Trusted Resources

Good care does not stop at our front door. Sometimes you need help we cannot give directly: a crisis line at 2am, a real program for quitting smoking, or a low-cost clinic when you are between insurance. So we keep a short list of the places we trust and point our own patients to.

Everything here is free or low-cost. None of it is a sales pitch, and nothing on this page is a substitute for talking with your own doctor.

Guidance from the Clinic

"I would rather you call a good resource at midnight than sit alone with something heavy. Knowing where to turn is part of taking care of yourself, and it is part of how I take care of you."

• Dr. Ash

If You Need Help Right Now

If you are in crisis or worried about your safety, you do not have to wait for an appointment.

• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Call or text 988, any time, day or night. It is free and confidential.
• Veterans Crisis Line. Call 988 then press 1, or text 838255.
• SAMHSA National Helpline. Call 1-800-662-HELP (4357). It is a free, confidential, 24/7 line for mental health and substance use, with referrals to local treatment. samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
• National Domestic Violence Hotline. Call 1-800-799-7233, text START to 88788, or visit thehotline.org. Free and confidential, 24/7.
• Poison Control. Call 1-800-222-1222 for a fast answer about any medicine, household product, or exposure. 24/7.

If it is a medical emergency, call 911.

Quitting Smoking, Vaping, or Drinking

Quitting nicotine is one of the highest-yield things you can do for your heart, your lungs, and even your erections; nicotine tightens blood vessels and works against you. You do not have to do it on willpower alone. These programs are free and genuinely good.

• smokefree.gov. Build a quit plan, get text-message support, and use the quitSTART app. smokefree.gov
• Be Tobacco Free (HHS). Plain-English help for quitting smoking and vaping. betobaccofree.hhs.gov/quit-now
• American Cancer Society quit guide. A step-by-step walk through quitting. cancer.org guide to quitting smoking
• For alcohol or other substances, the SAMHSA helpline above (1-800-662-HELP) is the best front door for free, confidential referrals.
• Peer support. Alcoholics Anonymous (aa.org) and SMART Recovery (smartrecovery.org) both run free meetings, in person and online.

If you want a partner in this, bring it to a visit. We will build a plan around your life, not a lecture.

Care When Money or Insurance Is Tight

A gap in coverage should not mean a gap in care.

• Find a Health Center (HRSA). Federally funded community health centers offer care on a sliding scale based on what you can pay, insured or not. findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov

If you are already our patient and you hit a wall on the cost of labs, imaging, or a medication, tell us. Part of our job is helping you find the lower-cost option.

Philadelphia: Local Care and Services

If you live in Philly, the city runs real safety-net care and services.

• City of Philadelphia health centers. The Department of Public Health runs neighborhood health centers with free or low-cost primary care, regardless of insurance or immigration status. Start here to find one, or call 311. Find free or low-cost primary care and the Department of Public Health.
• Philadelphia Corporation for Aging (PCA). The city's Area Agency on Aging connects older adults and caregivers to home care, meals, transportation, senior centers, and more. Helpline 215-765-9040. pcacares.org
• Dial 211. For help with housing, food, utilities, and other basic needs, call 211 or visit 211.org.

Care for Older Adults

Our practice runs on a direct, membership model, which is not the right fit for everyone, especially if you want to use Medicare for your primary care. If that is you, or someone you love, these groups build their whole model around older adults on Medicare.

• Medicare. Compare plans, check coverage, and find providers at medicare.gov.
• Eldercare Locator. A free national service connecting older adults and families to local aging services. Call 1-800-677-1116. eldercare.acl.gov
• Oak Street Health. Primary care centers built for adults on Medicare, now part of CVS Health. oakstreethealth.com
• Dedicated Senior Medical Center. Senior-focused primary care in the ChenMed family, with a high-touch model for Medicare-eligible patients. dedicated.care

Sexual and Hormone Health

Erectile dysfunction and a flagging sex drive are common, treatable, and worth talking about. They are also often an early signal, not the whole story. ED can be one of the first signs of cardiovascular disease, blood sugar trouble, low testosterone, poor sleep, or stress, which is exactly why it is worth a real workup rather than a quick fix.

The lifestyle moves with the best evidence are not glamorous, but they work:

• Regular physical activity is linked to a lower risk of ED. If you have been sedentary, carry extra weight, have heart disease or diabetes, or are over 50, check with us before ramping up.
• Losing as little as 5-10% of body weight, if you are carrying extra, can improve symptoms.
• A Mediterranean-style way of eating, heavy on vegetables, fruit, legumes, and whole grains, is associated with lower ED risk.
• Keeping alcohol moderate and quitting nicotine both help.

Medication can absolutely help, and we prescribe it when it fits. It just tends to work best alongside the basics, and sometimes the problem eases once the underlying cause is addressed. If any of this is on your mind, these guides are a good place to start:

• Erectile dysfunction: what it means and what to do
• ED as a cardiovascular warning sign
• Testosterone: what it does and doesn't do
• Men's hormone health

Hair Loss and Hair Restoration

Hair loss is common in both men and women, and most of it is treatable. The first step is not buying a product; it is figuring out why your hair is thinning. Pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) is the usual cause, but thyroid problems, low iron, stress, and other conditions can drive shedding too, and they call for different fixes. A real exam, sometimes with a few labs, points you at the right one.

A few evidence-based options, described plainly:

• Topical minoxidil. Available over the counter and FDA-approved for pattern hair loss in both men and women. It widens scalp blood vessels and keeps follicles in their growth phase longer. Give it about 6 months before you judge it, and know the benefit fades if you stop.
• Low-dose oral minoxidil. A pill used off-label (not FDA-approved for hair loss, prescription only). The data are promising, especially for people who cannot tolerate the topical. It needs medical supervision, since side effects can include unwanted body hair, fluid retention, and a faster heart rate, and it is not right for everyone, including some heart conditions or pregnancy.
• DHT-blocking medication (finasteride and related). Prescription pills that lower DHT, the hormone behind most pattern hair loss. They work, but they are not for women who are or may become pregnant, and a small number of men notice sexual side effects that usually ease with time or after stopping.
• Other paths. Spironolactone for hormonally driven hair loss in women, platelet-rich plasma, low-level laser therapy, and hair transplant surgery for the right candidates.

Where to turn:

• For a diagnosis and medical treatment, start with a dermatologist. The American Academy of Dermatology has patient guides and a find-a-dermatologist tool. aad.org
• If you are considering a hair transplant, use a qualified, board-certified surgeon. The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery keeps a Find a Doctor directory. ishrs.org

We are glad to help you sort out the cause, check the labs that matter, and decide what is worth trying for your situation.

How to Reach Us

If anything here raised a question, you do not have to sort it out alone. Call us at (267) 360-7927, email hello@fishtownmedicine.com, or book a free Warm Invitation Call and we will talk it through.

Medical Disclaimer: This page links to outside organizations for your convenience and shares general education, not personal medical advice. We do not control or endorse everything on third-party sites. For guidance specific to your health, talk with Dr. Ash or your own clinician, especially if you have a medical condition or take prescription medication.