The Philadelphia Organization of Health Professions Students

The Philadelphia Organization of Health Professions Students (POHPS) is a coalition of nearly 2,500 students from various pre-professional, health-related programs across the Philadelphia area, and we have been working to combat the COVID crisis and its effects on our communities in a variety of ways, including: 

• Collecting and distributing PPE and other limited resources that can be utilized in healthcare facilities through our group called PPE2PHL, in close collaboration with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health and the CDC to optimize distribution based on immediate hospital need. You can learn more on the PPE2PHL Instagram page
• Developing and sharing a large collection of informational resources (in multiple languages) and public support programs/funds in the Philly-area and beyond
• Coordinating directly with Philly-area community clinics and programs to consolidate and publicize volunteer opportunities
• Collaborating with a local ER doctor who has been creating regular video updates about the COVID situation in Philadelphia and associated best practices, where our role is to conduct the background research, collect common questions for him to answer in his videos, and publicize his videos
• Coordinating and publicizing wellness programs for 1) Health Professions Students in the Philly area (including virtual meditation and yoga), 2) Health Care Workers in the area, and 3) members of the general public
• Partnering with a local nonprofit, CollegeTogether, and local restaurants to provide regular meals to healthcare workers on the frontline in Philadelphia-area hospitals
• Conducting the pilot program of the Connect for COVID-19 program, which involves collecting and distributing tablets to install in patient rooms to allow them to communicate with their friends and family members outside of the hospital to address the current “no visitors” restrictions.