Philadelphia Clinic Offers Health Lifeline to Undocumented

The New York Times writes about a Philadelphia community clinic that provides primary care for the city’s undocumented and uninsured Latino immigrants.

Puentes de Salud—Spanish for “bridges of health”—opened in 2006 to treat South Philadelphia’s growing Latino population and operates two evenings a week with volunteer doctors, nurses, and medical students. Co-founder Steve Larson calls Puentes de Salud an “underground health system” that aims to address underlying causes of illness such as poor nutrition and illiteracy.

While the clinic operates openly with support from government, hospitals, and other nonprofits, many of its patients abjure from seeking treatment elsewhere for fear of immigration officials. Undocumented immigrants are generally ineligible for Medicaid and are barred from securing insurance through the Affordable Care Act.