Practicing global health in her backyard

Leesha Helm, MD
Family Medicine
Penn State Health Medical Group – Nyes Road

Long before Dr. Leesha Helm entered medical school, she knew she wanted to dedicate herself to helping patients who face barriers to care. That’s what drove the family medicine practitioner to volunteer at the Beacon Clinic for Health and Hope, a free faith-based clinic that provides primary care to uninsured and underserved adults in the Harrisburg area.

“By caring for Beacon Clinic families and advocating for communities in need, I’m serving a global community right in my own backyard,” says Dr. Helm, who first volunteered during her residency at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and now serves as the clinic’s associate medical director.

The clinic also functions as a site for Penn State College of Medicine students and Family Medicine resident physicians to learn how to care for patients long term in a community setting.

“It’s so important to teach the next generation of physicians about biases we may carry and how to manage disease effectively for patients and their families through generations,” says Dr. Helm, who values working alongside fellow volunteer physicians who share her passion for going the extra mile for patients. “I truly feel blessed to be practicing where I am, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

It’s stories like these that drive our purpose.