Blog List - Penn Medicine

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

December 18, 2018

The overwhelming draw of DTC genetic kits is their appeal to discover more about one’s ancestry and heritage, as well as health and wellness.

Genetics

Bringing to Life New Options for Motherhood

December 13, 2018

While fertility treatments like IVF provide hope for some women, the choices for those with uterine factor infertility have long been limited to only adoption or gestational surrogacy. That’s where the experimental realm of uterus transplantation comes in. Kate O’Neill, MD, MTR, discusses the path that led her to develop the UNTIL trial and the significance of expanding the women’s options.

OBGYN Transplant Maternity Womens Health

The Road to More Hand Transplants

December 11, 2018

Over the past 20 years, more than 85 amputees around the world have received a hand or bilateral hand transplant – including two adults and one child here at Penn Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). For a great majority, this rare gift has been transformative.

Transplant

"SOAR-ing" Helps Elders Remain Safely at Home

December 06, 2018

A new initiative at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania called SOAR (supporting older adults at risk) is working to reverse that trend, getting patients home sooner and keeping them there longer.

Health Care Quality and Safety Geriatric Medicine

Overcoming the Holiday Overwhelm

December 04, 2018

While it can be a joyous time of year, for many people the holidays bring a whirlwind of demands that can add another layer of stress to already busy lives. Cooking special meals, decorating, and shopping for gifts are just a few of the rituals that mark the holiday season in many homes across America.

Psychology

Gaining strength in treatment of Spinal Muscular Atrophy

November 29, 2018

SMA is the leading genetic cause of death for infants and the second most common autosomal recessive disease—a disease inherited through two mutated genes—occurring in about 1 in 10,000 people. But now, there’s hope in a new treatment option.

Neurology

Breaking Through The Medical Fake News Bubble

November 27, 2018

Although scientists and health professionals have the best intentions when trying to promote health research, they’re still people.

Public Health

Lumos! Learning to Grieve in the Pages of Harry Potter

November 20, 2018

When it comes to the balance of life and death, perhaps no series of books resonates more strongly with its audience than the Harry Potter series.

Psychology

Art in Science and Medicine: From Serendipity to Study Aid

November 15, 2018

What do you get when you combine technical and scientific acumen with an appreciation for beauty? At Penn Medicine, the answer is the art in science and medicine.

Human Interest Education

All Hands on Deck: Fentanyl in Philadelphia

November 13, 2018

On a busy summer evening, six patients were brought by EMS transport to the Emergency Department at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center for suspected overdose of crack cocaine, which, unbeknownst to the patients, had been mixed with fentanyl.

Addiction

Blog Topic: Community Health