UPenn: Stop Wright 4 clinic closing

Philadelphia

Health workers and community activists gathered in front of the Penn Presbyterian Medical Center (PPMC) June 1 to protest the University of Pennsylvania’s sudden decision to stop accepting patients at their Wright 4 addiction center. The center has a good reputation as one of the few places in Philadelphia that provides compassionate care for medically complex patients of all genders who use drugs, with treatment that includes detox, 30-day rehabilitation and addiction medicine consult services.

Organizers demands include:

• Immediately halt the closure of Wright 4 at PPMC;
• Expand addiction medicine services, including inpatient rehab beds at Hospital of University of Pennsylvania (HUP) Cedar, properly staff HUP Cedar and initiate an addiction medicine consult service at HUP and Pennsylvania Hospital; and
• Obtain opioid treatment provider status at PPMC, HUP Cedar and Pennsylvania Hospital to facilitate inpatient rehab stays for patients with methadone maintenance doses.

To sign a letter to Penn Medicine officials, or for more information, contact communityactionreliefproject@gmail.com.