PRESBYBULLETIN P e n n P res b y t er i a n M e d i ca l C e n t er
APRIL 2017
Way to Go, UGo!
Penn Medicine CAREs Grant Helps a Community on the Move
Whether through participation in park clean-ups, promotion of the annual jazz festival, or organization of electronics recycling programs, Assistant Executive Director Gary Ginsberg has spent 13 years partnering with the People’s Emergency Center (PEC) on programs aimed at improving health and safety and enhancing the quality of life for residents of Powelton Village. One of the PEC’s programs is UGo, a community wellness venture which offers free weekly exercise workshops in an outdoor, family-friendly environment in addition to providing private health screenings and group, educational health chats. Last year, over 150 people from teenagers to seniors participated in UGo. With a recently awarded Penn Medicine CAREs Grant, Ginsberg hopes to help the program achieve its goal of engaging more than 200 community members. The grant will allow the PEC to host more events and hire more Community Connectors, the folks on the ground who go door to door spreading the word about UGo, conducting the classes and encouraging more people to get involved. “As a community hospital, it’s important that we continue to engage with residents on a personal level to help them to become more knowledgeable about their own health care, and learn about things they can do to avoid costly emergency room visits. The PEC holds a lot of events in our backyard – in Saunders Park – which are great opportunities for us to get involved,” Ginsberg said. “As care providers and community members, we should embrace being a part of these efforts that are targeting people at risk for diabetes, heart disease, elevated blood pressure, obesity and other conditions so they might adopt healthier lifestyles and avoid the illnesses that bring them back through our doors time and time again.”
in this issue » PPMC’s Night to Remember » Way to go, UGo! Penn Medicine CAREs Grant Helps a Community on the Move » Coming Soon: National Nurses Week Celebrations » National Doctor’s Day » Above and Beyond Hero
PPMC’s
Night to Remember
Hospital heroes can be found in every corner of PPMC; they are physicians, nurses, researchers, physician assistants, social workers, therapists, administrators, and more. They are the people working hard every day to provide the best care and service to patients and guests. On March 24, PPMC faculty, staff and leaders gathered to celebrate all of the heroes and the many groundbreaking medical achievements. In particular, this year’s gala recognized the pioneering efforts of L. Scott Levin, MD, FACS, chair of Orthopaedic Surgery, a professor of Plastic Surgery, and a world renowned surgeon whose innovative approaches are providing extraordinary, life-changing care to patients around the world. Each year, the PPMC gala takes guests to a different place with its theme, and honors one special hospital hero. With Union Jacks flying overhead, Austin Powers and British Royal Guard impersonators, and miniature versions of the signature red phone booths adorning the tables, this year’s theme, Passport to London, was in full force. The gala raised over $290,000 through sponsorships, ticket sales, and a silent auction with items ranging from a TAG Heuer watch and Gucci sunglasses, to a round of golf and lunch with Dr. Jack Ende at the Philadelphia Cricket Club and the ever popular “Create Your Own Sandwich.” Funds raised will support the establishment of the Penn Orthoplastics Limb Salvage Center. As the 2017 PPMC Hospital Hero, Dr. Levin spoke about his vision for a center dedicated to saving injured limbs and enhancing the quality of life for patients whose arms and legs have been afflicted by trauma, tumors or infections. “With the tube, the Overground, the London Eye and the world famous double-decker red buses, London is certainly a city on the move, making it the perfect theme for honoring a world-renowned surgeon and his team who focus on helping patients get back to ‘a life in motion,’” said Michele Volpe, CEO of PPMC. “Tonight we recognize not only the past achievements of Dr. Levin and his team, but we also celebrate the expansion of Penn Orthopaedics, and recognize the global partnerships that surgeons, physicians, and researchers from Penn are developing to provide an unprecedented level of care that will
not only restore functional extremities, but also to help critically injured patients live the kind of life they desire.” Though Penn Orthopaedics is the oldest orthopaedic program in the country, groundbreaking procedures performed over the past several years are proof that it remains cutting edge and the most modern in terms of vision and care. In 2015, Levin led the team that performed the world’s first bilateral hand transplant for a child, and in 2016, he spearheaded a collaborative effort with a Paris hospital resulting in the first international patient, and only second adult, to receive a bilateral hand transplant at Penn Medicine. These personalized, innovative treatments and procedures for musculoskeletal conditions – including complex trauma, bone and soft tissue tumors, limb salvage and transplant – are unique in this region, as they focus on a whole body approach and help patients regain their life in motion. For more images from the evening, please visit the Presby Bulletin online at www.pennmedicine.org/ news/internal-newsletters/presby-bulletin.
Coming Soon: The American Nurses Association has designated 2017 as the “Year of the Healthy Nurse.” Join PPMC leaders, faculty and staff during National Nurses Week, May 6–12, for a week of celebrations inspired by this year’s theme, “Nursing: the Balance of Mind, Body, and Spirit.” Special events including the annual Nightingale Ceremony recognizing nurses who have advanced through the clinical ladder, massages for nursing staff, and a breakfast with leaders will be held to celebrate PPMC’s nurses who lead the charge for health and wellness. Stay tuned to your email for more information on the week’s celebrations.