English
Arabic
Chinese (Simplified)
Dutch
Esperanto
French
German
Greek
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish
UrduSince 2011, CAREs has provided grants to over 730 service initiatives across the region Penn Medicine serves, including programs in community centers, farmers markets, and places of worship from Philadelphia and Lancaster and Chester counties to the suburbs and shore communities of New Jersey. So far this year, 62 projects have received grants.
“Penn Medicine has put the community we serve first at every step of the way during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the members of our workforce who also volunteer their time are amplifying the ethos of service which is foundational to our institution’s mission,” said Patrick V. Norton, vice president for Public Affairs at Penn Medicine. “The CAREs Grant program helps extend opportunities for better health and well-being beyond our walls, and that approach has become more important than ever due to the economic and health inequities which have widened as a result of the pandemic.”
One of the most recent programs awarded funding is the Penn Neurosurgery EMPOWER program (Establishment of Minority Pipeline Of Women in Education and Research), a minority female summer-pipeline program. The program, which is in development, aims to inspire and prepare local high school and college women to pursue neuroscience.
“The goal of EMPOWER is to increase the number of minority women who become future surgeon-scientists,” said Zarina Ali, MD, an assistant professor of Neurosurgery in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and director of EMPOWER. “We hope EMPOWER will encourage women trainees to pursue and establish careers in neuroscience, and this CAREs Grant funding is crucial in helping us further develop the program.”
The 10-week summer program intends to provide mentorship, neuroscience research, and leadership experience under the guidance of surgeon-scientists. EMPOWER will also provide a unique “how she does it” program, focusing on life and leadership skills.
Other CAREs projects awarded funding this quarter include:
- Rise St. Lucia Youth: Venus Cherry, a senior instructional designer in Information Systems at Penn Medicine, is a native of St. Lucia. COVID-19 has been devastating for St. Lucia. In addition to impacting the tourism industry on the island, students have struggled with distance learning. Cherry raised funds to purchase and distribute hundreds of tablet computers to students through Rise St. Lucia. His CAREs grant allows him to provide an additional 26 devices to students.
- Philadelphia Phone Project: The inpatient psychiatric units at Pennsylvania Hospital typically provide services to individuals who are homeless and with limited funds. However, as many outpatient appointments and therapy sessions moved to telehealth during the pandemic, it could be a challenge for patients with little or no access to phones to continue their care. Anne McGibbon, a psychiatric social worker at Pennsylvania Hospital, received a CAREs grant to provide cell phones for these patients.
- Epic Experience Beyond Cancer During COVID: A volunteer at Epic Experience Beyond Cancer, Julie Uspal, MD, an assistant professor of clinical Emergency Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine, also refers patients to the nonprofit. Among its offerings are virtual camps and events for cancer patients to connect and support each other. Uspal’s funds will support several virtual workshops for cancer patients.
Since the start of the CAREs Grant program, more than $735,000 has been awarded to support volunteer efforts.
CAREs funding can be used for projects big and small, or for new or existing community outreach efforts. Grants are awarded based on the quality of the program, the needs of the community it aims to assist, and potential overall impact.
To view all of the recent CARES Grant recipients, visit PennMedicine.org/CAREs. For more information on the CAREs Grant or community outreach programs, visit PennMedicine.org/Community.
###
Penn Medicine is one of the world’s leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation’s first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $8.9 billion enterprise.
The Perelman School of Medicine has been ranked among the top medical schools in the United States for more than 20 years, according to U.S. News & World Report’s survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation’s top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $496 million awarded in the 2020 fiscal year.
The University of Pennsylvania Health System’s patient care facilities include: the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center—which are recognized as one of the nation’s top “Honor Roll” hospitals by U.S. News & World Report—Chester County Hospital; Lancaster General Health; Penn Medicine Princeton Health; and Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation’s first hospital, founded in 1751. Additional facilities and enterprises include Good Shepherd Penn Partners, Penn Medicine at Home, Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital, and Princeton House Behavioral Health, among others.
Penn Medicine is powered by a talented and dedicated workforce of more than 44,000 people. The organization also has alliances with top community health systems across both Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey, creating more options for patients no matter where they live.
Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2020, Penn Medicine provided more than $563 million to benefit our community.
