Prebybulletin 5/2/14 by Penn Medicine

Volume 9

Issue 9 May 2, 2014

PRESBYbulletin Penn Presbyterian Medical Center

Celebrating National Doctors’ Day On March 30, PPMC once again paused to formally recognize National Doctors’ Day, an annual observance celebrating the contribution of physicians who serve our community daily. Presby invited doctors from across the hospital to the Medical Conference Room to enjoy a breakfast buffet and small tokens of appreciation. The first Doctor’s Day observance was March 30, 1933 in Winder, Georgia. This first observance included mailing greeting cards and placing flowers on graves of deceased doctors. In 1958, a resolution commemorating Doctors’ Day was adopted by the United States House of Representatives. Later, following overwhelming approval by the United States Senate and the House of Representatives, on October 30, 1990, President George Bush formally designated March 30th as “National Doctor’s Day.”

Annual Fundraiser

Soars

Penn Presbyterian friends, staff and supporters joined in an evening of high-flying fun and philanthropy at Vie on Friday, March 7, for the hospital’s 13th annual fundraiser. As more than 400 guests stepped into the Top Gun-themed party, they donned jumpsuits and aviator sunglasses, and were invited to participate in a thrilling flight-simulator experience. The silent auction attracted attention, thanks to generous donations from local jewelers, restaurants, theaters and companies.

Proceeds from the event far surpassed fundraising expectations for the John Paul Pryor, MD, FACS, Shock Trauma and Resuscitation (STAR) Unit at Penn Presbyterian’s new trauma center. As we look forward to welcoming the new trauma center at PPMC, faculty, staff and friends felt it fitting to honor one of the trauma department’s most passionate leaders and a true American hero. On Christmas Day in 2008, Dr. Pryor was serving as a combat surgeon in the U.S. Army Reserve Medical Corp in Iraq when he was killed by mortar shrapnel. His loss has been felt deeply throughout the Penn Medicine community, the city of Philadelphia and beyond. This year’s annual fundraiser was an opportunity for friends, family and colleagues of Dr. Pryor to come together and celebrate his life as we carry on his legacy of providing excellent care to those in need. Thanks to the dedicated staff and generous friends of Penn Presbyterian, the 13th annual fundraiser, Top Gun, was a delightful success. For more photos from the evening’s festivities, please see the Presby Bulletin online.

A HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR’S STORY David Tuck’s life changed on September 1, 1939, when Germany invaded Poland. By December, he was forced to wear an armband with a yellow Star of David, and had to step into the street when German soldiers passed by. Within a few weeks his family was deported to the Lodz ghetto where they lived off rationed coffee, bread, and soup. From the spring of 1941 until May 1945, he lived and worked in subhuman conditions in Nazi labor camps, including some of the most notorious— Auschwitz, Mauthausen, and Güsen II. When the Americans liberated Güsen on May 5, 1945, David weighed just 78 pounds.

UPHS employees… get your walking shoes ready!

David Tuck will share his personal experience at a Cultural Diversity Committee Brown Bag titled “A Holocaust Survivor Speaks Out” on Monday, May 12, from 1-2 PM. The Brown Bag will take place in the Gardner Room on the first floor of the Wright Saunders building.

To track your steps you can 1) use a regular pedometer to manually enter your steps in the challenge OR 2) use an electronic device such as a Fitbit, the Nike+ or the RunKeeper app. Those electronic devices automatically sync to the Healthy Rewards site and log your steps for you.

Join PPMC’s Cultural Diversity Committee for this powerful history lesson. For more information, contact Bette Haitsch, the Cultural Diversity Committee’s chair, at Bette.Haitsch@uphs.upenn.edu.

Note: To sync your device in the healthy rewards site, go to settings, then click on the electronic devices tab and connect your device. Sign in to the Healthy Rewards site on May 5th to join the Wellfocused Walk-Off challenge and start walking!

Employees of the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) are invited to attend the May 2014 Housing Fair on Wednesday, May 21 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Wright/ Saunders Building at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center located at 51 North 39th Street - W186 in Philadelphia. Hosted by PHOS, the Fair is a convenient one-stop resource to learn more about the current real estate market and its implications for Philadelphia and the wider community. Representatives from PHOS, its lending partners and other exhibitors will be on premises to address any questions you may have about the Enhanced Forgivable Loan and Closing Cost Reduction Programs, which are available to full time employees of the University and the Health System. In addition to the exhibitors at the event, a massage therapist will be present.

TEEN VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

PHOS Announces May 2014 Housing Fair

The Wellfocused Walk-Off is the first ever entity vs. entity steps competition and anyone and everyone can participate! There will be TWO sets of winners recognized at the end of the eight-week challenge: the UPHS entity with the highest average number of steps AND the top 5 individual persons who have the highest total steps! Look for more information for the promotion of the Wellfocused at your entity coming soon!

This year, HUP will once again offer opportunities for teenagers to provide volunteer service in the hospital while being exposed to many careers in healthcare during the summer of 2014. The Teen Volunteer Program begins during the week of June 29th and continues through the week of August 24th. Please review the Teen Volunteer Program Overview online at www.pennmedicine.org/hupteenprogram. Applications are now available online. The program fills quickly, so complete the full application early! If your department or unit wishes to request a teen volunteer for the summer, please submit an application at the Volunteer Services intranet site (http://uphsxnet.uphs.upenn.edu/volunteer_svcs/).

Admission to the event is free. Please contact PHOS at either phointrn@exchange.upenn.edu or call 215.898.7422 for more information.