b'Catching up with.(continued)A. Scott McNealThe communities we see really need us to2012 Health Leader take care of them, he says.A. Scott McNeal, D.O., is Delaware Valley Community Healths first goal president and chief executivewas to help people who suffer from diabetes, officer of Delaware Valley high blood pressure, and other serious health Community Health, Inc. problems. But since 2012, the organization has added health care for people who take drugs Back in 2012, Dr. McNeal was vice presidentthey shouldnt be taking, an illness known as and chief medical officer of Delaware ValleySubstance Abuse Disorder, Dr. McNeal says.Community Health, Inc., an organization that helps people receive medical care even if theyIn addition to prescribing medication that can cannot afford it. help people stop abusing drugs, the centers also provide counseling to help patients under-By 2019, he had become president and chiefstand why they have become dependent on executive officer of the organization. He is indrugs, Dr. McNeal says.charge of more than 300 employees, including 80 doctors, dentists, nurses, physician assistants,Finding the money to treat so many people isand nurse practitioners. a problem that hasnt changed since 2012, Dr. McNeal says. He says many patients do not In 2012, the Philadelphia-based health organiza- have health insurance or have the money totion was treating 35,000 patients a year. Now, pay for doctor visits and medicines.it is treating 50,000 patients a year. Over that time, it has grown from running five community- Our challenge is to see as many people as based health centers to running eight. He is nowpossible, even those who dont have the ability hoping to add one more. to pay, he adds.Dr. McNeal says the fact that his organizationBy Healthy Reporter staff is treating so many more people has been hisWhitehall Elementary Schoolgreatest accomplishment.28'