There’s something special about this time of year that encourages us to practice gratitude, give back to communities near and far, and support those in need. The health system’s annual Penn Medicine’s annual Penn’s Way charitable giving campaign has officially ended, and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center was proud to play a role in pushing the health system toward the shared $1.65 million goal and beyond.
In addition to making monetary donations to organizations in our region and around the world, some of PPMC’s service-minded staff recently took their outreach even further.
When Penn Medicine University City nurses Peggy Maley, BSN, RN, CNOR, RNFA, Nuala McGugan, RN, and Jamie Torna, RN, received an email from PPMC’s Nursing Community Outreach Council about an opportunity to distribute meals to the local homeless population, they were eager to participate.
The meal was hosted by Chosen 300 Ministries, an extremely active, community-driven ministry that aims to bring together people of different races, socioeconomic groups, and religious denominations in order to “unify ourselves for the common good” and to “distribute meals and services to the homeless throughout the Philadelphia region and around the world.” The PMUC team visited the ministry’s Lancaster Avenue location to prepare desserts and serve, and they were immediately impressed by the organizers’ ability to keep an immensely popular event running smoothly.
After a ministry member had the volunteers form a circle to get connected as a group, the doors were opened, and the pastor and a volunteer welcomed the community with a blessing and a song. “It was clear that everyone was really invested, and the people who came were so appreciative,” Maley said. “I’m so glad Nuala and Jamie were able to coordinate this. It was such a rewarding experience, and we hope to go again soon.”
At the same time, Andreas Kaikis, DPM, a Podiatric Surgery resident at PPMC, was also improving the health and well-being of a community a bit further from campus — in San Salvador, El Salvador.
For ten days, Kaikis worked as a volunteer member of an outbound medical team associated with Healing the Children, an organization that provides medical care to children across the globe, regardless of ability to pay, insurance status, or location. While this was Kaikis’ first trip to El Salvador (Penn residents have joined the team for four years), it marked the organization’s 25th trip — a fact they celebrated with a brief stopover in Antigua, Guatemala, where Kaikis climbed an active volcano.
The team’s goal was to provide support to local physicians, share expertise, and assist in assessing and treating patients, and particularly children, struggling with lower extremity deformities such as clubfoot. More than 250 people were screened on the first day, many of whom had traveled long distances to get to the clinic. Three surgical days followed, and the team performed 50 procedures, often working from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Though often exhausting, it was also a “tremendous experience.” Kaikis, who is fluent in Spanish, found that he was able to easily connect with the patients, and he received great feedback from the attending physicians about his training.
“I really felt like I was an active part of the team, and I learned a lot. We aren’t typically exposed to these types of pediatric lower extremity deformity cases in the U.S., so it was really valuable to immerse myself in something new,” Kaikis said. “I was proud to represent Penn in a positive way, and it was really fulfilling to help these kids enjoy a better quality of life.”