Blog List - Penn Medicine

"SOAR-ing" Helps Elders Remain Safely at Home

December 06, 2018

A new initiative at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania called SOAR (supporting older adults at risk) is working to reverse that trend, getting patients home sooner and keeping them there longer.

Health Care Quality and Safety Geriatric Medicine

Overcoming the Holiday Overwhelm

December 04, 2018

While it can be a joyous time of year, for many people the holidays bring a whirlwind of demands that can add another layer of stress to already busy lives. Cooking special meals, decorating, and shopping for gifts are just a few of the rituals that mark the holiday season in many homes across America.

Psychology

Gaining strength in treatment of Spinal Muscular Atrophy

November 29, 2018

SMA is the leading genetic cause of death for infants and the second most common autosomal recessive disease—a disease inherited through two mutated genes—occurring in about 1 in 10,000 people. But now, there’s hope in a new treatment option.

Neurology

Breaking Through The Medical Fake News Bubble

November 27, 2018

Although scientists and health professionals have the best intentions when trying to promote health research, they’re still people.

Public Health

Lumos! Learning to Grieve in the Pages of Harry Potter

November 20, 2018

When it comes to the balance of life and death, perhaps no series of books resonates more strongly with its audience than the Harry Potter series.

Psychology

Art in Science and Medicine: From Serendipity to Study Aid

November 15, 2018

What do you get when you combine technical and scientific acumen with an appreciation for beauty? At Penn Medicine, the answer is the art in science and medicine.

Human Interest Education

All Hands on Deck: Fentanyl in Philadelphia

November 13, 2018

On a busy summer evening, six patients were brought by EMS transport to the Emergency Department at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center for suspected overdose of crack cocaine, which, unbeknownst to the patients, had been mixed with fentanyl.

Addiction

Why Do We Eat Soup When We have a Cold?

November 08, 2018

As the leaves fall and temperatures drop, people tend to spend more time indoors with others, which potentially increases the exposure to cold-causing viruses. At some point this season, most people will catch the common cold, a viral infection in the upper respiratory system characterized by coughing, sneezing, sore throat, and other symptoms.

Family Medicine and Community Health

How to Survive Baseball’s ‘Most Fearsome Injury’

November 06, 2018

As a 15-year-old high school pitcher, my fastball hissed into the catcher’s mitt at 80 on the radar gun. By the end of my sophomore season, the pitch was 10 miles per hour slower and missing its zip. When someone asks what happened, I usually tell them, “Do you remember Mark Prior?”

Human Interest

Think Globally, Act Locally

November 01, 2018

“Think globally, act locally” is a popular global health idea that encourages people to consider the health of the entire planet while taking actions in their own cities and communities. And it’s an idea that inspired a group of students in the Perelman School of Medicine to join with other medical schools in Philadelphia and start a group dedicated to the growing field of global surgery.

Global Medicine Education Surgery

Blog Topic: Heart Month 2013