Penn State Health News

EdVenture 2025 Workshop – Reflecting, Reconnecting, and Reframing: A Narrative Medicine Approach to Thriving in Academic Medicine
2026-02-18 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom
EdVenture 2025 Workshop – Reflecting, Reconnecting, and Reframing: A Narrative Medicine Approach to Thriving in Academic Medicine
Presented by Kimberly Hays, MD, MSCR; and Michelle Hess, BSN, RN, CPN
Learning objectives:

Understand how narrative medicine can bring clarity to challenging clinical and interprofessional problems through storytelling
Reflect on personal experiences in medicine (e.g. diagnostic uncertainty/ambiguity, grief, workload, and burnout).
Recognize how reconnection with self and colleagues can improve resilience.

Register now

Catholic Mass
2026-02-18 12:00 - 12:30, 2026-02-11 12:00 - 12:30 | Di and Dallas Krapf Interfaith Chapel, 500 University Dr, Hershey, PA, 17033, United States
Catholic Mass will be held weekly in the interfaith chapel. All are welcome.

Mothers Circle
2026-02-18 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-02-11 11:00 - 12:00 | Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center, 2200 Good Hope Rd, Enola, PA, 17025, United States
All are welcome! Share your journey and connect with other moms and future moms at our weekly support group every Wednesday. Our lactation team will be available to answer your questions and address your concerns regarding any type of feeding. We will be sharing our stories and discussing anything and everything motherhood related.

Live Music in Lobbies Today
2026-02-18 10:00 - 11:30 | Main Entrance Lobby – Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA, 17033, United States
10 – 11:30 am • Main lobby
Jonathan Frazier (Piano)

SurviveWELL
2026-02-17 15:00 - 16:00 | Zoom
The Kristen Olewine Milke CARE Center at Penn State Cancer Institute offers patients the SurviveWELL program.
What does it mean to be “well”? And how might we treat ourselves “well” even when we are ill or having a “bad day”? SurviveWELL – this program, the community of participants, the practices, and the monthly themes – are offered in support of treating ourselves well. Doing so on a regular basis represents important acts of kindness for one’s self in service of self-care.
Program Overview
SurviveWELL consists of four sessions – one per week – each month over the course of six months. All sessions are being conducted virtually via Zoom, which supports joining where ever participants are able to access the internet. The weekly sessions greater health and wellness. The program strives to support patients during the active phase treatment for cancer and beyond. Each session is facilitated by professional(s) with expertise in nutrition, yoga, mindfulness and energy work | quigong, respectively. Participants are encouraged to invite a wellness partner to join them for each of the sessions.
Click here to join the Zoom meeting. Meeting password is [REDACTED].
Registration
SurviveWell is held every Tuesday from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m., offered in two sessions each year: January-June and July-December. Register prior to beginning the program by contacting the CARE Center at 1-888-531-6585 (option 4). Open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

CATS Safety Submission Training for Radioisotope Users
2026-02-17 13:30 - 14:30 | Virtual
Description:
The CATS Safety Submission Training for Radioisotope Users gives an overview of how to create and submit a radiation safety protocol to the UIC or RSC for review. Participants will learn:

The basic steps to create and submit a radiation safety protocol
How to communicate and follow-up with radiation safety staff regarding submissions

Note: This training is strictly regarding the CATS Safety software and does not count towards SARI credit.
Registration:
To register in Penn State’s Learning Resource Network (LRN):

Click the LRN Registration Link.
Click Request.

College of Medicine and Penn State Health: LRN Registration Instructions
Attempting to log in to the LRN using a browser where you are already logged in to a Penn State Health website or system will result in an error message. Use the following instructions to register:

Open an incognito window in your current browser.

Chrome: select the Menu (three vertical dots) in the upper right corner and select New Incognito Window.
Microsoft Edge: select the More Actions menu (three dots) in the upper right and choose New InPrivate Window.
Firefox: select the Menu (three vertical lines) in the upper right corner and select New Private Window.

Copy the LRN registration link from the Registration section above.
Paste the link in the incognito browser’s address bar.
Log in with your Penn State email address (abc123@psu.edu) and password, not your Penn State Health credentials.

Accommodation: If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation, please contact orp@psu.edu or call 814-865-1775 at least 2 weeks in advance of the session to allow sufficient time to effectively meet your access needs.

CDI Lunch and Learn series
2026-02-17 12:00 - 13:00 | PA
Join us for the next topic in the CDI Lunch & Learn Series, “Thrombocytopenia” presented by Dr. Hyma Polimera, FACP, Associate Professor, College of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology
Teams Meeting ID: 225 765 283 976 Passcode: [REDACTED]
Learning Objectives – participants will be able to:

Define thrombocytopenia and recognize key clinical features.
Differentiate common causes of thrombocytopenia.
Understand key documentation elements when thrombocytopenia is present.

Target audience: Adult
CME credit offered.
This activity has been approved for 1 nursing continuing professional development hour. Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center is approved as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the America Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

Live Music in Lobbies Today
2026-02-17 11:30 - 13:00 | University Physicians Center (UPC) Lobby, 200 Campus Drive, Hershey, PA, 17033, United States
11:30 am – 1 pm • UPC lobby
Dani Fiore (Percussion)

Live Music in Lobbies Today
2026-02-16 13:00 - 14:30 | Main Entrance Lobby – Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA, 17033, United States
1-2:30 pm • Main lobby
Kate McCutchan (Piano)

Embark with CARE – Weekly Chair Yoga Sessions
2026-02-16 12:00 - 12:30, 2026-02-11 16:00 - 16:30 | Zoom
The Kristen Olewine Milke CARE Center at Penn State Cancer Institute offers cancer patients and their loved ones to weekly 30-minute chair yoga sessions held virtually via Zoom. Each session provides a welcoming atmosphere and awareness-based movement to ease potential side effects of cancer treatment and support whole-person wellbeing. No prior experience or personal practice is required.
For more information or to register for an upcoming session, please call the CARE Center at 1-888-531-6585 (option 4). Alternatively, questions can be emailed to Dawn Shawley, CARE Center Program Manager, at dshawley@pennstatehealth.psu.edu.
Embark with CARE | Zoom link to join: https://psu.zoom.us/j/94641681690?pwd=[REDACTED]

Grief Services Support Group
2026-02-16 10:30 - 23:30 | Virtual
The Kristen Olewine Milke CARE Center at Penn State Cancer Institute offers patients a grief therapy support group.
A cancer diagnosis or death of a loved one from cancer can create feelings of loss and grief as well as unwelcomed changes. You may find new demands are made on your time and energy, and it can be difficult to know where or who to turn to for support. Caring for yourself and those around you can be especially difficult.
This support group offers a form of psychotherapy that brings together individuals with shared experiences, such as being diagnosed or treated for cancer, or coping with cancer-related loss. Group members support one another, share coping strategies, and offer meaningful connection during difficult times.
Click here to join the virtual meeting. Meeting passcode is aBE3Sm. Held on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month.
For more information, please contact the CARE Center at 1-888-531-6585 (option 4). Open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Penn State Health Children’s School Nurse Conference 2026
2026-02-16 08:00 - 16:00 | Virtual
Join us for the Penn State Health Children’s School Nurse Conference 2026—a full-day professional development event designed exclusively for school nurses. This conference will cover essential topics to support student health and well-being, offering practical tools, evidence-based practices, and strategies to enhance care coordination and promote healthy learning environments.

Date: February 16, 2026
Time: 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Audience: School nurses
Credits: Continuing education credits will be available.

Itinerary Overview

Morning: Opening remarks followed by guest speakers
Midday: Lunch break
Afternoon: Additional speakers and closing remarks

Registration
Registration Deadline: Jan. 19, 2026
Register Online
Additional Information
Closer to the event date, registrants will receive:

A full itinerary
The Microsoft Teams link for virtual participation
Details on what to expect for the day

Cancer Community Mindfulness Practice
2026-02-13 13:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
The Kristen Olewine Milke CARE Center at Penn State Cancer Institute offers a cancer community mindfulness practice.
This program is open to everyone – no prior experience or personal mindfulness practice is required. Sessions are offered free of charge and take place every Friday afternoon virtually from 1:00 to 1:30 p.m. via Zoom.
Click here to join the Zoom meeting. Meeting password is [REDACTED].

Live Music in Lobbies Today
2026-02-13 11:30 - 13:00 | Main Entrance Lobby – Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA, 17033, United States
11:30 am – 1 pm • Main lobby
Elena Millar (Piano)

Lunar New Year Celebration!
2026-02-12 17:30 - 19:30 | University Conference Center, 30 Conference Drive, Hershey, PA, 17033, United States
Thursday, February 12 | 5:30-7:30 p.m. at University Conference Center
Ring in the Year of the Horse with joy, culture and community!
Enjoy festive traditions, delicious treats and vibrant performances.
Bring your friends and join the celebration! Let’s welcome prosperity and good fortune together!
Register
Hosted by the Asian Professionals Association and the Office of Health Advancement & Community Engagement.

CATS IACUC Submission Training
2026-02-12 14:30 - 15:30 | Virtual
Description:
The CATS IACUC Submission training gives an overview of how to create and submit a protocol to the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee for review. Participants will learn the basic steps to create and submit an animal protocol, and how to communicate and follow-up with IACUC staff regarding submissions.
Note: This training is strictly regarding the CATS IACUC software and does not count towards SARI credit.
Registration:
To register in Penn State’s Learning Resource Network (LRN):

Click the LRN Registration Link.
Click Request.

College of Medicine and Penn State Health: LRN Registration Instructions
Attempting to log in to the LRN using a browser where you are already logged in to a Penn State Health website or system will result in an error message. Use the following instructions to register:

Open an incognito window in your current browser.

Chrome: select the Menu (three vertical dots) in the upper right corner and select New Incognito Window.
Microsoft Edge: select the More Actions menu (three dots) in the upper right and choose New InPrivate Window.
Firefox: select the Menu (three vertical lines) in the upper right corner and select New Private Window.

Copy the LRN registration link from the Registration section above.
Paste the link in the incognito browser’s address bar.
Log in with your Penn State email address (abc123@psu.edu) and password, not your Penn State Health credentials.

Accommodation: If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation, please contact orp@psu.edu or call 814-865-1775 at least 2 weeks in advance of the session to allow sufficient time to effectively meet your access needs.

Medicine in Color: A Black History Month Event
2026-02-12 13:30 - 14:30 | Room C5702 – Penn State College of Medicine, 700 HMC Crescent Road, Hershey, PA, 17033, United States
Penn State College of Medicine Student National Medical Association (SNMA) in collaboration with the Office of HACE presents
Medicine in Color
Join us as we honor Black History with an afternoon of art and community. Paint & Sip with hors d’oeuvres & non-alcoholic bubbly for the first 40 people!
Date: Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026
Location: Room C5702
Time: 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
This event is open to all students.
Scan the QR Code to sign up.

Love Yourself
2026-02-12 12:00 - 14:00 | Room C1830 – Penn State College of Medicine, 700 HMC Crescent Road, Hershey, PA, 17033, United States
This is the Office for Professional Mental Health’s annual event – LOVE YOURSELF held on Thursday, February 12th starting at 12 noon. We will be in Room C1830. There will be a very special guest and pet therapy dogs as well.

Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) Meeting
2026-02-12 12:00 - 13:30 | Webconference
Monthly Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) review meeting.

teNET Seminar Series
2026-02-12 12:00 - 13:00 | Room C3860 – Penn State College of Medicine, 700 HMC Crescent Road, Hershey, PA, 17033, United States
On Thursday, February 12th, the teNET Seminar “Capillary Level Brain Blood Flow Disruptions Contribute to Memory Impairment in Mouse Models of Neurodegenerative Disease” will be presented at 12pm in C3860 by Dr. Chris Schaffer, Professor, Cornell University. A light pizza lunch will be offered. Please plan to attend.

Pediatric Oncology ECHO
2026-02-12 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
Training for Primary Care Providers
(CME credits available)
No-cost Monthly Sessions | 12-1 p.m. EST | Dec. 11, 2025 – Jul. 9, 2026 | 100% Virtual
No matter your level of experience, this program provides the knowledge and community support to strengthen your role in caring for children with cancer.

Expand your role in pediatric cancer care, even if you’re not in a specialty center.
Access knowledge and support whether you’re in a rural setting or an urban clinic.
Explore timely, practice-relevant topics like:

Early signs of pediatric brain tumors
Best practices in adolescent and young adult oncology
Survivorship care after pediatric cancer
Integrative approaches and precision medicine

Register Here
Enhance Your Pediatric Care From Anywhere.
Join a dynamic community of general physicians, pediatricians, and experts for this free, virtual tele-mentoring program designed to empower primary care providers with the latest knowledge in pediatric oncology.
Through 8 monthly sessions, gain the insights and confidence to support young patients facing cancer — from diagnosis to survivorship.
How It Works

Monthly live Zoom sessions (12–1 p.m. EST)
Rolling registration—sign up once and attend as you’re able
Each session features real participant cases + 15-minute expert “FlashTalks”
Registration is free and open now. Sign up once to access all sessions.

Schedule & Curriculum

Session Time 12–1 p.m. EST | ️ Upcoming Dates & Topics

Dec. 11, 2025 – Adolescent & Young Adult Oncology

Jan. 8, 2026 – Pediatric Acute Leukemia

Feb. 12, 2026 – Precision Medicine

Mar. 12, 2026 – Pediatric Solid Tumors

Apr. 9, 2026 – Surviving After Pediatric Cancer

May 14, 2026 – Integrative Oncology

Jun. 11, 2026 – Genetic Predisposition to Cancer

Jul. 9, 2026 – Pediatric Brain Tumors

Live Music in PSCI Lobby Today
2026-02-12 11:30 - 14:30 | Penn State Cancer Institute Lobby, 400 University Drive, Hershey, PA, 17033, United States
Shelba Purtle, hand pans
11:30am– 12:30pm, PSCI lobby
Sponsored by the Penn State Cancer Institute

Julie Nevel, keyboard
1:00 – 2:30pm, PSCI lobby
Sponsored by the Penn State Cancer Institute

Introduction to EndNote Online Classic
2026-02-11 16:00 - 17:00 | Zoom
EndNote Online Classic saves time by properly formatting citations. In this workshop, Harrell Health Sciences Library’s Brad Long will show participants how to import references from key library databases, including PubMed, CINAHL and Web of Science. Participants will also learn how to use the “Cite While You Write” plugin, in order to insert citations into a Word document and create a bibliography.
Participants should create a free personal account in EndNote Online before the webinar by going here and clicking the “Register” button.
The learning objectives for this session are:

Import references from PubMed and other key health sciences databases.
Create and edit references within EndNote.
Organize references with folders.
Attach article PDFs to references.
Use the “Cite While You Write” Microsoft Word plugin in order to cite references within a Word document.

A Zoom link will be provided upon registration. Please register Here: Introduction to EndNote Online Classic – LibCal – HHSL

Unity Gathering
2026-02-11 12:15 - 13:00 | Rotunda Café, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA, 17033, United States
Wednesday, February 11, 2026
Hershey Medical Center, H1233
Hosted by: Interfaith Business Employee Resource Group
Bring your favorite dish to share enough for 8–10 hungry friends! We’ll keep the good vibes rolling by giving you a voucher for a future meal as a big THANK YOU for spreading deliciousness! Come hungry, leave happy and let’s make this event unforgettable!
Register here
In collaboration with the Office of Health Advancement & Community Engagement.

Instructional Design 101 with Susan Glod
2026-02-11 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
Title: Instructional Design 101
Lecturer: Susan Glod, MD, MEd, FACP; Associate Professor of Medicine
Learning objectives:
At the conclusion of this activity, participants should be able to:

Use Bloom’s taxonomy to identify goals for an educational activity that you currently teach/plan to teach.
Use backward design principles to design assessments congruent with your goals.
Begin to discuss active learning strategies that will support the goals

Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://psu.zoom.us/j/98530982968

Connecting Through Literature: Classic American Short Stories Session 3
2026-02-11 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
Online Discussion – Short Story: “The Lottery,” Shirley Jackson
Description from Wikipedia:
“The Lottery” is a short story by Shirley Jackson that was first published in The New Yorker on June 26, 1948. The story describes a fictional small American community that observes an annual tradition known as “the lottery”, which is intended to ensure a good harvest and purge the town of bad omens. The lottery, its preparations, and its execution are all described in detail, though it is not revealed until the end what actually happens to the person selected by the random lottery.
Reading link: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1948/06/26/the-lottery
Register to receive the Zoom link the week of the event. Please add to your own calendar.

The Connecting Through Literature Book Club’s Classic American Short Stories series is a collaboration between the Harrell Health Sciences Library and Department of Humanities. Join in on one, a few, or all of the discussions in the series as suits your time and interest. You do not even need to have read the story beforehand to listen in on the conversation – are welcome.

Contact edonne@pennstatehealth.psu.edu if you would like to receive email updates for all of this year’s discussions.

Learn more here.

LION Mobile Clinic at Trinity United Methodist Church
2026-02-11 10:00 - 12:00 | 128 W Howard St, Bellefonte, PA 16823, 128 West Howard Street, Bellefonte, PA, 16823
LION Mobile Clinic will offer free health screenings, including blood pressure and blood sugar screenings.
