Covenant House Pennsylvania - CHOP Connections Clinic

Impact of Homelessness on Health

Life on the streets is unforgiving. Homeless youth have poor nutritional intake, are exposed to the elements, and live in dangerous situations. Without adequate healthcare they risk developing life-threatening complications. Rates of both chronic and acute health problems are extremely high. Homelessness precludes good nutrition, good personal hygiene, and basic personal care. Homeless young people face these severe, complex, and unrelenting health issues daily.

Since 2001 the CHOP Connections Clinic has provided over 5,000 homeless young people in Philadelphia with quality healthcare, free of charge.

Established by Dr. Kenneth R. Ginsburg, a Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) pediatrician and recognized expert in serving adolescents, the clinic annually provides homeless young people (including young moms with babies) with the full breadth of particular and specialized care they need.

On arrival, all youth receive full intake, physical, psychosocial, and vital sign assessments. Routine sexual health care is available as are comprehensive mental and behavioral health services. Each young person is also seen by a health educator for a counseling session.

The clinical team is multidisciplinary and staffed by a Medical Director, two Nurse Practitioners, an Adolescent Psychiatrist, a Substance Abuse Specialist, a Clinical Coordinator, and a Health Educator.

The clinic follows a trauma-informed and resiliency-based approach. Trauma-informed training helps our staff better understand the challenges that many homeless youth face. Building resiliency in young people helps them overcome those challenges. This full suite of specialist health services at our clinic helps homeless young people build a healthy foundation for their future independent lives.

Medical Director

Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg

Covenant House Pennsylvania is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization; (EIN/Tax ID number: 23-3003176) Built w/ love by P'unk Avenue