Community impact

Every day, the people of Penn Medicine work alongside community partners to provide compassionate care and live our commitment to service in action. These are their stories.
Sunny Vespico hands a woman a box containing a gun safe at a handout event in Delaware County. In the foreground is a poster displaying more information about the program.

A gun safety effort that doesn’t stop at the front door

Because safety matters inside the hospital and beyond, Penn Medicine across the region is connecting communities with gun locks, safes, and guidance. 

A measles-precaution sign on a glass medical facility door

Prepared to meet the new measles moment

As vaccine-preventable illnesses re-emerge, Penn Medicine is prepared—and committed to keeping patients, staff, and communities healthy and safe.

Latest articles

Telling patient stories while maintaining trust

Penn Medicine clinicians, scholars, and a determined medical student are building the framework for writing about patients with care.

$12 million expands Howley ASPIRE Nurse Scholars Program

$12 million from the Howley Foundation will expand educational opportunities for high schoolers while strengthening the region's nursing workforce.

Seven Penn faculty elected to National Academy of Medicine

Leaders in the fields of genetics, anesthesiology, veterinary medicine, and reproductive health are among the 100 new members, elected by current NAM members.

AI model can uncover unseen health issues in CT scans

The AI model Percival can detect health issues and unearth potential risks through CT scans, even for issues the imaging wasn’t ordered for.

Advanced MRI dataset maps adolescent brain development

An open-access dataset of more than 24,000 MRI scans could help researchers better understand how the brain develops during adolescence.

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Meeting essential needs

Navajo Nation dietitian Denee Bex preparing traditional Navajo foods for program participants

Traditional food program reduces heart failure hospital visits

A community-designed meal program reduced hospital and emergency visits among heart failure patients in Navajo Nation.

  • July 27, 2026
Young woman working on laptop at home

Food, transport, shelter, and a helpful voice to guide you

For five years, Penn Medicine’s Social Needs Response Team has connected patients to vital support foundational to good health.

  • Abby Alten Schwartz
  • June 3, 2025
Kevin Mahoney holds a microphone standing in front of a bright blue shed (community food pantry), surrounded by Philadelphia Union officials and mascot Phang

Penn Medicine and Union partner for community fridge

Located at Boys & Girls Club of Chester, the community refrigerator and accompanying pantry contributes to ongoing efforts to address food insecurity.

  • Frank Otto
  • May 6, 2024

Spotlight on health equity

A child draws pictures of faces on a sheet of paper

From one mother to another

Penn’s PATCH program is helping more children access specialized anxiety treatment—by supporting their families first.

  • Melissa Daly
  • July 21, 2026
20251006_Labs_Margo Reed Studio-13-X2.jpg

New mRNA vaccine platform could expand global vaccine access

A Penn-developed nanoparticle platform could make mRNA vaccines easier to produce, store, and distribute.

  • June 23, 2026
A mural of the Philadelphia cityscape

A specialized approach to mental health crisis care

Penn’s Southwest Philadelphia crisis response center has expanded access, eased ED crowding, and connected more patients to ongoing mental health support.

  • Eric Horvath
  • June 3, 2026
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Investing in community health

Two people in lab coats, one watching as the other holds tweezers over a test tube

A model global health academic partnership flourishes in Botswana

Beyond its AIDS-crisis origins, the Botswana-UPenn Partnership has achieved an expansive vision of health care, access to innovations, and education.

  • Meredith Mann
  • July 7, 2026
Exterior of the Clyde F Barker Transplant house

 A home away from home for transplant patients and families

The Clyde F. Barker Penn Transplant House offers a comforting and affordable refuge for transplant patients and families—with community and hope.

  • Matt Toal
  • April 14, 2026
A group of people in gardening clothes in front of a large wooden fence

Planting seeds, growing leaders: Teens explore health justice

From planting to event planning, the LeadIN program teaches Philly teens about environmental justice and leadership skills.

  • Meredith Mann
  • September 16, 2026

Meet the people connecting with our communities

Jamie Shuda sitting at her desk, looking at BioEYES journals, with drawings and notes on her office wall in the background

Small fish, big impact

“Every kid can do science.” That’s the mission of Jamie Shuda, who has expanded Penn Medicine’s STEM community outreach programs.

  • Julie Wood
  • September 9, 2026
Anne and Walter Gamble, smiling, surrounded by medical students

Walter and Anne Gamble: A legacy of compassion and possibility

The Gambles’ generosity helped hundreds of students attend medical school at Penn tuition-free since 1992, and today’s alumni continue to grow their vision.

  • June 16, 2026
Four therapy dogs as part of the Roxy Responder team

Penn Medicine CAREs grants boost science, literacy, service

CAREs grant recipients are translating expertise into action—expanding science education, supporting early literacy, and strengthening volunteer-led service efforts.

  • March 17, 2026
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