LION Mobile Clinic’s community outreach helps Penn State earn prestigious national designation
Penn State has once again earned the prestigious Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement, a national designation that recognizes institutions for their deep, sustained partnerships with communities – and Penn State College of Medicine’s LION Mobile Clinic played a prominent role in demonstrating that impact.
The classification, awarded Jan. 12 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Council on Education, reflects Penn State’s ongoing commitment to serving communities through teaching, research, outreach and service. Among the more than 100 programs highlighted in the University’s self-study was the LION Mobile Clinic, a student-supported clinic providing no-cost medical care to underserved and rural populations across central Pennsylvania.
Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi emphasized that community engagement is central to the University’s identity as a land-grant institution.
“Community engagement is not simply an element of our work – it is a defining feature of who we are as a land-grant university,” Bendapudi said. “Our institution was founded on the promise of serving the people of Pennsylvania through education, research and public service, and it is our responsibility – and our privilege – to ensure that this mission continues to thrive in ways that are meaningful and measurable.”
Operated by Penn State physicians, staff and students, the LION Mobile Clinic uses a “tailgate medicine” model to bring preventive and primary care services directly into communities where access to health care can be limited.
The clinic also provides hands-on, community-based clinical learning opportunities for students, reinforcing the College of Medicine’s commitment to health equity, experiential education and service.
The Carnegie Foundation defines community engagement as collaboration between institutions of higher education and their communities to enrich scholarship, enhance teaching and learning, address critical societal issues and contribute to the public good. Penn State first received the classification in 2008, with renewals in 2015 and again in the 2026 cycle. The current designation is valid through 2032.
Penn State’s most recent reclassification process involved a comprehensive institutional self-study and engagement with more than 250 university and community partners. The inclusion of the LION Mobile Clinic among the highlighted initiatives underscores the College of Medicine’s critical role in advancing Penn State’s land-grant mission – bringing care directly to communities while training the next generation of physicians committed to service and equity.
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