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Maryann Styles and Delores Liggins spotted the first tent while responding to a call from Project HOME’s Outreach Coordination Center in June. As the two outreach workers from Pennsylvania Hospital’s Hall-Mercer Community Mental Health Center engaged its occupant in conversation, they learned he was an organizer who intended to gather all of the city’s homeless individuals into a large, autonomous camp, and he shared a list of demands. He was initially dismissive of Styles and Liggins’ offers to support him but ultimately agreed that they could help by supplying food and water. This was what opened up the opportunity for their team to help those in need during a historic movement.

“In a couple of days, it went from one tent to 10 tents to 40 tents. A lot of homeless clients that we’d been engaging for a while moved down to the Parkway, and we knew it was getting serious,” Styles said.

Inspired by Black Lives Matter protests, activists and unsheltered people came together on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. For five months, more than 200 homeless individuals transformed areas of the city’s iconic boulevard into sprawling tent villages. The dual pandemics that defined 2020 — COVID-19 and systemic racism — and their disproportionate impact on communities of color threw into relief other inequities like housing, fomenting long-standing frustrations in a city with a homeless population of more than 5,500 and tens of thousands on public housing waiting lists.

As it grew, the encampment was soon embroiled in controversy, but outreach workers from Hall-Mercer were focused on ensuring that everyone residing there had access to vital necessities during their protest and community resources when they were ready to leave. Alongside community organizations from across the city, Hall-Mercer’s team played an integral role in clearing the encampment by October and connecting its homeless occupants to temporary shelter options before temperatures dropped.

“I think there were many people who saw that encampment as an eyesore, as a place for unwanted people, and a place that they just wanted to disappear. But Hall-Mercer showed up, regardless of all of the barriers,” said Patty Inacker, DSW, MBA, administrator of PAH’s Behavioral Health Service Line. “From day one, their tenacity, commitment, and ability to see the bigger picture made such an impact.”

Building Relationships and Community Bridges“In order for us to get in, we had to maintain the rapport with people we knew and befriend people we didn’t so they’d warm up to us,” Styles said. “We sat down with them and reinforced that whether they were at the encampment or not, whether they were with these organizers or not, we were still going to advocate for them.”

Their warmth and determination paid off. Soon enough, Styles and Liggins weren’t met with much resistance as they entered the encampment to distribute backpacks, food, and water but, rather, enthusiastically greeted as “the Muslim girl and the girl with the bun” as they walked through counting tents, assessing situations, and striking up conversations.

For months, Styles, Liggins, and their fellow orange-clad Hall-Mercer staff — Quinton Askew, Crystal Delmonico, Wes Lilly, Joan Vieldhouse, and Tamika Willis — made the Parkway part of their routine. Rather than coming with a set agenda, the outreach workers explained what types of services were available and how they could help each person, such as substance use support, placement in a COVID-19 prevention space for those at high risk for contracting the virus, or bus tickets to get back to their home city. Over time, they built trust and camaraderie. “It didn’t matter if they were homeless for 30 days or 30 years — we advocated for them,” Styles said. “We needed to show them that we were allies, not enemies.”

THE COVID-19 VACCINE : H O P E F O R A N E W B E G I N N I N G from CEO Kevin Mahoney

} (From left) Joan Vieldhouse, Delores Liggins, and Maryann Styles spent much of the summer and fall creating connections with homeless individuals on the Parkway and linking them with housing resources. } Photo by Michael Stokes, CC BY 2.0

SYSTEMSYSTEM NEWSNEWSJANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021

2020 was a year that transformed our lives, our work, and our relationships with our friends and loved ones. A turning point — a pivotal sign of hope on the horizon — came in December, the day the Food and Drug Administration authorized the first COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use.

Just weeks later, we have already provided over 43,000 doses of the vaccine to our workforce to date. It will still take time to produce and distribute vaccines across the communities we serve, and during these months, we’ll need to continue our vigilance with masks and social distancing to keep each other safe. At the same time, we must hold up those among us who are grieving the losses of friends and family taken by the virus, and support our

communities to heal and rebuild from economic damages of the pandemic. But our horizon is now one of hope.

To transform this hope into a reality — in order for the powerful science behind the vaccines to have maximum impact and put an end to the pandemic — our communities must feel comfortable receiving the vaccine. And while we are moving quickly to vaccinate those in our workforce, our allied health partners and the surrounding communities, and laying plans to give shots to our patients, we must also face the challenge of addressing vaccine hesitancy.

Vaccine hesitancy is a complex issue that impacts many groups in our workforce and the communities we care for and live in. In part, vaccine hesitancy is linked to a long history of racial injustices in medicine which have, understandably, left Black

and brown communities worried about the safety of the new COVID-19 vaccine. But we know there are questions from many other groups – pregnant women or patients with cancer and those who’ve had transplants, for instance, may wonder about whether the vaccine is right for them.

FLORENCIA GREER POLITE, MD OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY, HUP

IN THIS ISSUEThe Benefits of a Home-Cooked Meal Ripple Throughout the Hospital .....................................2

PM @ Work ...............................3

Princeton Health Redoubles Efforts to Support Staff During Pandemic ...................................3

Awards and Accolades ............4

PSOM Students Create Unexpected Community Outreach ....................................4

Embracing the Spirit of Giving ....................................4

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COVID, Cynicism, and Other ChallengesMany encampment occupants expressed that the camp was comfortable, collaborative, and peaceful. However, violence did occasionally break out. Further safety issues were posed by severe storms, drug use, individuals struggling with mental illnesses, improper waste disposal, and the ongoing pandemic. Though masks were generally ubiquitous, as more tents were staked and more protestors joined the cause, social distancing became a concern. Plus, one of the core difficulties was the suspicion and hostility aimed towards all outsiders, including police, clergy, reporters, city officials, and even people walking down the street. Liggins and Styles were unfazed, though; it was all part of a day’s work.

“We weren’t afraid of the encampment, largely because we’d already established relationships previously with many of the people who came down there. We could walk in and just say, ‘Hey Greg, how are you?’ ‘What’s up, Roger, how’s everything?’ and move along,” Liggins said. “Even with COVID, we just made sure that we were masked, shielded, and gloved up, and we carried bags of masks and hand sanitizers with us. Sure, it was scary sometimes, but who else was going to help?”

Still, the camp’s ever-growing size coupled with the lack of centralized leadership meant that sometimes they were caught up in conflict. Liggins recalled one situation in which she and Styles had successfully persuaded a man to leave with them and go to a shelter but they were almost thwarted by an organizer.

“As soon as we got this guy to our van to go pick up his things [from another area], an organizer stopped us and pulled him to the side and tried to talk him out of going,” she said. Recognizing that the organizer’s distrust of the shelter system could cause the man to miss a good opportunity, she stood her ground, which — after hours of debate — led to a breakthrough.

“His argument made sense in its own way, but I emphasized that we weren’t there to harm the cause; we came in peace. I explained that this organizer might be able to go home every night, but this man didn’t have that option. What if the protest ended tomorrow, but this man already gave up his spot? We were professional but bold. When we didn’t back down, and the man agreed to come with us, the organizer actually said he really respected that we would not leave without him.”

Securing Shelter as Solutions UnfoldThree eviction notices were issued to the encampment, but residents and protestors refused to leave until permanent housing was provided — an increasingly urgent need amid the nationwide COVID eviction crisis. Fortunately, city officials were committed to resolving the protest without force. The city and the Philadelphia Housing Authority agreed to turn over 50 vacant properties to a community land trust; by the spring, these houses will be owned and rehabilitated by a nonprofit established by encampment organizers and occupants and will be maintained as low-income housing. The city has also promised to create two tiny-house villages by June 30.

This settlement was lauded by local and national advocates as an unprecedented success — though it’s important to remember that these solutions will take time, and they will not fully resolve the city’s housing and homelessness crises. That’s where the outreach work comes in again. As officials and organizers met at the negotiation table, Styles, Liggins, and their colleagues diligently engaged with each person at the camp, offering daily support until people finally felt ready to seek help.

“There was a table outside of the encampment where staff from the Department of Behavioral Health [DBH] were stationed to share information about outreach services and shelters. Depending on each case, our team would bring interested people over to that table, or they’d just send a text to DBH to claim an available bed,” said program manager Maryanne Bourbeau, MS. “Usually, there’d be some wait time to approve placements, but with the encampment, it was instantaneous because the goal was to connect everyone with entry-level housing as quickly as possible.”

By the time the last tent had been cleared, DBH reported that the combined efforts of the city’s outreach teams led to 205 relocations into shelters, safe havens, COVID-19 prevention spaces, and other housing and treatment programs.

“Hall-Mercer was there from the first tent to the last tent. Every day, we were out there securing beds, packing people up, and dropping them off at shelters. It was all about having compassion for people who have been held back from resources that could help,” Liggins said. Styles echoed this sentiment, adding, “No matter who they were or how they got to that encampment, we were there to make sure they got what they needed.”

for people to sign up for what they wanted to contribute. Over time, the link was also spread among friends and family members. Many would leave their dish with Schlitz on the day of the dinner. Some would contribute money toward ingredients. The volunteers who were slated to do the cooking, left the hospital parking lot together around 3 p.m. and headed for the Family House.

Once inside those walls, the concerns of the outside world faded, Schlitz says. All that mattered was feeding their gathering guests of all ages for whom a home-cooked meal was perhaps their one glimpse of normalcy in their entire day.

“Everyone eats in a large dining room. Sometimes, we’d sit with them while they eat,” she says. “As nurses, it’s in our nature to talk with people, ask them how they are.”

After everyone finished their dinner, Schlitz and the other volunteers would gather in a corner of the dining room to eat theirs. For

all the 12-hour shifts they work together, week in and week out, there was rarely time to catch up on each other’s lives. But this became that time.

The in-person cooking and dining aspect of the Home Cook Heroes program has been temporarily suspended since the spring due to COVID-19, but the spirit of sharing for families in need goes on. In lieu of their monthly dinners, the Penn Medicine Chester County Hospital Home Cook Heroes have dropped off prepared meals on multiple occasions. One month, everyone chipped in $20, and they had dinner delivered from a nearby Italian restaurant.

If you’re interested in volunteering with or contributing to the hospital’s group once the kitchen reopens, email Schlitz at Laura.Schlitz@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.

Asked what she enjoys most about her work, Laura Schlitz says, “Being in a position to have a positive impact on our patients, their families, and my staff.”

A clinical manager of two medical-surgical units at Penn Medicine Chester County Hospital, Schlitz oversees about 140 employees. However, she’s a nurse by training, and she’s spent much of her career working in emergency departments. Her experiences there have shaped her empathy in countless ways. In particular, her work with the hospital’s organ donation program has given rise to a volunteer effort that has banded together dozens of hospital employees over the last few years.

In 2017, Schlitz attended a one-day learning session hosted by the Gift of Life Donor Program and first heard of the Home Cook Heroes program. Volunteer groups are invited to cook dinner (and brunch, on the weekends) at the Gift of Life Family House in Philadelphia, which creates a home away from home for transplant patients and their families who travel to Philadelphia for transplant-related care.

Another nurse who attended the learning session with Schlitz said, “We only ever get to see the sad side of this process [after a donor has died]. It would be

THE BENEFITS OF A

Home-Cooked Meal Ripple Throughout the Hospital

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nice to meet and help some of the people whose lives are being transformed by these transplants.” Schlitz agreed. They decided then and there to sign up for dinner duty one night.

From that moment, Schlitz has been hooked.

“It felt like such a great way to help people, and it was kind of a therapeutic thing for our group, too,” she says. “Everyone there that night was so appreciative. There was also the added benefit of doing something together that we loved, cooking, which brought us a little closer together.”

Schlitz signed up for more dinners and even gave her group a name: The Penn Medicine Chester County Hospital Home Cook Heroes. Since its formation (and prior to the pandemic), the group prepared and served dinner at the Family House about once a month. Anywhere from six to 15 people prepped and cooked on each occasion. Schlitz said eight people contributed in some way to virtually every dinner, though about 80 people have been involved at one point or another.

Schlitz would schedule dinners six months out and share a link among an extensive list of contacts at the hospital

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The discussion during these follow-up visits is largely up to the individuals, said Isaac. People can talk about fears and concerns, or they can stick to lighter subjects, such as their favorite TV shows. The point is to give them respite.

“It’s been humbling to witness how staff have put patients before themselves and held steadfast to their calling in so many ways,” Isaac said. “We hope that introducing them to therapy in this way will encourage them to continue using these services as the dust settles and longer-term behavioral health needs come to light.”

To help all Penn Medicine employees coping with stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues, Penn created COBALT, an online support system that provides easy access to a variety of resources. Learn more at https://www.penncobalt.com/sign-in.

“ We don’t want people to be alone with their feelings about what they have seen, and we want to help them celebrate and be proud of the remarkable things they have accomplished in very difficult circumstances.”

Now that we’ve turned the page on 2020, the healthful resolutions, good wishes and positive plans for 2021 are in full swing. Getting healthy or improving one’s health always seems to be a constant on many people’s lists, but how to stick to the plan may not. In February 2021, the new and improved Wellfocused app can help with that.

“The new Wellfocused app promotes wellness accountability — which we could all use a little more of,” said Janna Rothschild, senior employee health and well-being coordinator of UPHS. “The unexpected twists and turns of 2020 left people feeling a little ungrounded when it came to their healthy lifestyle regimen.”

“I love the team challenges on the app, specifically the step challenge,” said Emily Mcpeak, UPHS employee well-being coordinator. “Logging into the app daily reminds employees to make better decisions so they can earn points toward an extra $200.”

All employees, regardless of their medical coverage, are eligible to earn the annual incentive of up to $200 after downloading the app. In addition, several random employees who download the new app will be named winners of the Golden Ticket challenge and will receive bonus points toward their incentive reward.

The best care for our patients starts with the best care for our employees, so once

New Year, New App: Wellfocused Ups Their GameFebruary comes around, get started by downloading the Limeade ONE iOS or Android app. Access the program on the web: pennmedicine.limeade.com.

To learn more about the app, email wellfocused@uphs.upenn.edu. For questions about registering your account, please email support@limeade.com or call 888.849.4846.

Note: Lancaster General Health’s MyHealthyLiving wellness program is already supported by Limeade One. LGH employees can also access their program on the web at lgh.limeade.com.

Key Benefits of the New Wellfocused App

Improve work and personal life with activities and personalized insights

Track progress and activity against your goals

Share feedback and provide suggestions on key workplace topics

Stay connected to colleagues with posts, likes and comments

Keep up with health system updates and pertinent news on your mobile device

Access resources and company resources in a centralized location

Connect devices and apps, such as Apple Health

Princeton Health Redoubles Efforts to S U P P O R T S TA F F D U R I N G PA N D E M I C Long before COVID-19 entered our vocabulary, physicians, nurses, and other front-line health care workers were susceptible to burnout and issues such as compassion fatigue — a gradual desensitization caused by overexposure to death and serious illness. The COVID-19 pandemic has only intensified the pressures, and Penn Medicine Princeton Health has employed a proactive approach to help staff members and providers receive the support they need.

Last spring, when the first wave of COVID-19 peaked in central New Jersey, the Rev. Matthew Rhodes, PsyD, director of Religious Ministries, and Michael Libertazzo, EdD, a Princeton-based psychologist, began making regular rounds on Princeton Medical Center (PMC) units that were caring for patients with COVID-19. Today, as the Princeton area experiences a second wave, Rhodes and Libertazzo continue to round several days a week on the COVID units and hold regular debriefings with hospitalists, medical residents, nurses, and other staff members.

“Our work focuses on addressing post-traumatic symptoms and moral distress, as well as facilitating team cohesion,” Rhodes said. “We don’t want people to be alone with their feelings about what they have seen, and we want to help them celebrate and be proud of the remarkable things they have accomplished in very difficult circumstances.”

Princeton Health maintains a broader, related effort called the Wellness Ambassador program that is coordinated by Edward Callahan, HR client services manager and a former volunteer paramedic with the American Red Cross, and Kyle Bonner, coordinator of Diversity and Inclusion.

Under the program, members of the Emergency Department behavioral health crisis team visit PMC and Princeton House Behavioral Health units to check in with staff members, share information about services available through outlets such as the Employee Assistance Program and Penn COBALT, and try to assess who may need follow-up support.

Behavioral health professionals schedule individual, confidential meetings as needed. Team members include Bonner and Chrissy Isaac, a Princeton House community relations representative, both of whom are licensed clinical social workers and licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselors.

Since Movefocused’s rollout, employees have benefited from virtual consultations. “I was excited to sign up for a Movedfocused session to guide me through my physical activity — the one constant that has kept me sane during the pandemic,” said Marion Miranda, senior business process education consultant in Corporate Services.

Whether it is incorporating exercises into scheduled breaks during the workday, revamping existing workout plans or alternating exercises to produce strength gains, Movefocused can help you maintain and improve your physical fitness.

Miranda gives Movefocused a full-throated endorsement based on her experience. “The program is extremely beneficial to Penn Medicine employees who are already stretched to their limits — professionally and personally — as it gives you a resource who is knowledgeable and practical. In times when you just do not know where to start or feel overwhelmed, or when you ‘fall off the wagon’ again, Movefocused is available to give you the roadmap.”

Register for Movefocused today through Penn Cobalt: https://www.penncobalt.com/sign-in.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted nearly every aspect of our day-to-day lives — and our physical fitness routines are no exception. Restrictions on fitness facilities, lack of and/or inadequate equipment and home workout fatigue have resulted in decreased physical activity. This is especially true for employees who are working long hours on the front lines or who are balancing the challenges of an at-home work environment.

Movefocused, a movement program created by the UPHS Wellfocused team, provides employees with an opportunity to prioritize their physical fitness, despite the challenges of the pandemic. Through Movefocused, employees have the opportunity to meet Mitch Sherman, employee health and well-being specialist at UPHS for a one-on-one virtual fitness consultation. A certified strength and conditioning specialist and certified exercise physiologist, Sherman provides safe and effective guidance for employees at all fitness levels.

“In the midst of the pandemic, gyms are closed and people are working tirelessly in health care facilities or at home,” Sherman said. “This requires increased strength and endurance to handle long shifts on your feet or increased physical activity to offset a sedentary lifestyle. Exercise has been shown to be a mood booster, too. This is particularly important during such a chaotic and stressful time.”

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pennmedicine WORK@Healthy at Home with Movefocused

PSOM S tudent s Create UNEXPECTED COMMUNITY OUTREACH Each year, the Medical School Government (MSG) of the Perelman School of Medicine provides funding for its student groups to hold special events during the year, for example, a guest speaker at a luncheon or a networking event. These funds must be used in a single calendar year; anything unused reverts back to the MSG. Normally that’s not an issue. This year, though, with much of the spring semester taught remotely and most on-campus events still on hold, much of this money remained unused.

But rather than forfeiting the money, Michelle Rose, a second-year med student, and members of the MSG, thought of a perfect solution: use it to help those in the West Philadelphia community who need it most. Read how the funding supported multiple community groups at pennmedicine.org/news/internal-newsletters/system-news.

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We are working to provide answers and guidance to everyone, and to encourage honest conversations no matter your perspective or your personal choices. We welcome you to ask questions and seek out guidance from Penn Medicine experts. You’ll see people across our health system wearing buttons prompting conversations: “Ask me about the COVID-19 Vaccine.” We want you to share your stories, your worries, your questions — and to get the facts. It’s your right to make informed decisions about your health and we are here to help.

To me, believing in the COVID-19 vaccine is to believe in the power, rigor, and process of science. The foundation for that science was developed right here at Penn Medicine nearly 20 years ago through key discoveries at the Perelman School of Medicine that made a whole new type of vaccines and treatments for numerous diseases a possibility — including the new COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. After testing in clinical trials across the world, we know these vaccines are safe, and that the benefits of receiving it greatly outweigh the risks — especially the risks of contracting COVID-19.

But there’s many more people in our workforce who are here to be a resource if you want to know more. Our colleague, Florencia Greer Polite, MD, chief of the Division of General Obstetrics and Gynecology, is just one among many impassioned ambassadors who are at the ready to talk with those looking for accurate information and to share her story of why she trusts the vaccine — and why it will be crucial to leveling the disproportionate toll of COVID-19 on her own Black community.

“Like many Black physicians,” Polite wrote in a powerful column in The Grio, “I have been vocal about the need to address our community directly: to own the past mistakes of the medical profession, to acknowledge the current disparities that exist in health care and to share with our community why we think this vaccine is not only important, but vital in the efforts to decrease the destruction of the coronavirus.

“I trust the science behind the vaccine and I hope that when the time comes for the vaccine to become available to the public, that my community will be ready to trust the medical profession again. I can only

imagine the devastation if we opt out of this scientific revelation.”

Beyond the vaccine development, the pandemic has accelerated innovation in countless ways. It has also underscored the timelessness of our work. Everyone who has fought against COVID-19, whether in the lab or at the bedside in our hospitals or in countless roles across our health system that support our mission to care for patients, has drawn on the decades of work that came before to make us ready for this fight. The hope ahead of us now did not arise from magic or luck, but from hard work and devotion to our core missions in academic medicine.

This commitment has led us to our current moment — one fueled by the power of science, and of true hope for the end of this pandemic.

FOR COVID-19 VACCINE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONSULT THE COVID-19 WEBSITE: pennmedicine.org/coronavirus/covid-vaccin.

Embracing the Spirit of Giving We are extremely thankful for your gifts and time volunteering to help make my son’s holiday extra special. We have been through a tough several months, and I am extremely thankful for all of you that showed your love through your Spirit of Giving. I hope that our family may be able to give back to a family in need some day as well. The note above, one of many sent in gratitude to Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health employees, captures the impact its Spirit of Giving program. From gifts of wrapped toys to donations of clothing, funds and gift cards for necessities, this annual tradition reflects LG Health’s culture of kindness and compassion.

Most notable about the program, now in its 15th year, is that recipients are not just part of the Lancaster community. They are members of LG Health’s family of employees who are facing a serious need or emergency situation during the holiday season. The program relies entirely on the generosity of LG Health employees, many of whom participate year after year.

In spite of the difficult year, holiday outreach occurred throughout Penn Medicine. For example, the staff at the Abramson Cancer Center at Chester County Hospital pooled together donations to launch an Adopt A Family holiday program. “We were able to provide some holiday cheer to seven families of our cancer center in need this year,” said oncology social worker Brittany Fols, MSW.

Read More Local communities throughout the region had happier holidays thanks to employee outreach. Read more in our hospital entity newsletters at https://www.pennmedicine.org/news/internal-newsletters.

THE COVID-19 VACCINE : H O P E F O R A N E W B E G I N N I N G from CEO Kevin Mahoney

} Photo courtesy of Tazmere Burns.

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SYSTEMSYSTEMNEWSNEWSEDITORIAL STAFF Sally Sapega Editor

Alexa Gioia Graphic Designer

ADMINISTRATION Patrick Norton Vice President, Public Affairs

Holly Auer Associate Vice President, Communications

Rachel Ewing Editorial Director

CONTACT SYSTEM NEWS AT: Department of Communications 3600 Civic Center Boulevard 5th Floor, Suite 500 Philadelphia, PA 19104-4310

phone: 215.662.4488 email: Sally.Sapega@PennMedicine.upenn.edu

System News is published monthly for Penn Medicine employees. Access System News online at PennMedicine.org/SystemNews.

Jameson to Lead AAMC BoardJ. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD, EVP of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System and dean of the Perelman School of Medicine, has been chosen as the new chair of the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) Board of Directors. The AAMC helps transform health through medical education, health care, medical research, and community collaborations.

In addition, Penn President Amy Gutmann, PhD, has announced that Jameson has agreed to extend his term as EVP of the University for the Health System and dean of the School of Medicine until June 30, 2025. In the announcement, she noted that thanks to his leadership, Penn’s basic science and clinical faculties are “among the most productive and preeminent in the world,” the School of Medicine’s educational programs remain strong, and its research programs “are

notable for their scale, quality, scope, and impact.”

Throughout Penn Medicine, “investments in patient experience and care coordination have yielded impressive improvements in both quality and satisfaction,” she said. Jameson also has an “impressive track record and strong commitment to our ongoing efforts to increase and advance diversity, equity, and inclusion across Penn Medicine and the University.”

Michele Volpe Takes the Helm of HAP’s Board of DirectorsOn January 1, the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) welcomed a new chapter of leadership as Michele Volpe, CEO of Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, began her term as chair of the Board of Directors. Volpe has been involved with the organization — which advocates for more than 240 hospitals, health systems, and patient care facilities statewide — for decades. She joined the Board of Directors in 2016 and was elected treasurer in 2019.

“I was excited by the opportunity to be closer to the decision-making and to play a greater role in helping the organization formulate their positions and drive solutions to support and transform health care across Pennsylvania,” she said. “Having the privilege to work with Andy Carter and his team as chair is truly a key moment in my career.”

Despite the recent challenges faced by health care workers and organizations, HAP President/CEO Andy Carter is optimistic that Volpe’s leadership will “steer the hospital community through the COVID-19 crisis and into a post-pandemic world” and “help us evolve to meet the changing needs of our hospitals and health care workforce, and the patients they serve.”

AWARDS AND ACCOLADES