Bringing health beyond hospital walls and directly into neighborhoods.


 
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CoLab Philadelphia will return to serve the communities of Philadelphia soon!

When we built CoLab, we couldn’t have imagined how important it would become as a part of Jefferson’s COVID-19 response. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, CoLab Philadelphia was deployed to testing sites in Philly, acting as a critical central command center for healthcare professionals in the field. It was first deployed at the Jefferson Center City testing unit at 10th and Sansom St where 15,000 people received COVID-19 testing during the early days of the pandemic.

Stay tuned as we are in the process of developing the next phase of impactful service with CoLab Philadelphia. To learn more about our work responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, click the links below or travel down this page to learn about how and who made CoLab a reality!

 
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General Info about CoLab Philadelphia


Videos and Links

CoLab Mobile Trailer used as COVID-19 Testing Site; TD Charitable Foundation is Lead Sponsor of Van

CoLab Philadelphia, a remodeled 1960s Airstream trailer, was designed to be responsive to rapidly changing healthcare needs in the city neighborhoods that need it most. Today, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, CoLab’s mission is more urgent than ever.

CoLab, a project of Jefferson's Health Design Lab, has been providing mobile testing for COVID-19 for the past week in the Philadelphia neighborhood of Center City. For three years, TD Charitable Foundation (TDCF) has been a lead sponsor for the mobile van.

 

 
 

CoLab Philadelphia was made possible by a generous grant from the TD Charitable Foundation and was designed and supported by many others who want to think differently about making Philadelphia the healthiest city in the US.

Sponsors:

TD Charitable Foundation

American Heart Association

Wawa

The City of Philadelphia

Community Partners:

The Community of Kensington

Impact Services Corporation

New Kensington CDC

Sunday Suppers

Esperanza Health Center

Design Collaborative:

Community Design Collaborative

Thomas Jefferson University

KieranTimberlake

Ballinger

Cohere

Fabrication:

P&S Trailers, Helena OH

FKB

Double Take Labs

 
 

OUR MISSION

About 1 in 5 Americans lack access to healthcare.

We’re on a mission to change mindsets around health. CoLab Philadelphia is an Airstream trailer converted into a mobile, multi-use platform to activate public spaces and bring health programming directly to Philadelphians. Initial programs are focusing on the neighborhood of Kensington.

Follow us using the hashtag #CoLabPHL

 
 

Public Space Activation

We engage residents by hosting pop-up events and exhibitions that benefit the community.

Health Services

We help connect people with health services, conduct health screenings, and provide health education.

Community Education

We teach classes, hold workshops, and provide the private space needed for one-on-one discussions.

 

Food Access

700,000 Philadelphians are food insecure. Colab Philadelphia is exploring solutions with our community partners such as the Recipe for Health program that inspires healthy eating behaviors with family meals, health education, cooking demos, and meal kits.

Flexible Location

We created a mobile platform that can be moved throughout the city and serve the unique needs of each neighborhood.

Collaborative Programs

We help build impactful collaborative programs with our community partners.

 

OUR VISION

CoLabPHL is just the beginning.

Our vision is to scale this platform to communities around the US, and you can help.

CoLab Philadelphia is a project led by the Health Design Lab at Thomas Jefferson University and supported by sponsors such as the TD Charitable Foundation and the American Heart Association. Developed to help impactful community based organizations expand their reach with unique mobile programming, we are looking for collaborators and supporters interested in making our cities healthier. Help us create a healthier Philadelphia by reaching out.