Johnson College Renames Its Veterinary Technology Program to Veterinary Nursing Johnson College has renamed its two-year Veterinary Technology Associate in Science Degree Program to Veterinary Nursing. Johnson College joins a movement within the Veterinary Science industry, being the 11th college and university to rename its Veterinary Technology program. This name change more accurately describes the nature of the program and better aligns it with the skills needed in the Veterinary Science field. Veterinary Nursing will continue to be a two-year associate degree program preparing students to take the Veterinary Technician National Exam. In addition, students earn the credentials required to become entry-level Veterinary technicians. Last year, 100% of this program’s graduates who took the VTNE passed. Currently, the College has a three-year Veterinary Technician National Exam average pass rate of 94%. “We are incredibly excited about this change and look forward to watching our graduates succeed in the Veterinary Technology industry,” said Bill Burke, M.S., Johnson College’s Vice President of Student and Academic Affairs. “Per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this industry has a 16% Growth potential through 2029.” As technicians, graduates collect samples, perform lab tests, take radiographs, prepare the surgical suite, assist in surgery, monitor anesthesia, and provide general nursing care to patients. Second-year students in the program will still be required to complete clinical rotations in the on-campus Animal Care Center. For more information about Johnson College’s Veterinary Nursing program visit Johnson.edu or contact the Johnson College Enrollment team at 570-702-8556 or enroll@johnson.edu.
Tobyhanna Army Depot Retains Aerospace Standard Quality Certification After External Audit Tobyhanna Army Depot’s quality management system (QMS) will maintain an industry-standard certification after an audit by outside officials last week. Auditors from Orion Registrar visited the depot to conduct a surveillance audit in accordance with the depot’s certification in the Aerospace 9100/9110 Standard (AS). Derived from the ISO 9001 quality system, AS 9100 includes additional quality system requirements demanded by the aerospace and defense industries, which are vital to support the depot’s maintenance efforts on avionics components for military aircraft. Tobyhanna has maintained industry-standard quality certifications since 2003. Only 20,000 companies worldwide hold the AS certification. Surveillance audits are conducted between recertification audit years and required Orion personnel to spend 10 total auditor days investigating Tobyhanna’s adherence to AS. At the conclusion of the audit, Orion recommended the depot keep the AS certification and lauded the depot’s performance, specifically by the workforce. “We are always impressed by Team Tobyhanna; however, several areas and employees stood out as exceptional,” said auditors Eric Barnes and Dan Wyrick. “Special recognition goes out to Steven Ornitz of the Systems Integration and Support (SIS) directorate, the Quality Management Division team, and the TACSAT Systems and Component Branches of the C4ISR directorate.” John Scott, chief of the TACSAT Systems Branch, says he appreciated the praise from Barnes, but couldn’t take the credit for his Branch’s audit success. “When it comes to quality, process discipline is very important to our TACSAT team. They are continuously looking for ways to improve even the most miniscule tasks while at the same time holding each other and their leadership accountable. If anyone deserves the accolades for our audit success, it’s them.” Electronics Mechanic Supervisor William Long agreed. “Our team welcomes the opportunity to be audited with a fresh set of eyes and, because of that willingness to take feedback, we are continuously growing as an organization.” Within their recommendation for recertification, the auditors cited best practices as well as areas for improvement (AFIs), according to Robert Haas, Director of Quality Management. He says the audit-identified AFIs are always welcome. “We appreciate the chance to learn from these AFIs and make Tobyhanna Army Depot’s QMS even stronger,” adding that one AFI noted by the auditors was corrected before the audit was even over. “Orion personnel identified a discrepancy between paperwork and the process in one of our SIS refinishing shops,” he said. “Eugene Haikes, the shop supervisor, immediately addressed the issue and put a preventative action in place. This is a great example of how Team Tobyhanna places quality and AS at the forefront of our processes.” Auditors will return to Tobyhanna for another surveillance audit in late 2022. Maintaining the AS certification and a healthy QMS is directly aligned with Tobyhanna’s long-range strategic plan, TOBY2028. The plan has four strategic focus areas: Investing in Our People, C5ISR Readiness, Shape the Future and Strategic Communications and aims to posture the organization for future success. Tobyhanna Army Depot is a recognized leader in providing world-class logistics support for C5ISR systems across the Department of Defense. Tobyhanna’s Corporate Philosophy, dedicated work force and electronics expertise ensure the depot is the Joint C5ISR provider of choice for all branches of the Armed Forces and industry partners. Tobyhanna’s unparalleled capabilities include full-spectrum logistics support for sustainment, overhaul and repair, fabrication and manufacturing, engineering design and development, systems integration, post production software support, technology insertion, modification, foreign military sales and global field support to our joint warfighters. About 3,700 personnel are employed at Tobyhanna, which is located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. Tobyhanna Army Depot is part of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command. Headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, the command’s mission is to empower the Soldier with winning C5ISR capabilities.
IntegraONE Managed Services Webinar Join IntegraONE on Thursday, August 26th at 11am – 30 min. Managed services, and the idea of outsourcing aspects of an organization’s IT, is gaining in popularity. Don’t miss this webinar to find out everything you need to know about managed services and how to determine if it’s the right fit for your organization. There are many benefits of utilizing a trusted managed service provider to augment your current capabilities: increase user productivity and uptimeimproving network stabilitydecrease security risklowering overall IT costs Join this webinar and ask all of your specific questions about Managed Services, and hear common concerns from organizations considering an outsourcing model. For more information and to register: https://info.integraone.com/why_managed_services_webinar.
3rd Annual NEPA Learning Conference Kicks Off in Scranton The Scranton Area Community Foundation, through its Center for Community Leadership and Nonprofit Excellence in partnership with Moses Taylor Foundation and The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, will host its 3rd annual NEPA Learning Conference this Wednesday, August 18, through Friday, August 20, 2021. This event offers nonprofit organizations and nonprofit professionals across the region the opportunity to receive in-depth training from local and nationally-recognized presenters. Keynote speakers will include Heather McGhee, author of New York Times bestseller The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together; Ann Mei Chang, author of Lean Impact: How to Innovate for Radically Greater Social Good; and LaShunda Leslie-Smith, Executive Director of Connected Communities, an organization dedicated to building up neighborhoods in the Rochester, New York area by engaging residents, service providers, and community partners in a holistic approach. Attendees of this three-day learning conference will have an opportunity to learn from local and national experts in a variety of fields, network with peers, and discover how they can create a learning culture within their organization. The conference will share strategies for adapting to a post-pandemic world, teach the importance of collaborative learning, and also will touch on important and relevant topics including racial equity, innovation, and donor relations. Attendees have the opportunity to attend in person at the Hilton Scranton & Conference Center (100 Adams Ave, Scranton, PA) or entirely virtually online, via the conference platform app, Whova. A crowd of roughly 200 representatives from nonprofit organizations is expected to attend this hybrid event. While attendance is geared toward nonprofit professionals, registration—which closed on Monday, August 16—is open to the public. Attendees can find additional information through the conference website at NEPALearningConference.com. “At the Scranton Area Community Foundation, we prioritize the importance of enhancing organizational capacity building and view it as transformative to the region as a whole,” said Laura Ducceschi, President and CEO of the Scranton Area Community Foundation. “We are grateful for so many of our partnering foundations right here in Northeastern Pennsylvania supporting our efforts to bring this learning conference to the nonprofit community of our region.” Sponsors of the event include Moses Taylor Foundation, The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Lamar Advertising, The William C. McGowan Charitable Fund, Geisinger, Posture Interactive, The Hawk Family Foundation, The Luzerne Foundation, McGrail Merkel Quinn & Associates, Children’s Service Center of NEPA, United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties, Hilton Scranton and Conference Center, Wayne County Community Foundation, Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania, Knowles Insurance, United Neighborhood Centers of NEPA, Center City Print, Junior League of Scranton, and more. For more information on the 2021 NEPA Learning Conference, please visit NEPALearningConference.com or contact Brittany Pagnotti, Communications Manager of the Scranton Area Community Foundation at 570-347-6203.
Broadway in Scranton Presents Rain, A Tribute to the Beatles It’s time to GET BACK to where you once belonged with the return of live shows at the Scranton Cultural Center. RAIN – A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES opens its 2021 Tour in Scranton on Wednesday, October 6. Tickets, priced at $35, $45, $55, and $65, go on sale at 10AM THIS THURSDAY, August 19 online at BroadwayInScranton.com and in person at the Scranton Cultural Center box office (M-F 10A-2P). A $3.00 facility fee is added to each ticket and additional handling charges apply to online and phone orders. For group rates, call the Broadway Theatre League office at 570.342.7784. This mind-blowing performance takes you back in time with the legendary foursome delivering a note-for-note theatrical event that is “the next best thing to seeing The Beatles!” (Associated Press). Experience the world’s most iconic band and come celebrate The Best of Abbey Road Live with RAIN – A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES. In addition to the updated sets that include state of the art LED, high-definition screens and multimedia content, RAIN will bring the Abbey Road album to life with the launch of the 2021 Tour. Together longer than The Beatles, RAIN has mastered every song, gesture and nuance of the legendary foursome, delivering a totally live, note-for-note performance that’s as infectious as it is transporting. Let RAIN take you back with all of the greatest hits along with all of your other Beatles favorites! This adoring tribute will take you back to a time when all you needed was love, and a little help from your friends! Like The Beatles, the onstage members of RAIN are not only supreme musicians, but electrifying performers in their own right! For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit: www.BroadwayInScranton.com JOIN the conversation with RAIN on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RainTribute, follow RAIN on Twitter @raintribute, Instagram: @RainTribute and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/RainTribute For additional information and electronic images, contact Ali Basalyga(ali@nacentertainment.com).
Schedule Your Covid-19 Vaccine with The Prescription Center The Prescription Center has Moderna, Pfizer, and J&J vaccines available. 15-minute rapid tests also available. No appointments are necessary for vaccines and/or testing. The Prescription Center has two convenient locations. Downtown Scranton at 310 Adams Ave. and South Side Scranton at 329 Cherry St. Ste 1A.
PennDOT Announces Annual Highway Safety Survey The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is seeking motorists’ input on traffic safety and driving behaviors through its annual online Highway Safety Survey found at www.PennDOT.gov/Safety. “Safety is our top priority and we value continued public engagement in making our roadways safer,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “The results from this annual survey help us gauge participants’ attitudes on highway safety, and potentially allow us to adjust our safety activities so we can further reduce crashes and fatalities.” The survey is available on PennDOT’s website through August 23 and should take about five minutes to complete. All responses, including the “comments” fields, are anonymous. Nearly 8,000 people responded to last year’s survey, answering questions about safety habits such as seat belt use, impaired driving, speeding, and distracted driving. Notably, nearly 91 percent of respondents said they always wear a seat belt and approximately 88 percent said they never drive while impaired. When asked how often they choose to exceed the posted speed limit, nearly 84 percent of respondents said they speed at least some of the time. “Speeding reduces a driver’s ability to react to changing traffic or road conditions,” said Gramian. “It puts you, your passengers, and others on the road at risk. Slow down, be safe.” For more information on our highway safety efforts, visit www.PennDOT.gov/Safety. Follow PennDOT on Twitter at www.twitter.com/PennDOTNews, like the department on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaDepartmentofTransportation and Instagram at www.instagram.com/pennsylvaniadot.
The Heritage Explorer Bike Tour The Heritage Explorer Bike Tour is back! We hope you’ll come along for the ride! Lackawanna Heritage Valley’s Heritage Explorer Bike Tour is returning to the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail in 2020, but this year, things are going to be a little different. The Heritage Explorer Bike Tour has become an annual tradition to promote the development of the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail. With safety in mind, this year’s event will bring our community together in a virtual celebration throughout September in honor of Trails Month. Cyclists will embark on their own journeys, at their own pace, when and where they choose to help support the ongoing maintenance of the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail. The event is a fun, family-friendly and noncompetitive event. Riders of all ages and abilities will have the chance to ride along in support of the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail. Supporters can register now, choose their route and distance, and show their support online for the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail. At the end of Trails Month, Lackawanna Heritage Valley will award participants with official event t-shirts as our way of saying thank you for your support.
The Greater Scranton YMCA Needs Your Vote The Greater Scranton YMCA needs your help by voting for them to receive a $25,000 grant from State Farm® to help improve their community. Starting August 18th at 12:00 a.m. ET, U.S. residents who are 18 and older with a valid email address can vote for their favorite cause at www.neighborhoodassist.com. The Greater Scranton YMCA has until August 27th at 11:59 p.m. ET to rally votes and anyone voting is allowed up to 10 votes per day. On September 29th, the top 40 vote-receiving causes will be announced at www.neighborhoodassist.com and a $25,000 grant will be awarded to each of the affiliated nonprofits. A $25,000 grant from the State Farm Foundation would allow the Greater Scranton YMCA to hire a full-time staff person who would be dedicated to the success and future development of the Y’s current Food Program. Presently, due to a lack of funding and staff, the Food Program only serves children enrolled in Early Childhood Education Programs at the Greater Scranton YMCA. The addition of a full-time staff person dedicated to the Food Program and its growth would allow the Y to not only provide meals to individuals enrolled in more programs at the Y, for example summer day camp, after school, and programs serving older adults; but provide meals to the community at large, including veterans, as we know food insecurity affects individuals of all ages and backgrounds. To cast your vote for the Greater Scranton YMCA between August 18th and August 27th, visit our cause page here: https://www.neighborhoodassist.com/entry/2038251. “The Greater Scranton YMCA is honored to have been chosen as a State Farm Neighborhood Assist® Top 200 Finalist,” said Trish Fisher, President & CEO, Greater Scranton YMCA. “We would appreciate our community rallying together so we can turn our dream of expanding our Food Program to serve more children, adults and families in need of healthy food into a reality!” State Farm Neighborhood Assist is a crowd-sourced philanthropic initiative that empowers communities to identify issues in their neighborhoods. The State Farm Review Committee selected the top 200 finalists from 2,000 submissions.
