Though my Penn Medicine ID card says 'Digital Communications Editor,' I've worn a few hats here — including in-house photographer. Because it's an aspect of the job that I love, I'd like to sharesome of the photos I've taken over the past month or so, giving readers aglimpse behind the scenes of events — both the everyday and the extraordinary —that happen here. Some of these photos you may already have seen floatingaround in an online slideshow or accompanying an article on various Penn sites,others have not previously seen the light of day. All of them represent anotherexperience I'm thankful to have had here at Penn Medicine.
The following is a look back over late April and early May.
Celebrating Organ Donation at Penn Medicine
As you might imagine, organ donor awareness is a tremendous deal for an institution like Penn Medicine. Here, the recipient of a heart transplant reads a speech to a crowd assembled at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania on April 15. It's difficult to capture the emotion behind a speech through just a single picture, so in cases where someone is talking to a group I'll often try to mix things up and present an angle the viewer wouldn't normally be privy to. It's also difficult taking pictures in and around the hospital setting, due to stark changes in lighting — hence the over-exposure at the top of the frame. In this case, however, I think it worked out.
Nurses' Week: The Nightingale Ceremony
Part of the National Nurses' Week celebrations around Penn Medicine include the Nightingale Ceremony at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. Nurses from around the complex gather to watch speeches and presentations on the past, present and future of nursing, as well as accept awards for which they've been nominated based on the recommendations of their peers. It was fascinating, seeing how proud the nurses are of what they do and the traditions they uphold.
Take Your Child to Work Day at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center
Funny thing about trying to tag along behind groups of children as they learn more about all the incredible things their parents do throughout the hospital during the day: They're very, very active. I took somewhere around 400 pictures over the course of an hour and a half, and I'd have trouble finding even one that didn't feature one of the kids wearing a look of amazement. Try getting those same results with a group of adults. It's almost impossible.
Among other things, the kids got to: Play around in an ambulance and see exactly how an emergency room on wheels functions (above), work with laparoscopy to remove candy embedded in the hollow torso of a practice dummy (below), learn about and practice CPR, and see how nurses lifted patients out of bed (left). With so much going on, it's easy to see why they were so entertained.
