Penn Medicine CAREs Grants

PENN MEDICINE CARES:

OUR COMMITMENT TO SERVICE DURING COVID-19

By Kristen Mulvihill

In the fall of 2020, Ranjoo Prasad, OD, Director of the Penn Center for Low Vision Rehabilitation, and Brian Nguyen, MD, first year ophthalmology resident, received Penn Medicine CAREs grants for two communityrelated projects.

The Penn Medicine CAREs Grant program provides institutional support each year to faculty, staff, and trainees who volunteer their time to serve the community. CAREs grant recipients exemplify the values of Penn Medicine and its commitment to make an impact through various service initiatives. Now more than ever, these initiatives are critical to provide support to vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In collaboration with the Gift of Life Family House (GOLFH), Dr. Prasad is supporting a temporary transportation initiative to allow for continued access to specialty care during the pandemic. GOLFH is a hospitality house for transplant patients and their families who travel to Philadelphia for care. The Family House provides home-like accommodations and supportive services, including meals, activities, and transportation to hospitals for medical care. Though the Family House has remained open during the pandemic, the volunteer-led shuttle program was temporarily halted due to restrictions.

“Providing transportation enabled residents not to worry about navigation in an unknown city and relieved the additional burden of costs for gas, parking, and other means of transport,” explained Dr. Prasad, who currently serves on the Advisory Board of GOLFH.

Ranjoo Prasad, OD