A LOOK INSIDE
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SPRING 2021
BOK A LOOK INSIDE
A LOOK INSIDE
Hansjörg Wyss Wellness Center
The long-awaited Hansjörg Wyss Wellness Center at Bok is now open to the public! A collaboration between Jefferson Health and SEAMAAC, the Wyss Center’s mission is to provide the highest-quality wholebody care for immigrants, refugees, and the greater South Philadelphia area. It delivers full-spectrum primary care, social services, wellness activities, and other community focused programming. Jefferson Health is one of the largest healthcare providers in the City of Philadelphia. Their passionate providers are committed to ensuring access to care for medically underserved populations and dedicated to providing comprehensive, culturally-sensitive services. The Wyss Center is the hub of Jefferson’s clinical and educational outreach activities for our neighborhood, where together with SEAMAAC, they are working to provide culturally-competent and comprehensive primary care and social services, regardless of health insurance or citizenship status. SEAMAAC (Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Association Coalition) is a long-standing social services agency that provides multicultural and multi-generational programs to the South Philadelphia community. Programs include refugee family services, family literacy, English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, digital literacy classes, digital navigation, citizenship assistance, domestic violence programming, elders programming, health education and access to care, health insurance enrollment, public benefits enrollment and navigation, after school programs, summer programs, truancy prevention, civic engagement, community development, small business development and hunger relief. These services are available and offered to the patients that are served by the Wyss Center. We had a chance to catch up with two members of the Wyss Center team, who walked us through "a day in the life" at the new Hansjörg Wyss Wellness Center at Bok:
Dr. Jessica Deffler Dr. Jessica Deffler (left) is a family medicine physician at Jefferson and the medical director of the Wyss Wellness Center.
Thi Lam Thi Lam (right) is SEAMAAC’s Operations Director. In this role, he works with the organization’s CEO to improve operations, develop and implement policies, plan and execute big picture planning, and manage the day-to-day operations of the organization and its programming.
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A Day in the Life at the Wyss Wellness Center 11:00 AM Jessica steps out for a quick coffee break at Two Persons.
Dr. Jessica Deffler 7:30 AM Liza, the Wyss Center's practice manager, and Efong, their medical assistant, arrive. Liza unlocks the door and heads to her office to start digging through her emails. Efong arrives, turns on the clinic phone to accept patient calls, and checks the vaccine fridge to make sure the temperatures are okay (vaccines have to be kept within a strict temperature range). She makes sure exam rooms are clean and stocked with supplies, then starts preparing for the patients coming in for the day by looking through their charts. 8:30 AM Jessica arrives after a Jefferson faculty meeting on Zoom and logs onto EPIC to review her patients’ charts, responding to any urgent messages from patients and making sure there aren't any labs or imaging results that need to be taken care of right away. She then spends the rest of the morning going through her inbox for patient care and responding to emails.
11:30 AM Jefferson and SEAMAAC staff gather in the Roberts Community Learning Center for a team meeting to discuss day-to-day successes and challenges in patient care. They discuss clinic flow, patients admitted to the hospital, and patients needing care coordination or social services. Another topic on today’s agenda is artwork! SEAMAAC offers to contribute artwork that was donated at their annual gala to brighten up the walls of the clinic. 12:15 PM Liza steps out to grab lunch from La Virgen, and Jessica orders in Vietnamese from a nearby restaurant. 12:45 PM Before patients arrive at 1pm, Jessica and Efong huddle to go over the eight patients who are scheduled for the afternoon. They look at who’s coming in, what interpreters they’ll need, and any services that they may need like labs, cancer screening, and vision checks for diabetes. The goal is to provide thorough care while not getting behind, so prep is key! 1:00 PM The first patient arrives, a Burmese woman who has recently started chemotherapy treatments. While those treatments take place elsewhere, Jessica’s focus is care coordination — helping her to understand which specialists she’ll
team in-office, and the Hunger Relief team. On Mondays and Tuesdays, his colleague Katie and her team are setting up the food pantry downstairs for a 10am opening time. 11:23 AM ZOOM TIME! Thi pops onto meetings that he may or may not have been invited to or hosts a couple of his own. He sends emails to follow up on requests from programs, questions from staff, and details about upcoming meetings.
Thi Lam 6:42 AM Thi walks his Bernedoodle “RT” and then reads some emails from SEAMAAC (only reads, not responds… it’s early!). He grabs a coconut milk latte at Herman’s Coffee on Moyamensing on his way into the office. 9:01 AM Thi arrives at the SEAMAAC office, and checks in with the coordinators at the Wyss Center site, the admin
12:38 PM Thi digs into the logistics for the upcoming vaccination events at the 8th Street office, Bok auditorium, and Wyss Center, confirming the availability of translators, volunteers, and staff and scheduling orientation to train them on their respective roles. He confirms that, yes, arrival time is 6:30am. 1:22 PM Thi checks in with program coordinators.
need to see and why, how to get to those appointments, and when to come back to Wyss for a follow-up appointment. Jessica can then help her digest the info she’s received at those appointments and navigate next steps. 1:45 PM The next patients, a sweet older Indonesian couple, arrive. They’re each dealing with some chronic medical issues, and this is their first appointment with a primary care physician in quite a long time as they don’t have insurance. After their medical visit, Jenna, the clinic's social worker, talks with them about insurance options. They are also eager to get a COVID vaccine. 2:35 PM The third patient of the day, a young Cambodian man, comes in for a check up. Efong speaks Cambodian, so registration tends to be a quick process with Cambodian patients. 3:05 PM The last patient of the day comes in. Efong sets up the interpreter iPad for Mandarin, then draws labs. Then Jessica comes in to comes in to give a gynecological exam and answer the patient’s COVID vaccine questions. The patient has an appointment through SEAMAAC to be vaccinated the following day. 5:00 PM Liza and Efong head home for the day, and Liza locks up on her way out. Jessica stays behind to finish her notes, and then bikes home.
3:12 PM Thi grabs a turkey-ham sandwich on rye with pepperjack and no onions, please, and an Italian wedding soup from the FoodPoint Deli downstairs. If he's lucky, SEAMAAC’s colleague Nevi (who moonlights as an incredible Indonesian chef) has made a dish for the office! 4:45 PM Thi checks in with the CEO and talks about anything but work. 7:00 PM Thi sends final emails for the day and heads home to Pennsport. Thi gives Mom a call on the drive back to ask about her day, and checks in with his sister about their flower business to make sure that everything is running smoothly.
The Wyss Center entrance is on 8th Street. To learn more or to make an appointment, stop by or call: 215-503-7190. You can also visit www.wysswellnesscenter.org.
A LOOK INSIDE
On deck on Bok Bar's roof deck
Bok Bar is open for the season with food, features, and fun you’re not going to want to miss. Spanning 30 weeks — our longest run yet — summer 2021 is Bok Bar’s sixth season and will feature over 100 events and pop-ups by some of Philadelphia’s most unique voices. Our continued focus is in supporting a community reflective of Bok. That takes many shapes and forms, but starts with guaranteeing the hourly living wage to our staff and partnering with those who are uniquely focused on inclusivity. Through our four activation pillars — TASTE, MAKE, SPARK, and MOVE — guests will be invited to enjoy the best Philadelphia has to offer in food, music, fitness, and more. TASTE : pop-ups and menu takeovers with local chefs MAKE : hands-on collaborations and workshops with makers and artists SPARK : classes, panels, and lectures to ignite the mind MOVE : everything that moves you, from DJ sets to fitness to dancing Bok Bar is open, weather permitting, Wednesday - Saturday, 5pm – 11pm, and Sunday, 2pm – 10pm. Check out what's on deck for May and June & reserve your space at the links below! bok-bar.com // bokbar.ticketleap.com
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A LOOK INSIDE
WKSHP at Bok
In February, we opened up the WKSHP: an area adjacent to Two Persons Coffee that serves as artist / maker work studios and retail spaces. The WKSHP, accessible via the 821 Dudley Street entrance during businesses' hours of operation, is now home to DNA Floral, Moore Vintage, and a rotating pop-up space featuring 8 Fields during the month of May. These businesses join Stover & Rider Ceramics, Two Persons Coffee, Transport Cycles, and Miles Table. Learn more about the new additions to the Bok family below & be sure to follow them on Instagram for updates!
Moore Vintage Looking to feel fab? Have a wedding to attend? Stop by Moore Vintage — a shoppable design library, specializing in designer vintage clothes and accessories, rare books and records. Founder and curator Keesean Moore provides an alternative to mass-produced, fastfashion by preserving the history of garmentmaking all while funneling financial support to organizations advocating for social change. Past fundraising collaborators have included Cave Canem, The Watering Hole, The Audre Lorde Project and The South Philly Community Fridge. @moorevintagearchive // moorevintage.com
10 Years Photo Show This past April featured StreetsDept.com’s 10 Years Photo Show — a visual look back at some of the most memorable moments from the blog’s history. Photographer and curator Conrad Benner started Streets Dept back in 2011, and the now award-winning website continues to document and celebrate Philly’s street art and public art works. The show allowed visitors to take an inperson look back on pieces that made us rethink the power of public art — from work that made us collectively laugh as a city to work that inspired us to continue to fight for social change. @streetsdept // streetsdept.com
8 Fields Gabriela Basyuk and Brittany Jalio of 8 Fields are super excited for their May pop-up in the WKSHP, which features a gallery with work from Nathaniel Matthews, Ginssiyo Apara and Mia Giselle Anter, as well as a retail store with carefully curated art and objects. Working exclusively with independent artists from Philadelphia, New York and surrounding cities, 8 Fields’ mission is to be a safe and supportive community space in Philadelphia. @8fieldsmarket
DNA Floral DNA Floral creates beautiful, exotic dried & fresh-cut arrangements from small bouquets to large floral installations. Domino Mack and Liana Vazquez's approach to floral design and plant care is pure and natural, exploring not only the character of floral beauty but the aesthetic relationship between nature and setting. They sell dried and fresh-cut arrangements, plants, smudge sticks, palo santo, cone incense, and much more. @dnafloral // dnafloral.com
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Chat with Michael Ferreri Executive Chef of Irwin's
intense but really fun. That was also where I started getting into wine and I learned a lot from the wine director, Brian Kane. I realized at that point that, as much as I loved painting, this was my career now. Then I got the opportunity to be a sous chef at Zeppoli, a Sicilian restaurant in Collingswood. I was there for about a year, learning under Joey Baldino - and that’s really where I found my connection with my Sicilian roots. I went back to Zahav for a bit before heading to Aldine in Rittenhouse, and was the sous chef under George Sabatino before getting an offer to open up Res Ipsa as the executive chef. Tell us about what went into building your team. I always told myself that when I began to manage a team of people, I wanted to do it the way I want to be managed. Our kitchen is a really creatively driven kitchen - that's really important to me - and I want my staff to know that if they have an idea they want to work on, we’ll work on it together. It’s not my menu; it’s our menu. I still remember the first time I conceptualized a dish from start to finish, saw it on the menu, and watched people eat it. It’s a great feeling, and I want my staff to have that opportunity as well.
What’s your culinary background? Tell us a little bit about yourself. I went to school for fine arts, in painting and photography, but both my parents were chefs and, as a kid, I always had jobs in restaurants. When I moved to Philly, I started working at Tinto and as a food runner & waiter at Zahav right when they were starting to get momentum. Michael Solomonov invited me to do a Chef’s Counter with him - cooking and serving a 10 -12 course meal to a table of four. It was
Our executive sous chef, Ervis, is an insanely good chef and does the work of 3 people. He makes all the pasta. Pasta is a different animal entirely. It requires very strong focus and dedication because every single one of those pieces of pasta gets made by hand. He crushes it. He’s one of the best chefs I’ve ever met.
Ben, our lead line cook, began with us in the morning at Res Ipsa as a very green chef. What 21-year-old kid shows up to work at 6am from the suburbs, never late? He never complained, never ran out of food, and everything was always clean. And he’s just that type of person that regardless of how much he knows and how good he is, he has a hunger and determination; a willingness to be a sponge and learn and stay late. You just can’t teach that. We’re all like a family and we genuinely love what we do. Without that, our mission doesn’t land. It’s disingenuous, and in a city like Philly, people can tell that right away. What do you love most about your work? I’m never not learning, not growing - it’s all about paying attention and being aware. And it’s fun to engage with guests and share that knowledge introduce them to new wines & dishes. I consider it quite an honor that people trust me to cook them food, especially in a city of truly talented people. It's been just a couple weeks since you opened officially. How do you feel about Bok so far? I’ve been floored by the amount of help and community here at Bok. To see such thoughtfulness go into something so big that affects so many people - it’s an honor to be a part of it. And about South Philly? The first place I lived in Philly was at 8th & Passyunk. I love South Philly and I’ll never live in another neighborhood. One of the reasons I feel so comfortable at Bok is because it very much mimics that unique, rag-tag South Philly comradery. You kind of just have to get it, but when you get it, you get it. For reservations, visit irwinsupstairs.com.
Rising Voices
Through May 8th, Studio Incamminati is hosting Rising Voices — a celebration of women’s voices intended to inspire a new generation of artists. The exhibition consists of 29 works by the ten finalists and winner of the Bennett Prize, the largest art prize offered solely to women painters at $50,000. The Bennett Prize aims to promote women realist painters by showcasing their work and introducing talented women artists to a new generation of admirers and collectors. Throughout history, the male gaze has been central in depicting the nude body, stripping autonomy, and inducing a sense of passivity from the female subject. Rising Voices challenges that typecast by inviting
visitors to experience figurative work through the eyes of women. The show also embodies ‘contemporary realism’ in presenting artwork that, while rooted in the traditional academic realism of the 16th to early 20th centuries, pushes at accepted boundaries and explores modern notions of the self. Don't miss your opportunity to check out this incredible exhibition, now through May 8th, Wednesdays through Saturdays, 12 - 6pm on the 7th Floor. And join a virtual panel with seven of the artists, including winner Aneka Ingold (work featured above right), along with Bennett Prize Co-founders Steven A. Bennett and Dr. Elaine Melotti Schmidt on Friday, May 7th at 3pm. Both the show & panel are free but require reservation. Visit studioincamminati.org for tickets.
W H AT ’ S N E X T
Bok is a polling place for the May 18th primary election — don't forget to register to vote by May 3rd! Also coming up in May, Bok tenant Amazulu Collections will be hosting a retail pop up in the Meeting Space on May 22nd and May 23rd from 11am - 7pm. Celebrate Wag Days' one-year anniversary on the Stoop at the corner of 9th & Mifflin on June 13th, 12pm - 4pm. Practice your downward dog during Sunset Yoga with KG Strong on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month from 6pm - 7pm all summer long at Bok Bar. And join Franklin & Whitman for their Yoga for the Pups series at Bok Bar featuring adoptable dogs from the PSPCA on July 11th and August 29th. PRODUCED + DESIGNED BY
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY
Michael Persico Irwin's photo credit: Clay Williams 8 Fields photo credit: 8 Fields