Community outreach and engagement resources
At Penn Medicine, we’re dedicated to empowering our community with accessible, expert-led cancer care, education, and prevention resources. From free screenings for underserved populations to comprehensive navigation support for colorectal lung, prostate, and genetic risk counseling, we strive to ensure everyone has the tools they need to proactively manage their health. Browse the resources below and share them with friends, family, and neighbors who could benefit from these life-saving services.
Community partnerships
A critical strategy for reducing the burden of cancer in communities is the Abramson Cancer Center’s extensive network of partnerships with community organizations. These partnerships include faith-based organizations such as churches, synagogues and mosques and health centers and community clinics that care for the diverse residents of the Abramson Cancer Center catchment area. In addition, our partners include other regional cancer centers and community organizations.
The partnerships allow the Abramson Cancer Center to provide cancer education and access to cancer screenings, treatment and research. Through these partnerships, we build relationships that create opportunities for alliances and collaborations between researchers and our communities to conduct community-engaged research that increases access to cancer prevention and screenings and test interventions to reduce cancer risk, reduce mortality, increase survival and improve quality of life.
Cancer screenings
The Abramson Cancer Center has developed several screening programs for communities that are underserved and disproportionately suffer an increased burden of cancer.
We also offer a Cancer Prevention Guide for more information about each screening type. Access this guide or request a screening appointment near you.
The Penn Medicine Breast Health Initiative, established in 2014, provides free mammograms and Pap smears to uninsured and underinsured individuals, ensuring access to essential preventive care. These screenings can detect cancer early—often before symptoms appear—making treatment more effective.
Emily Verderame, MPH, the breast and cervical cancer screening navigator, helps women determine eligibility, schedule screenings, and stay on track with their diagnostic appointments.
Call 215-454-3217 to schedule your free screening.
The Abramson Cancer Center partners with communities across our region to provide free Fecal Immunochemical Tests (FIT) to detect hidden blood in the stool. In addition, the Colorectal Cancer Screening Navigation Program, established in 2012, offers personalized support to patients in need of colonoscopy screenings.
Led by nurse navigator Emma Brisco, MSN, RN, OCN, the program provides free services, including:
- Appointment scheduling assistance
- Prep supplies
- Reminder phone calls
- Transportation coordination or assistance
By helping patients overcome barriers to care, the program promotes early detection, which can prevent complications and improve treatment outcomes.
Learn more or call the GI Outreach Navigator at 215-439-8281.
Lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography (CT) is recommended for adults aged 55 to 80 years with a 30 pack-year smoking history who currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years. Early detection with a low-dose CT scan can identify lung cancer at its most treatable stage.
If you need access to lung cancer screening, fill out the online appointment form or call 800-789-7366 (PENN) to schedule your evaluation.
Penn Stop is a state-of-the-art clinical program designed to help smokers quit smoking by understanding the influence that nicotine exerts on the brain and finding stress-free ways to gain control of the problem. Smokers meet with a specially trained doctor and counselor and develop a personalized plan for ongoing care.
Learn more about Penn Stop or call 1-800-789-7366 (PENN).
The Abramson Cancer Center has developed an educational video to help men in our communities understand the risks and benefits of prostate cancer screening. For those who choose to undergo screening, a mobile phlebotomist provides free PSA tests at community prostate cancer screening events.
Prostate cancer is highly treatable when detected early. To learn more or schedule an appointment, fill out our online contact form or call 1-800-789-7366 (PENN).
Genetic counseling can provide critical insights into your potential hereditary risks for certain cancers, enabling you to take preventative steps or to see screenings earlier. To take a step toward understanding your genetic health and risks, contact the Cancer Risk Evaluation Program today.
The Penn Medicine Chester County Hospital provides free mammograms and pap smears to uninsured and underinsured individuals, ensuring access to essential preventative care. These screenings can detect cancer early-often before symptoms appear – making treatment more effective.
Call 610-738-2866 to determine eligibility, schedule screenings, and for additional information.
Resources for people diagnosed with cancer
Receiving a cancer diagnosis can be an overwhelming experience. At Penn Medicine, we are committed to supporting you throughout this journey. If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with cancer, we have resources available to help you access the care and support you need.
Other community resources
Here are some additional, specialized resources to help improve health and wellbeing in your community.
This partnership between the Basser Center for BRCA and Alejandra Campoverdi, founder of The Well Woman Coalition, focuses on empowering the Latinx community with culturally tailored information about their hereditary cancer risks and the importance of genetic testing. Through workshops, outreach programs, and community-building efforts, the partnership raises awareness about BRCA-related cancers and ensures community members have the resources to make informed decisions about their health.
The Abramson Cancer Center supports nationally recognized efforts by members to engage teens, families, providers, and cancer survivors to play a major role in increasing the HPV vaccination rate in the catchment area. This led to Philadelphia having the highest rate of HPV vaccination among teens (13-17) in the US (89.8%). Alexander G. Fiks, MD, MSCE (CCP) and his collaborators at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) developed, tested, and disseminated a vaccination decision support system in the EHR, promoting a practice policy of vaccinating at every opportunity (Fiks et al., Pediatrics, 2016). Its implementation is now being evaluated nationally across 60 primary care practices (R01 CA202261).
The Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) of the University of Pennsylvania, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and Thomas Jefferson University approved this training for use by community research partners engaged in human subjects research and will accept a Community Partner Training completion certificate in lieu of a CITI training completion certificate for non-University affiliated community research partners. Access this training today and take a crucial step toward advancing impactful research.