The People. The Places. The Reasons We Serve.

Improving health in a meaningful and lasting way is at the heart of what drives Penn Medicine’s missions in every domain. This calling inspires the passion and creativity of an extraordinarily talented and dedicated team of physicians and nurses, faculty, trainees, students, staff, and volunteers.

This commitment to patients’ health is grounded in the life-changing treatments made possible in Penn Medicine’s labs and clinics and the personalized care delivered throughout the health system. But health is also inextricably linked to the lives patients lead outside of a hospital’s walls. Having a clean and safe place to live and play, having enough healthy food to eat, and having access to regular health care all play a part.

The stories detailed here represent just a snapshot of the creative ways in which we meet this challenge. Every day, the people of Penn Medicine work alongside our community partners to provide compassionate care and connect people to the resources and tools they need to overcome barriers to better health. They vaccinate children against infectious diseases, teach students skills like bleeding control techniques that can save lives when minutes count, and deploy an array of innovative outreach efforts to offer testing for hypertension, glaucoma, cancer, and sexually transmitted infections. As the nation’s opioid epidemic continues to exact its deadly toll on our own community, our teams are also dedicated to connecting with individuals struggling with substance use disorders to build lasting bridges to recovery.

Our efforts take place wherever a need can be met—in community clinics provided in church basements, in schools, and even barber shops—as well as in our hospitals and outpatient centers. Some of the initiatives have become new standards of care and now serve as national models that cities across the nation are using to improve and save lives.

In our mission to serve our neighbors, we are strongest when we work together, making a difference through our collective talents and passions.