Celebrating the Life of Dr. R. Patrick McManus, Jr. MD

Dr. Ronald Patrick McManus, Jr. dedicated his career to giving back to the community and providing valuable resources. He worked as a Family Medicine Faculty Physician at Thomas Jefferson University for 25 years before sadly passing away last month. "There is nothing that he would not do to support those he worked with. He was available after hours and would guide young people in getting the best care possible," says Gwen Bailey, Vice President of HopePHL Programs. Gwen collaborated with Dr. McManus from the beginning, when he first had the idea to bring a medical clinic to the teen shelter in 1995.

Dr. McManus served as the Medical Director for Youth Emergency Service (YES) adolescent health program. During his peak involvement, he was at YES twice a week, supervising four to five residents from Jefferson’s Department of Family and Community Medicine who conducted health assessments and provided individualized follow-ups.

He also established a connection between YES and the summer resident program at Jefferson called Bridging the Gap. This initiative brought two medical residents to YES, where they designed and implemented a summer program based on activities requested by teens. These included both fun and educational activities.

Dr. McManus was devoted to supporting teens in need and made himself available for consultations at any time of day or night. He provided counseling to teens in a trauma-sensitive manner. Even after concluding his tenure with Jefferson, he continued to contribute in different ways, especially during the holiday season where he would fulfill wish lists for the teens at YES, to ensure that they were able to experience the joy of the holidays. Additionally, he served on the board of Youth Service, Inc.

We are deeply grateful for the years of service that Dr. McManus contributed to our community. In honor of his legacy in community medicine, we will be naming the Wellness Room at YES after him. Additionally, we will feature a permanent health-related article in our monthly newsletter, titled "The McManus Memo." He will be greatly missed, but his impact will be lasting.

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