Community Health Improvement Week highlights outreach efforts

Jann Shanaman, left, a master gardener, gives tips to Steelton resident Gordon Hill as they join others working in the Steelton Community Garden on May 1. Penn State Health has created 15 community gardens to help improve access to healthy food in central Pennsylvania.

Penn State Health and College of Medicine employees contributed approximately 126,000 community benefit hours in fiscal year 2023. Community Health Improvement Week is June 10 to 14, an opportunity to recognize the people working in partnership to improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities and advance health equity.

In fiscal year 2023:

• Penn State Health hospitals contributed just over $7.3 million toward community health improvement.
• More than 43,000 community benefit hours were contributed by community partners and students.
• Over 970,000 persons were served in the community.
• Two hundred twenty-three community benefit programs were listed in the Community Benefit Inventory for Social Accountability (CBISA), which hosted more than 2,102 community events. Hospitals use CBISA to track and report their community benefit activities.
• Our 222 Community Benefit Reporters at all Penn State Health hospitals and the College of Medicine track and report community service activities.
• Penn State Health hospitals are currently conducting the fifth Community Health Needs Assessment to pinpoint the region’s most pressing health needs. The results will be announced in November 2024.

“Together, we’re advancing health equity and improving the well-being of individuals and communities,” said Jim George, Penn State Health community relations director.

Explore the different ways Penn State Health is serving our communities in the 2023 Community Benefit Report.

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