar centers across the U.S.
Altshuler credits the support of colleagues, Jefferson—and most importantly, the generous benefactors—with being able to make an impact.
“Without philanthropy, we would never have been able to open the (Wyss) Center, and we would not have the funding to sustain all the programs that we have on a daily basis,” he says. “For those who have already contributed, I want to say thank you on behalf of our staff and our clients. For many of these individuals, without having access to our services, they would not be getting any access to care at all.”
But, he says, there is much more work to do.
“Philadelphia is a welcoming city to so many and we’re going to continue to provide services to the larger immigrant communities that call Philadelphia their home. We’re hoping to continue to fundraise so that we can provide all the services that so many individuals desperately need.”