So much has changed over the past several months due to the pandemic, but the Good Samaritan spirit that drives our work at Pennsylvania Hospital has only strengthened. Every day and in all corners of the hospital, our staff consistently go the extra mile and prioritize the safety and care of our patients. And even amid the era of COVID-19, our employees continue to engage with the people that we serve through community outreach.
Our Penn Medicine CAREs Grant winners are still volunteering and helping their underserved neighbors thrive, and generous donations have poured into the Pennsy Pantry, ensuring that every staff member can put food on the table. Employees championed the Penn Votes initiative and helped patients register to vote and request mail-in ballots. The teams at Hall-Mercer Community Mental Health Center have also overcome countless obstacles to ensure community members struggling with mental health issues, homelessness, and behavioral health crises can still get the care they need — with one case manager even calling an Uber for her client and remaining on the phone with him throughout his ride to offer support and reassurance as he traveled to take a COVID-19 test. Our staff have shown time and time again that no barrier can keep them from helping those in need.
An exemplar of this was Helena E. Boyle, a longtime Hall-Mercer outreach specialist and advocate who passed away in September. Helena touched so many lives, and it is my hope that as you read about her incredible work, which is profiled in this month’s issue of What’s New, you will be inspired to make meaningful connections in your own communities.
These are especially difficult times for all of us — our communities, patients, families, and ourselves. Remember that as you continue to serve and care deeply for others, please extend this same empathy to yourself. As we mourn those lost, continuously adapt to professional and personal changes, and reckon with the many challenges this year has posed, I encourage everyone to look through the mental health and wellness resources offered by Penn COBALT, an online support hub that also offers connections with peers, resilience coaches, therapists, and psychiatrists. Our Employee Assistance Program also offers confidential, 24/7 support. While the pandemic may require us to remain physically apart, we will all get through this time together.