Summer 2020 altered the course of history. The pandemic changed our operations and the way we provide care at Pennsylvania Hospital in profound ways. We witnessed the tragic death of George Floyd and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, sparking systemic change and raising awareness of inequality and injustice in our country. Looking back now as another summer draws to a close, I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve achieved in this unprecedented year.
We continue forward in our commitment to our mission, and honor our promise to “Take Care of Him and I will Repay Thee.” We responded to this need when our hospital was founded to serve the underserved and ease society’s fears of the mentally ill in 1751. In 2021, we are addressing a different fear, that due to the persistence of systemic racism, we may leave others behind. In fact, we remain true to our original mission by lifting up all who seek our help. Our commitment to equal treatment and care remains strong.
Pennsylvania Hospital employees demonstrated resilience and dedication to change, both in adapting to the uncertainties of the pandemic and in initiating ways to strengthen diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at the hospital. We assembled a temporary COVID-19 unit to help our patients fight the virus, and then helped our community build immunity through our vaccine clinics in Philadelphia. As a health system we moved from kneeling together in solidarity with White Coats for Black Lives, to launching the Action for Cultural Transformation to eliminate racism at Penn Medicine and in health care.
Through these efforts, Pennsylvania Hospital has been breaking down barriers in more ways than one and casting light for better times ahead. We witnessed the physical deconstruction of a wall that once marked one of our busy provisional COVID-19 units. We gathered to remember those who lost their lives to the virus and created a COVID-19 time capsule to collect insights and hope for the future. PAH also launched the DEI Steering Committee to develop strategies for confronting disparities in health care, signing a pledge letter to epitomize PAH’s commitment to this mission. In addition, PAH employees demonstrated teamwork and dedication through the recent Joint Commission survey, providing valuable participation and feedback to the surveyors, a testament to the care we provide here at Pennsylvania Hospital.
Thank you to all PAH employees for their perseverance through these challenging times. While we may reflect on and remember the past, we must look forward to the future and the positive changes that lie ahead.