Improving the health of people living throughout the region we serve is a cornerstone of Penn Medicine's overarching mission to advance knowledge and improve health through patient care, research, and the education of trainees in an inclusive culture that embraces diversity, fosters innovation, stimulates critical thinking, and supports lifelong learning.
We understand the importance of social determinants as they relate to health, education, and wealth. We continue to strive to fully understand the role of racism and biases in health care disparities, ostensibly immovable barriers to achieving equity in health. At Penn Medicine, our code of professionalism, our commitment to inclusion, and our focus on optimal health for everyone, underpins our values and actions.
Among our highest priorities as an organization is ensuring that everyone is safe while fostering an environment that upholds the Action for Cultural Transformation (ACT) values of inclusion, diversity, equity, respect, and cultural humility. We will not tolerate discrimination, hatred, intimidation, or violence that is directed at any member of the Penn Medicine community.
The Penn Center for Health Equity Advancement sets system-wide health equity priorities for both patients and Penn employees to create a learning health system dedicated to achieving equitable patient outcomes and better value, that promotes data-driven solutions to achieve health equity.
Penn Medicine Community Impact Report
Every day, physicians, nurses, students, and staff volunteer their time, skills, and knowledge to erase health disparities and improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve. They operate neighborhood clinics, help under-resourced residents manage medical appointments and wellness efforts, and provide education and mentorship to youth, among many other initiatives.
Explore stories and data about these community-based and community-serving initiatives in Service in Action, our community impact report.
Community Outreach and Penn Medicine CAREs Grants
Throughout the year, Penn Medicine connects employee and student volunteers with opportunities to serve the Philadelphia region. View our community events calendar.
To help support these efforts further, the Penn Medicine CAREs Grant was established to offer institutional support to these programs and partner nonprofits in the form of grants that can be used to perform this important work in the community. Whether helping refugees in Lancaster learn English, or buying groceries for homebound West Philadelphia seniors, the CAREs grant funds the initiatives that Penn Medicine faculty, staff, and students care about. View descriptions of programs receiving recent Penn Medicine CAREs Grants.
For a listing of past grant projects, please see our annual reports.
Members of the Penn Medicine community can learn more about applying for CAREs grants on the Penn Medicine Intranet CAREs page or by emailing CAREs@uphs.upenn.edu.
Community Health Needs Assessment and Implementation Plans
To comply with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and, more importantly, deepen our understanding of the health needs of our own local community, Penn Medicine Philadelphia-based hospitals (Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Pennsylvania Hospital) completed their most recent Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) in 2019 in partnership with Philadelphia Department of Public Health, other area health systems, and a robust network of community organizations and residents.
From this needs assessment, a corresponding Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) was developed for the specific needs of the community our Philadelphia-based hospitals serve. Through these targeted efforts, Penn Medicine continually moves forward toward health equity. View past assessments and plans for the Philadelphia-based hospitals.
View the community health needs assessments and implementation plans for our regional entities:
Charity Care
We are committed to caring for all patients equitably, with dignity, respect, and compassion. As a part of this commitment, we offer financial counseling and assistance programs to uninsured and under-insured patients to assist those who cannot pay for their care. Learn more about our charity care policy.