Community Outreach

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Community Outreach

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A smiling medical student assists a patient at the LionCare Tyrone Student-Run Community Medical Clinic.

Outreach to our local community is key to the Penn State College of Medicine experience.

From participation in a collaborative workgroup to identify the health needs in the area, to our student-run LionCare medical clinics, Penn State College of Medicine faculty, staff and students help make the greater Hershey area a better and healthier place to live and work.

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Our Community Outreach Projects

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LionCare

LionCare, founded in January 2002, is a free clinic run and staffed by medical students from Penn State College of Medicine.

The goal of LionCare is to provide free health services to the uninsured and underinsured population in the communities served by Penn State Health while providing an engaging educational experience for students.

LionCare operates clinics in both Harrisburg and Tyrone, Pa.

Learn more about LionCare here.

SCOPE

The Student-run and Collaborative Outreach Program for Health Equity (SCOPE) is a mobile student-run free clinic that aims to bring forth affordable, effective and culturally responsible health care to underserved patients in central Pennsylvania.

Since its establishment in 2017, SCOPE has been composed of medical students from Penn State College of Medicine, physician assistant and nursing students, as well as volunteers from the College of Nursing.

SCOPE’s work is performed under the supervision of and in collaboration with Penn State Health.

See details about SCOPE here.

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PRO Wellness

Penn State PRO Wellness is committed to educating and inspiring youth and their families to eat well, engage in regular physical activity, and become champions for bringing healthy choices to life.

This group travels throughout the state in Penn State Health Children's Hospital's mobile unit to provide educational programming on a variety of family wellness topics, and also provides schools, communities and like-minded organizations with program development and implementation, assessment and evaluation, capacity building, technical assistance, collaborative partnerships and access to proven wellness interventions.

Learn more about PRO Wellness here.

Community Health Needs Assessment

Penn State Health's Community Health Needs Assessment was designed to identify and address the needs of residents living in Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster and Lebanon counties.

The study culminated with the identification and prioritization of the most pressing health issues that impact residents within the five-county service area. Information collected through the assessment is used to inform community benefit investments, guide health improvement initiatives and advance population health management strategies.

Learn more about the needs assessment here.

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Other Ways to Get Involved

In addition to the LionCare student-run health clinic, students in the College of Medicine also volunteer with:

  • Big Brothers/Big Sisters
  • Hershey-area nursing homes
  • Ronald McDonald House
  • Child Life at Penn State Health Children's Hospital
  • Shalom House Women's Shelter
  • Bethesda Missions Men's Homeless Shelter
  • Cenacle Children's Shelter
  • Central PA Food Bank
  • Blood drives
  • Adopt-A-Highway Project
  • AIDS Awareness educational programs
  • Family Practice Interest group Tar Wars elementary school smoking-prevention program
  • Nittany Lions vs. Lambs Relay Fundraiser
  • Make-A-Wish Foundation
  • Jewish Family Services
  • Habitat For Humanity
  • Hospice of York County
  • The Salvation Army
  • Special Olympics
  • American Cancer Society

Prospective or current College of Medicine students or investigators who want to get involved with any of these organizations can call 717-531-8563.

Partner Organizations

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Four Diamonds Fund

The mission of Four Diamonds is to conquer childhood cancer by assisting children treated at Penn State Health Children's Hospital and their families through superior care, comprehensive support, and innovative research.

Any family with a child being treated for pediatric cancer at Penn State Health Children's Hospital in Hershey is automatically eligible for support.

The Fund has helped more than 2,000 families since 1972. Approximately 90 new families receive support each year.

Children's Miracle Network

Children's Miracle Network is an international non-profit organization that has affiliations with 170 children’s hospitals. Children’s Miracle Network at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital serves the Harrisburg, Lancaster, Lebanon and York region.

Children's Miracle Network's mission is to raise funds for children’s services and create community awareness of children’s issues. All money raised by CMN goes directly toward patient services, research, equipment, program services and educational resources at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital in Hershey.