Jonathan Nelson
It Grows Like Ivy
The Caring Place is a free healthcare clinic of the Lehigh Valley
hospital in Allentown, PA. Started from scratch with minimal operating
hours and volunteer staffing, The Caring Place has grown to become
one of the best-funded projects by Lehigh Valley Hospital. Now,
uninsured citizens from across Allentown, the third biggest city in
Pennsylvania, come to The Caring Place for all types of care ranging from dia-
betes education to prenatal group visits. It Grows Like Ivy picks up the
narrative of The Caring Place at a poignant and liminal time in the
clinic’s development. The transition from a smaller free clinic to a larger
federally-funded health center unearths major questions for Dr. Abby
Letcher, a head doctor at the clinic. Struggling with the success of her
ultimate goal to bridge healthcare and community building, Abby care-
fully pioneers a revival of a personalized model of medicine with an
ever-questioning, introspective slant.
