Sunny Jackson, Injury Prevention Coordinator for Penn Presbyterian Medical Center’s Level I Trauma Center, was honored for her remarkable dedication and efforts towards injury prevention. As a diehard Philadelphia sports fan, Jackson enjoyed an extraordinary evening during which she got to engage up close and personal with the Philadelphia 76ers pre-game warm-ups from courtside seats. She stood at the center stage during the game’s commencement as the entire crowd applauded her accomplishments in the Penn Medicine Spotlight—an initiative voicing recognition during games since September 2022.
Jackson’s tireless work towards the Penn Trauma Violence Recovery Program and the local West Philadelphia community earned her well-deserved recognition. Her initiatives ranged from curbing bleeding through training for community members to developing strategies for secure firearm storage. Her appearance on the 76ers court, appreciating her dedication, exemplifies the key partnerships shared between Penn Medicine and local sports teams—celebrating employee excellence, influencing local communities positively, and doing it all amidst the cheers of Philadelphia’s passionate sports fans.
Philadelphia is true-blue versatile when it comes to sports, and Penn Medicine takes pride in supporting this loyal fan base. The organization is the healthcare partner for local professional teams including basketball, hockey, and soccer. The health care provider has been supporting the 76ers since 2022, Flyers since 2019, and Union as recently as 2024.
Penn Medicine’s partnerships ensure that injured players avail top-notch care from healthcare professionals. But beyond that, these partnerships span the incorporation of initiatives fostering community health and wellbeing while engaging and rewarding employees.
A significant objective of these partnerships focuses on the betterment of public health. Penn Medicine works tirelessly with the sports teams on ventures that aim to enhance the health status of individuals and communities alike, inviting a myriad of volunteer opportunities for Penn Medicine employees.
One of the mission objectives of Penn Medicine is to positively impact health outside the hospital and improve equitable access to quality health care in local communities. Sports partnerships contribute significantly to enhancing community health throughout the Philadelphia region: from cancer screenings to public spaces renovation, gun violence prevention to food access initiatives.
A notable initiative includes the Penn Medicine and 76ers Box Out Cancer initiative. The project increases awareness regarding the importance of cancer screenings and community access to screening resources. In colon cancer cases, where the Black populace is disproportionately impacted, significant efforts have been taken to mitigate the gap in screenings.
Moreover, public spaces that are safe, appealing, and green can significantly impact health, resulting in initiatives focused on renovating such spaces in community areas. Efforts are also being made to tackle gun violence in the Philadelphia region. In addition, food insecurity remains a persistent problem in the community, with initiatives in place to address the issue.
Engaging and rewarding employees sit at the heart of Penn Medicine’s sports partnerships. Employees earn complimentary game tickets and special ticket pricing through their work contributions, contests, or giveaways. Special recognitions during games on the court, ice, or field are common and elicit immense excitement among the staff.
For Sunny Jackson, her on-court recognition at the 76ers game was an event of a lifetime, not as much for the recognition in itself but more so for the excellent camaraderie she shared with her peers at the game.
