Reaching out to a community in need

Tara Simmons, RN
Community Health Nurse
Penn State Health

Tara Simmons chose a community health nursing career to make a real difference.

“A lot of times, the best treatment for people is your time,” she says. “They just want to be heard, taken care of and loved.”

Tara travels throughout the six-county region where Penn State Health focuses its community outreach. She visits food pantries, libraries, health care clinics and community centers, caring for individuals who are under-resourced, unhoused and undocumented. She checks blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol, but also connects people to the care they need, from medical care to mental health support to food resources.

Tara and her Community Health colleagues are Penn State Health’s mission in action.

“When we invest care in our community, love comes back to us. And love spreads,” she says.

It’s stories like these that drive our purpose.