Since the early 1990s, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health (LG Health) has worked to form good relationships with the Amish community by meeting regularly with Amish bishops. Through those connections, LG Health provides culturally-appropriate care in surprising ways. For example, walk-in immunization clinics operate at the same time and in the same place, since making appointments isn’t common in Amish culture. As of 2025, LG Health’s ChildProtect program has provided free vaccinations to approximately 80,000 uninsured children in the area, both Amish and non-Amish. LG Health also ensures that clinics and other events are held in locations people could reach by buggy, bicycle or walking, since the Amish do not typically use cars or other motor vehicles.
Lancaster General Health continues its outreach into the Amish community through education and prevention. The Lancaster County Amish Safety Committee is a collaborative program that uses trauma data to reduce injuries, especially those associated with farm work and road safety; one initiative encouraged the Amish, who typically wear plain, dark clothing, to wear reflective vests when walking at night to enable auto drivers to see them better on rural roads. Each year, the LG Health hosts a Farm and Family Safety Day; community partners teach practical safety measures to use on the farm and at home to help people avoid injury.
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