Helen O. Dickens Center for Women

The Helen O. Dickens Center for Women is committed to providing personalized care to women of all ages, fulfilling Penn Medicine’s philosophy of serving the community. Dr. Dickens was the first female African American doctor to become board certified in obstetrics and gynecology in Philadelphia as well as the first to be named a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. She worked to educate young women about their reproductive health in order to reduce the incidence of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

The Dickens Center serves a diverse group of patients with a particular focus in our West Philadelphia community. Our mission is to provide high-quality equitable care to all. Based on financial counseling, Penn Medicine offers charity care for those who qualify. The Center offers prenatal care, gynecology care, and colposcopy services.

The multifaceted team of OBGYN residents, nurse practitioners and midwives work in conjunction with nurses, social workers and dieticians to provide excellent, compassionate care, with an emphasis on both physical and psychosocial well being. Every patient is assigned a care coordinator to provide continuity of care during their pregnancy.

The Center has established partnerships with city and community agencies, state-funded programs and managed care organizations, to ensure that women have access to the services that fit their educational, financial and psychosocial needs. The Center also provides care at The Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s Health Center 3 and offers consultations and care for women with complex medical and obstetric conditions or fetal anomalies. Our integrated high-risk program combines care coordinators, physicians and nurse practitioners allowing us to provide a unique level of continuity for our patients.