Penn State Health names Lancaster Medical Center chapel for Addo, husband in recognition of morale gift
Penn State Health has named the meditation chapel at its new Lancaster Medical Center in honor of Rev. Deborah Addo, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Penn State Health, and her husband Paul Samuels.
The couple established the Penn State Health Staff Morale Endowment, which will provide funds for programs, initiatives and committees that support and cultivate staff morale.
“Since joining Penn State Health, Deborah has played a pivotal role in our organization’s development,” said Steve Massini, Penn State Health CEO. “The investment she and her husband have made to support staff morale and well-being not only encourages our employees, but also strengthens the care our teams provide to others. I know their faith motivates their care for others, so it is fitting that the meditation chapel carries their name.”
Penn State Health leaders, staff, government and community representatives and generous benefactors gathered on Sept. 28 to dedicate the new Lancaster Medical Center, which will open to the public on Monday, Oct. 3. Prior to the celebration, Lancaster Medical Center leadership and Development Office employees also gathered with Addo and Samuels to dedicate the meditation chapel. The space is among the first three to be named at Lancaster Medical Center in recognition of philanthropic gifts.
“We are deeply grateful to Deborah and Paul for their extraordinary generosity,” said Danielle Sunday, executive director of health system development. “Deborah is the first staff member to name a space at Lancaster Medical Center, and she has truly led with heart, investing her time, talent and treasure to benefit our organization and many others in need.”
“There’s a passage in Luke that says to whom much is given, much will be required,” said Deborah Addo. “Paul and I are fully committed to Penn State Health’s success, and that starts with its employees. When we moved to the area, we also established a home in Lancaster County. We are proud to support staff morale efforts across the health system and honored to see that begin in the meditation chapel, which will bless many at Lancaster Medical Center.”
Through a staff legacy program, more than 40 Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine staff and faculty have also sponsored 75 prints that are part of the art collection displayed throughout Lancaster Medical Center. The collection includes more than 500 pieces created by diverse artists from Lancaster County and across Pennsylvania and curated to support comfort and inclusion.
“Penn State Health deeply values the intersection of art and health and believes that diverse artistic expressions are integral to human health and flourishing,” said Claire de Boer, director of Center Stage Arts in Health and the Doctors Kienle Center for Humanistic Medicine. “The staff who have sponsored art at Lancaster Medical Center exemplify these values. Their generosity simultaneously celebrates the artists’ work and helps create a welcoming, calming and restorative environment for all.”
Sponsorship opportunities
All Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine employees are invited to invest in Lancaster Medical Center by sponsoring prints that are displayed in patient areas. Sponsorship for one print is $100, and many are still available for sponsorship. To view the catalog and join your colleagues who have already sponsored artwork at Lancaster Medical Center, click here. If you are interested in making a larger gift to sponsor one of the commissioned original pieces or would like to discuss naming a space at Lancaster Medical Center, please contact Leigh Anna Hilbert at lhilbert1@pennstatehealth.psu.edu.
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