When the pandemic first hit the US, the injustices faced by minoritized communities became unfortunately clear. The shortcomings of our healthcare system were more prevalent than ever. In response to the social inequities exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, staff and students from the University of Pennsylvania created the Social Needs Response Team (SNRT). This team is a collaborative effort among CHEA, the Center for Public Health Initiatives, and the Department of Social Work and Case Management.

Working alongside community-based organizations and local clinics, our team is able to refer patients locally. Started in April 2020, SNRT responds to the needs of Philadelphians with the assistance of an interdisciplinary team. Medical, nursing, and social work students alike come together in a remote setting to address a multitude of unmet social needs, either created or emphasized by the pandemic. Since it began, SNRT has received over 1000 referrals, with food assistance, housing, and employment among the community’s primary needs. To read more about SNRT in the Harvard Public Health Review, click the link below!

We Are Only as Safe as Our Most Vulnerable Citizens’: Healthcare Systems’ Role in Reducing Exacerbating Social and Economic Inequities Before, During, and Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic