General Availability of Healthcare
Philadelphia is blessed with an abundance of hospitals, medical universities, and privately practicing physicians. Travelers with commonplace complaints and rare ailments alike should be able to find treatment with ease.
Contact the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers (IAMAT; tel. 716/754-4883 or, in Canada, 416/652-0137; www.iamat.org) for tips on travel and health concerns in the countries you're visiting, and for lists of local, English-speaking doctors. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (tel. 800/311-3435; www.cdc.gov) provides up-to-date information on health hazards by region or country and offers tips on food safety. The website www.tripprep.com, sponsored by a consortium of travel medicine practitioners, may also offer helpful advice on traveling abroad. You can find listings of reliable clinics overseas at the International Society of Travel Medicine (www.istm.org).
What to do if You Get Sick Away From Home
The best thing to do if you become sick in Philadelphia is to check with your hotel concierge, who should be able to find you a doctor. Jefferson Hospital at 11th and Walnut, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania at 34th and Spruce, and Pennsylvania Hospital at 8th and Spruce all have 24-hour emergency rooms. In case of emergency, call tel. 911.
We list hospitals and emergency numbers under "Fast Facts: Philadelphia".
If you suffer from a chronic illness, consult your doctor before your departure. Pack prescription medications in your carry-on luggage, and carry them in their original containers, with pharmacy labels -- otherwise they won't make it through airport security. Visitors from outside the U.S. should carry generic names of prescription drugs. For U.S. travelers, most reliable healthcare plans provide coverage if you get sick away from home. Foreign visitors may have to pay all medical costs upfront and be reimbursed later.
Staying Safe
Philadelphia's Center City (bordered by the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers from east to west, and from South St. to Spring Garden St. from south to north) is quite safe, especially in the high-traffic areas of Old City and along Walnut Street and Rittenhouse Square. Still, it is a city: Be aware of others around you; keep handbags zipped and secured; don't leave laptops unattended; and pay attention to your surroundings, especially after dark on quiet streets, and in emerging neighborhoods such as Northern Liberties and the Italian Market area. If it's late, spring for a cab -- or, at least, don't walk alone.
Healthy Travels to You
The following government websites offer up-to-date health-related travel advice.
Australia: www.dfat.gov.au/travel
Canada: www.hc-sc.gc.ca/index_e.html
U.K.: www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/HealthAdviceForTravellers/fs/en
U.S.: www.cdc.gov/travel
