It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always.
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting The National Iron Steel Heritage Museum in Coatesville, IN gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Coatesville, IN is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
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“Great staff!! Caring people!”
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“Working for Always Best Care has been very rewarding for me to help others in need. Whatever my questions may be or any help I need as a health care provider for my client they have always came through with help.”
“Very compassionate caregivers!”
“Great staff. Well trained and kind people.”
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Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Hibernia County Park in Coatesville, IN with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local 1906 at Longwood Gardens or visit Hibernia Mansion, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Coatesville, IN, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Coatesville, IN understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Coatesville, IN 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
NewsMax is headed to Florida as one of the country’s top football recruits. Colton is the third-ranked junior basketball player in America. And they did it all without leaving home.Colton Hiller can’t believe it. His older brother, Max, just told a visiting reporter that Colton started beating Max in basketball when Colton was in ninth grade.Colton does not agree. “Seventh!” he corrects.They compromise: Eighth grade.“I’m not afraid to admit it,” Max says, of his lit...
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Max is headed to Florida as one of the country’s top football recruits. Colton is the third-ranked junior basketball player in America. And they did it all without leaving home.
Colton Hiller can’t believe it. His older brother, Max, just told a visiting reporter that Colton started beating Max in basketball when Colton was in ninth grade.
Colton does not agree. “Seventh!” he corrects.
They compromise: Eighth grade.
“I’m not afraid to admit it,” Max says, of his little brother besting him.
He shouldn’t be. Colton is the third-ranked junior hoops player in the country; virtually no other high school kid can take him, including Max, who played basketball just to “stay in shape” for football. Smart move: The senior offensive tackle is the fourth-ranked high school football player in the country, and he recently committed to the University of Florida.
The brothers achieved this not at some national powerhouse in Florida or California, or even at St. Joe’s Prep (though those schools did court them). Instead, they played for Coatesville Area Senior High School, student population 1,366.
Sports matter in Coatesville. A lot.
Last year, the high school’s Red Raiders basketball team sold out eight home games in a gym that seats 2,200. That’s more than the devoted fan base at St. Joseph’s University, for instance, which averaged 2,142 fans for its men’s home games last year. CASH alum and basketball standout Richard “Rip” Hamilton went from Coatesville in 1996 to UConn and then on to the NBA, where he became a three-time All-Star and a 2004 NBA champion.
And then there’s CASH football, which is a full-on community pursuit. Churches provide pregame meals for the team. Players’ gear is emblazoned with the logos of local businesses. If a team member is out at a local restaurant, it’s not unusual for fellow diners — or the restaurant itself — to pay for his meal.
Last season, tickets for a basketball playoff game against Chester sold out in five minutes. Later, scalpers charged $100 for each $8 seat. Win a state title in Coatesville and it turns into a Frank Capra movie: parades, proclamations, a lifetime of free beer.
Truth is, Coatesville could use a little joy. Eighteen percent of the city lives below the poverty line, and the median household income falls well below the national average. Home prices are down in Coatesville, half the price as those in nearby Downingtown. Once a thriving steel town, Coatesville now struggles to find reasons for civic esteem. Which is where the Hillers come in.
“We are so proud of the brothers and the attention they’re bringing to Coatesville,” says head basketball coach John Allen. “They’re ours.”
The boys’ parents, Amy and AJ, grew up in Coatesville and were standout athletes too: Amy played field hockey at Millersville, and AJ played soccer at Coastal Carolina. Though their sons could’ve gone elsewhere for high school, AJ says the brothers were turned off by the prep schools that tried to recruit them. Coatesville is “real-world,” AJ says. “We’re super proud of where we come from.”
Choosing not to play for sports factories didn’t hurt the brothers. Both have still been pursued by the best college teams in the country, and they are represented — it is 2026, after all — by Creative Artists Agency, whose clients include Lionel Messi and Shohei Ohtani.
As players and prospects, Colton and Max are quite different.
“Max has a killer instinct,” says Downingtown West coach Tom Kline, who adds that Max is the best high school football player he’s seen in more than 30 years of coaching.
ESPN analyst and former scout and recruiter Tom Luginbill praises Max’s “competitive temperament.” Max puts it this way: “I like to hit.”
Red Raiders football coach Matt Ortega says he sometimes has to temper Max’s aggression during practice: “I say, ‘Calm down,’” Ortega says. “He gets this look on his face.”
Colton is more mild-mannered; coach Allen is helping him develop a more ruthless on-court demeanor. “I’m always on him about willing his team to win,” Allen says. But Colton is competitive. He made the national under-16 team last summer. He’s a great shooter, with tremendous instincts.
“He’s trending toward being the centerpiece of a college program,” says ESPN national basketball recruiting director Paul Biancardi. Lower Merion head coach Gregg Downer believes Colton will be “a one and done” once he gets to college — he’ll spend one year at school and then go to the NBA.
Rivals pester him with double teams and other junk defenses. “It’s like a compliment,” Colton says. “People are wide open, and they double faceguard me.”
Even though Amy describes the brothers’ boisterous childhood as “wild” and admits they sparred often, the two are extremely close.
“It’s brotherly love,” Max says. “I always protect him. He’ll always protect me.”
And both will always represent Coatesville, their hometown.
Published as “Brothers, Where Art Thou?” in the September 2026 issue of Philadelphia magazine.
Hiring is only half the battle.Keeping good people, training them and building a pipeline of future workers can matter just as much, and for many Chester County businesses those are the problems that never quite get solved.An upcoming Coatesville event is built around exactly those questions, and employers who want a seat should register now.On Thursday, Sept. 17, PA CareerLink Chester County will host a Business Networking Event from 11 AM to noon at the Alliance for Health Equity’s Brandywine Center, 744 East Lin...
Hiring is only half the battle.
Keeping good people, training them and building a pipeline of future workers can matter just as much, and for many Chester County businesses those are the problems that never quite get solved.
An upcoming Coatesville event is built around exactly those questions, and employers who want a seat should register now.
On Thursday, Sept. 17, PA CareerLink Chester County will host a Business Networking Event from 11 AM to noon at the Alliance for Health Equity’s Brandywine Center, 744 East Lincoln Highway in Coatesville.
The event is free, but space is finite and the hour is built around conversation, so registering ahead matters.
The timing is not accidental.
September is National Workforce Development Month, and the Chester County office has built programming around it in past years, using the month to put employers, workforce organizations and job seekers in the same building.
The pressure behind that programming shows up in the numbers.
Chester County’s unemployment rate stood at 3.2 percent in February, well below Pennsylvania’s 4.2 percent, out of a county labor force of roughly 302,900.
By the middle of this year, no county in the state had a lower rate.
For workers, that is a strong position.
For the businesses trying to hire them, it means competing for candidates in one of the thinnest labor pools in Pennsylvania.
Waiting for the right resume to arrive is not much of a strategy in that market.
An hour spent learning what support already exists is.
This is not a business card exchange.
The hour is built for trading ideas and learning what help is already available to Chester County businesses.
Some of that help comes with money attached.
PA CareerLink Chester County administers On-the-Job Training agreements, which reimburse employers for part of a new hire’s wages while that person learns the role.
It also handles Individual Training Accounts, which cover tuition for approved training programs.
The office also provides recruitment support at no cost, from posting openings to hosting hiring events for a single company.
For a small business with no human resources department, those programs can change what a hiring budget makes possible.
Many owners simply do not know they exist, which is the strongest argument for showing up.
The other value of the morning is less formal.
Employers rarely get an hour in a room with peers facing the same staffing questions.
Those conversations tend to produce referrals, shared solutions and partnerships that are hard to find any other way.
Employers and business professionals who want to attend can register for the Business Networking Event online.
Questions about the event, or about taking part in the job fair that follows, go to PA CareerLink Chester County’s Business Services Team at 610-280-1035.
A job fair follows from 12:30 to 3 p.m. at the same location, which gives the day a useful shape.
Employers can spend the morning learning what resources exist and comparing notes with other business leaders.
The afternoon is for meeting the candidates those resources are designed to help hire.
Chester County residents looking for work can attend the afternoon job fair without registering.
Anyone planning to come is encouraged to create a PA CareerLink account beforehand.
The account opens access to the system’s employment resources and puts a resume on file, so conversations at the fair start from a stronger position.
Free parking is available behind the Brandywine Center, across the street and along Chester Avenue.
As Chester County businesses keep competing for qualified workers, a morning that puts employers, workforce organizations and job seekers under one roof is worth an hour on the calendar.
The Sept. 17 event offers more than a conversation about hiring.
It offers practical resources, new strategies and the kind of connections that are difficult to make from behind a desk, and it starts with a phone call.
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| PA CareerLink Chester County Workforce Development • Hiring • Coatesville • Chester County Register for the Business Networking Event On-the-Job Training • Individual Training Accounts • No-Cost Recruitment Support • Employer Networking Thursday, Sept. 17, 11 a.m. to noon. Free for employers and business professionals. Space is limited, so register online to reserve your place and spend the hour learning what hiring support is already available to your business. Alliance for Health Equity’s Brandywine Center, 744 East Lincoln Highway Coatesville, PA 19320 Free parking behind the building, across the street and along Chester Avenue. A job fair follows from 12:30 to 3 p.m. at the same location. 610-280-1035 Register for the Business Networking EventNow → No registration is required for the job fair, but residents are encouraged to create a CareerLink account. Create a CareerLink Account → |
From Delco to Chesco and Montco to Bucks, what about life in Philly’s suburbs do you want WHYY News to cover? Let us know!Union Community Care, a Lancaster-based network of federally qualified health centers, is set to open a new location inside of a spare classroom at Coatesville Area Senior High School.The year-round, school-based community health center — a first for Chester County — will be equipped to administer vaccines, conduct physicals and screenings, handle illnesses and injuries, and more....
From Delco to Chesco and Montco to Bucks, what about life in Philly’s suburbs do you want WHYY News to cover? Let us know!
Union Community Care, a Lancaster-based network of federally qualified health centers, is set to open a new location inside of a spare classroom at Coatesville Area Senior High School.
The year-round, school-based community health center — a first for Chester County — will be equipped to administer vaccines, conduct physicals and screenings, handle illnesses and injuries, and more.
With its own entrance, the new health center will serve students, parents and teachers as well as the broader community. Jimmy Reichenbach, chief impact and external affairs officer for Union Community Care, called the center a “win-win for everybody.”
“The closer we can get to the community where we can kind of move those brick-and-mortar, larger institutions closer to where the community may be, we can capture even more people and help even more people,” Reichenbach said.
Like other federally qualified health centers, all patients at the new location will be treated regardless of their ability to pay. Construction is underway. Union Community Care and the Coatesville Area School District expect to open the health center in January 2027 after students return from the winter holiday break.
The health center is seen as a boon for an area that has lost several health facilities in recent years.
Tower Health shuttered Jennerville Hospital in December 2021 and Brandywine Hospital in January 2022, turning the region into a health care desert and upending ambulance services across the county.
While Wilmington-based ChristianaCare has since acquired and reopened Jennersville Hospital as the West Grove Campus, Brandywine Hospital in Coatesville has sat empty.
Home to more than 5,000 students, the Coatesville Area School District serves a predominantly low-income community. The city’s median household income is $59,000, and 18% live in poverty, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. About 18% of the city’s population is in poverty, above the national average of 10.6%.
“It’s been quite a challenge for some of our folks in the community to get the adequate health care they need,” Coatesville Superintendent Anthony Rybarczyk said. “So Union Community coming in is just a great resource and benefit to all those community members.”
Union Community Care serves more than 60,000 patients across Chester, Lancaster and Lebanon counties each year, according to Reichenbach. However, the nonprofit’s foray into Chester County is a relatively new endeavor.
It moved into the Brandywine Center in July 2025. During listening sessions in the community, Reichenbach said two items kept coming up: the pride in the school district and need for access to child care. Union Community Center decided to reach out to school officials and state Sen. Carolyn Comitta’s office.
Reichenbach said data shows school-based centers are an effective delivery method for affordable health care because they remove the barriers to access, and schools as institutions hold a great deal of community trust. Union Community Care made the pitch.
From there, the idea took off.
“Whether they have insurance, they don’t have insurance, it doesn’t matter,” Rybarczyk said. “They will take care of our students, our staff and community members and ensure that they’re getting their needs taken care of.”
Union Community Care handles the staffing and the billing. The school provides the space: in this instance, a 1,000-square-foot classroom. Union Community Care will not pay rent or sign a lease.
“It’s kind of an exchange of goods and services in a way where we’re able to utilize the space. The school gets a benefit for having us there. We get a huge benefit for being able to be in that location,” Reichenbach said.
The partnership was funded in part by a $100,000 state grant secured by Comitta.
“This is like having an urgent care right in the school,” Comitta said in a statement. “By meeting students where they spend most of their time – at school – we can help deliver high-quality healthcare, eliminate obstacles like transportation and long wait times, and prevent parents from missing work and students from missing class.”
Pennsylvania is facing combined crises of hospital closures and the failure of its mental health system. Advocates are worried that the Trump administration’s continued cuts to Medicaid could leave even more vulnerable Pennsylvanians uninsured.
Federally qualified health centers, like Union Community Care, rely heavily on Medicaid patients as their main source of income. Every cut to Medicaid threatens their razor-thin margins. Reichenbach said the situation is playing out in real-time in Chester County.
“The way I try to lay it out is, imagine if you owned a business and 5% of the people that came in to buy your goods, you gave it to them for free,” he said. “For whatever reason, you just chose to do that. If that number spiked to 10 to 15% outside of your control, think of what a business would have to do in that situation, if they were now giving 10 to 15% of their services and people weren’t paying for them.”
But Reichenbach said Union Community Care remains committed to the mission of serving as many people as possible regardless of their ability to pay, hence the push to enter into schools. The nonprofit already operates five locations in schools across Lancaster and Lebanon counties.
“In 2025, Union had almost 6,000 visits in our schools and saw about 3,500 kiddos,” he said.
According to the Pennsylvania School-Based Health Alliance, there are more than 30 school-based health centers across the state. State health officials have long identified such centers as an effective tool to bridge health equity gaps.
Dr. Heather Klusaritz, the division chief for community health in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, said there are many different models of school-based community health centers.
Some of those models, like the one in Coatesville, are more expansive than others, but ultimately, these centers share a common goal, she said.
“The common thread in all of them is really about increasing access to care and the shared recognition that schools are trusted venues in communities,” Klusaritz said. “They’re already hubs in communities where lots of people go for things and they’re about making access to care easier.”
She said it’s especially useful in making it easier for parents to get care for their children without having to leave school. According to Klusaritz, school-based community centers are steadily growing in popularity despite the difficulties in securing state and federal funding to open them.
“School-based health centers that are intentionally designed to serve the larger community actually are that safety net access point for that community,” Klusaritz said. “And most people find schools to be a trusted venue and are happy to go there and get care for themselves, their family members and their children. So, I think this is a huge win for Coatesville.”
Image via PixabayCOATESVILLE, PA — Pennsylvania American Water imposed mandatory conservation measures Sept. 6 on about 23,000 customer connections in its Coatesville water system after weather-related changes in local water sources increased treatment demands and temporarily reduced plant capacity.Customers must limit water use to essential purposes and target a 10% to 15% reduction in consumption until the utility lifts the order.The restrictions extend across portions of Chester and Lancaster counties. In Cheste...
Image via Pixabay
COATESVILLE, PA — Pennsylvania American Water imposed mandatory conservation measures Sept. 6 on about 23,000 customer connections in its Coatesville water system after weather-related changes in local water sources increased treatment demands and temporarily reduced plant capacity.
Customers must limit water use to essential purposes and target a 10% to 15% reduction in consumption until the utility lifts the order.
The restrictions extend across portions of Chester and Lancaster counties. In Chester County, they affect Coatesville, Atglen, Parkesburg and South Coatesville, along with Caln, East Fallowfield, Highland, Valley, West Brandywine and West Sadsbury townships.
Lancaster County communities covered by the order are Christiana and Quarryville and Bart, Colerain, Eden and Sadsbury townships.
Pennsylvania American Water attributed the restrictions to recent weather-related changes affecting local water sources. Those conditions increased the amount of treatment required at the plant, placing additional demand on filtration systems and temporarily reducing treatment capacity, according to the utility.
The conservation order is not a boil-water advisory. Pennsylvania American Water did not report that the water is unsafe to drink in the information provided with the order.
The restrictions affect households and businesses served by the Coatesville system and are intended to reduce demand while treatment capacity is constrained.
Pennsylvania American Water is notifying affected customers through its automated emergency notification system. The company said it will provide updates as needed and notify customers when the mandatory restrictions are lifted.
Current service alerts are available from Pennsylvania American Water: https://www.amwater.com/paaw/alerts
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WPVIPHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- We're celebrating another week of school spirit here at 6abc. This week, we welcomed the Coatesville Area Senior High School marching band to the yard.The band is preparing for an active season of football performances and band competitions after spending the summer rehearsing for its upcoming shows.The band's season begins Friday night with a halftime performance during the varsity football game against Coatesville.Band members have dedicated much of their summer to practice in preparat...
WPVI
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- We're celebrating another week of school spirit here at 6abc. This week, we welcomed the Coatesville Area Senior High School marching band to the yard.
The band is preparing for an active season of football performances and band competitions after spending the summer rehearsing for its upcoming shows.
The band's season begins Friday night with a halftime performance during the varsity football game against Coatesville.
Band members have dedicated much of their summer to practice in preparation for the season.
"This year, I didn't even get to go to the beach or anything, I just did this for most of the summer," said sophomore Josiah Galloway.
Galloway said he is eager to showcase the group's hard work when performances begin.
The marching band includes about 40 members and is open to students beyond the high school level. According to band director Gabriel Hughes, participants in grades 6 through 12 are welcome to join.
"So everybody is invited. Anybody who has played an instrument, even didn't play an instrument yet, we'll come and teach you," Hughes said.
Senior Liam Nicol joined the band in eighth grade.
"My dad, he's a drummer and my mom, she used to be in marching band. She always told me stories and I always thought that was so cool, I just wanted to get involved as soon as possible," he said.
Hughes said music education is a skill that develops over time and can provide opportunities long after students leave school.
"It's a skill, so it's going to take time to get them to master it, but when they mastering it, there are a lot of opportunities that open for them. People don't realize, even in professional circles like doctors and things, they play music still," Hughes said.
As the new season gets underway, band members are looking forward to sharing the results of months of preparation with audiences at football games and competitions while developing skills they can carry throughout their lives.
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