Penn Medicine

03/10/2026

Members of our GI team made it to Peloton HQ to clip in with Alex Toussaint - Peloton for Colon Cancer Awareness Month! They traded their scrubs for cycling shoes to remind everyone that screening shouldn't be scary—and it’s the best way to stay healthy.

Colorectal cancer is highly preventable, yet it remains one of the leading causes of cancer death. Our mantra is simple: prevention is protection. Whether you're hitting a personal best on the bike or scheduling your first colonoscopy, every move counts toward a healthier future.

03/09/2026

03/06/2026

In 2016, Lauren Massimo, PhD, CRNP, encouraged her brother Dennis to donate a blood sample to the Penn Medicine BioBank. Neither of them knew it would one day save his life. 🧬

Fast forward to 2025: That single sample led to the discovery of a Lynch syndrome mutation in Dennis’s DNA. This mutation can increase cancer risk, prompting doctors to catch a silent, Stage III tumor that might not have been found for years.

Today, Dennis is finishing his treatment with the latest research-backed immunotherapy, supported by a multidisciplinary team across Penn Medicine—from genetic counseling to surgery and oncology.

"If a genetic test finding a DNA mutation could save me... how many other people could it save?"

03/05/2026

As a competitive skier for over 50 years, Dr. Hansell Stedman uses his understanding of muscle physiology to push through the pain of lactic acid to find his second wind. But in the lab at Penn Medicine, he’s chasing a much more important finish line: a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

By studying how muscles recover and rebuild, Dr. Stedman and his team are working to give DMD patients the same resilience and durability found in elite athletes. For him, the lab and the trail are one and the same—both require endurance, strategy, and the refusal to quit.

03/04/2026

Even before experiencing cancer herself, Deborah Burnham, PhD, had a knack for “magical” prompts to help patients write through their illness in Penn Medicine - Abramson Cancer Center’s Writing a Life group. Deb, a retired undergraduate English chair at the University of Pennsylvania, has voluntarily co-led the workshop for most of the group’s 10+ years, creating, in the words of one patient, a “precious space for writing, sharing, and healing” that surfaces “what is in you that needs to be said”—reminding patients they are not alone.

While Burnham doesn’t talk much about her own diagnoses in the meetings—she is there to facilitate--she has found the group has been a source of silent comfort in her own health challenges. “These are my people,” she says. “That’s one of the reasons I look forward to these sessions so much.”

Deb says she leaves every meeting thinking, “Thank you.” “I just feel so privileged and so honored to listen to these people.”

03/03/2026

Our mobile mammography unit is feeling right at home at the Philadelphia Flower Show! With its signature flowers and butterflies, our van is more than just a beautiful ride—it’s a symbol of our commitment to bringing breast health education directly into the heart of our community.

While we aren’t performing screenings at the Flower Show, our team is on-site and ready to chat!

Stop by to:
🌸 Learn about the importance of early detection.
🌸 Find out where the van is headed next.
🌸 Get the resources you need to schedule your next mammogram.

Come say hi!
PHS Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

02/26/2026

Huge thanks to Buffalo Bills safety and cardiac arrest survivor Damar Hamlin for stopping by to visit a few of our patients during Heart Month!

We admire your efforts to educate communities and foster connection among others living with heart conditions.

02/25/2026

From hundreds of acres of corn and soybeans to tending livestock, Steven Haines’ life is defined by hard work. But for years, his heart struggled to keep up.

After a family history of heart disease, a heart attack at 42, a triple bypass, and a massive cardiac arrest, Steven’s journey led him to the Penn Medicine Transplant Institute. In 2017, he received the ultimate gift: a life-saving heart transplant.

Nearly 9 years later, this Cecil County farmer is stronger than ever—sawing wood, loading hay, and living the life he loves.

"I’ve had my life saved multiple times over the decades," Steven says. "I am grateful to Penn for giving me this gift of a second chance at life."

02/24/2026

Penn Medicine spotlight:

Justin Hernandez, Thomas Magolon and Joce-Lyn Hanton are leaders of the Facilities and Environmental Services teams at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Cedar Avenue campus. These roles help cultivate a strong, progressive partnership across departments. Working together as a team, Justin, Thomas and Joce-Lyn have improved real-time identification of opportunities and reduced time to work completion by 81%, helping ensure patients, visitors, and staff experience a clean, safe, and therapeutic environment that supports healing.

02/20/2026

02/19/2026

Pam Fisher’s care team reassured her that her breast cancer was highly treatable—stage 1, hormone-receptor-positive, invasive ductal carcinoma—and she focused on getting through the treatment plan. But after her treatment, she was unable to find explanations for the feelings she was struggling with. Why did she get breast cancer? What if it comes back? Negative thoughts overcame her, and she felt guilty for not managing her illness as well as she thought she should.

“Cancer didn’t just attack the body. It really unsteadied me,” Fisher said. “It was the first time in my life that I didn’t have the answers or couldn’t find the answers by reading or researching.”

During an appointment with her oncologist, Dr. Ramy Sedhom, he brought in psychologist Kara Buda from the Psychosocial Oncology Clinic at Penn Medicine Princeton Health. They then met for several sessions to explore and reframe Pam’s distressing thoughts and identify what mattered most in her life.

It was "the ease, convenience, and the in-the-moment response of Dr. Sedhom being able to go next door to get Dr. Buda and not have to refer me,” Fisher said. Otherwise, “I probably would not have taken the steps to properly heal from this life-changing experience."

02/17/2026

It’s a big year for Philly and a big year for Penn Medicine! We’re marking 275 years of Pennsylvania Hospital (PAH), founded in 1751 by Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Thomas Bond.

To celebrate this milestone, we’re turning the historic Pine Building into a museum featuring 8 unique galleries that will illustrate untold stories about PAH’s role in the history of modern medicine.

We gave Stephanie Stahl of CBS Philadelphia a sneak peek of what visitors can expect when doors open this May.