Geisinger Discusses What to do When Taking Antibiotics By: Kelly Guza, PharmD, associate vice president of acute pharmacy services, Geisinger When you feel sick, rest, fluids and over-the-counter medication are in order — and maybe a visit to your healthcare provider. And in some cases, they’ll prescribe something stronger: antibiotics. What are antibiotics? Antibiotics are medicines used to fight bacterial infections and work by killing bacteria in the body and preventing bacterial growth. When you’ve got strep throat or a pesky UTI, antibiotics can bring fast relief. And they prevent infection as you heal after surgery or an injury. But when you’re taking them, there are a few things to do (and not do) to make the experience a smooth one. What to do while taking antibiotics When starting your course of antibiotics, keep these do’s at top of mind to limit side effects and get back to feeling better. Using antibiotics properly can also help prevent antibiotic resistance. Tell your provider about other medications Before your provider prescribes you antibiotics, tell them about any other medications you’re taking. This can help avoid potential drug interactions or side effects. Not sure what to mention? Think prescriptions, over-the-counter meds and any vitamins or supplements. Take them as prescribed When they write your prescription, your provider will include instructions for how to take the antibiotics. Some are meant to be taken at the same time every day. Others may need to be taken with (or without) food. Follow those directions exactly as they’re written for maximum effectiveness. Watch for side effects Some antibiotics can cause side effects like an upset stomach or diarrhea. These are common and will go away when you finish your medicine. Contact your healthcare provider if you notice more serious side effects, like: Persistent or severe diarrhea Abdominal pain Fever These can be symptoms of a serious infection called Clostridium dificile, or C. diff. If you do develop C. diff, your healthcare provider may prescribe a different type of antibiotic to combat that infection. Another thing to look for with antibiotics? Allergic reactions. Common antibiotic allergy symptoms include: Skin rashes (although not all rashes are true allergies) Hives Shortness of breath Swelling of the tongue, face or lips If you do have symptoms of an allergic reaction, contact your healthcare provider right away. Call 911 or get to the nearest emergency room if you have severe symptoms like shortness of breath or face swelling. Try a probiotic Because they kill good as well as bad bacteria, antibiotics can wreak havoc on your stomach. Some can also lead to a yeast infection. To minimize stomach upset and restore healthy bacteria, try taking your antibiotic with a probiotic. Start your probiotic the same day as your antibiotic — and for maximum effectiveness, take it two hours after your antibiotic. Continue the probiotic for a few weeks after you finish your antibiotic to build healthy bacteria back up. The array of probiotics available is huge, so if you’re not sure which to use, talk to your pharmacist or other healthcare provider. They can help you find the right one. What not to do while on antibiotics Taking antibiotics properly can smooth your path to recovery. That’s why knowing what to avoid matters, too. Consider these don’ts the next time you have a prescription. Don’t take them unnecessarily Have a cold? Antibiotics won’t help. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections, they won’t work on viruses, like colds or flu. Using them improperly can raise your risk of antibiotic resistance. This means future infections won’t respond as well when you do need antibiotics. Don’t use medicine that’s old or not yours Thinking about using that old penicillin in the back of your medicine cabinet? Think again. Medicine loses effectiveness over time. So those old pills you’ve had since the last time you were sick may not work as well as they did before (or at all). Another no-no: taking an antibiotic prescribed for someone else. But because your partner’s antibiotic wasn’t prescribed to tackle your toothache, it may not be the right dose or the right kind. Or you could be allergic. Play it safe and talk to your provider instead. Don’t stop taking antibiotics too soon You may start to feel better before you finish your prescription. But keep taking your antibiotics until they’re gone, even if your symptoms have cleared up. Symptoms can start improving before the infection is cleared. Stopping your medicine early could leave you feeling sick if the infection isn’t entirely gone. And it can make you more likely to have future drug-resistant infections that don’t respond to antibiotics. When in doubt, ask If you have questions about antibiotics — what they’re for, how they work or how to take them — start by talking with your pharmacist. They’ll guide you through the do’s and don’ts of these bacteria-busters so you can get back to feeling like yourself again. For the latest health and wellness tips and advice, visit geisinger.org/balance.
Munley Law Lawyer Included in 2024 Edition of Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Munley Law is pleased to announce that truck accident lawyer Marion Munley has been included in the “Top 10” Pennsylvania Super Lawyers List, the Top 100 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers, and the Top 50 Women Pennsylvania Super Lawyers lists in the 2024 edition of Pennsylvania Super Lawyers. This is the second year that Marion, consistently selected to the list of Pennsylvania Super Lawyers for the past 21 years, has been featured in the “Top 10” Super Lawyers in Pennsylvania. She was named to the Top 100 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list in 2022 and 2023. Only 5% of attorneys in the United States are selected to Super Lawyers. To be included in Super Lawyers, an attorney must be nominated by his/her peers, or identified by the Super Lawyers research department; lawyers cannot nominate themselves nor can they pay to be recognized on the list. Nominated attorneys are subjected to a thorough evaluation and selection process Marion is widely recognized as one of the most prominent and respected personal injury lawyers in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. She has won many multimillion-dollar settlements and verdicts for injury clients throughout the United States, including one of the largest truck accident settlements in history. She is triple board certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy in Civil Trial Law, Civil Practice Advocacy, and Truck Accident Law. A leader in the legal community, Marion is an active member of the American Association for Justice (AAJ) and is currently the AAJ Treasurer. She was the first woman to become Chair of the AAJ Trucking Litigation Group in 2018 and is a past chair of the AAJ Women Trial Lawyers Caucus. Marion has also served as President of the Melvin M. Belli Society. She has been listed in the Best Lawyers in America® since 2013 and was named the 2024 “Lawyer of the Year” for Product Liability Litigation in Northeastern Pennsylvania. She was recently named a 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyer.
Treasurer Stacy Garrity Announces Results of Spring Unclaimed Property Auction Treasurer Stacy Garrity announced today that Treasury’s Spring unclaimed property auction brought in more than $262,000. All proceeds are carefully logged by Treasury and will remain available for the rightful owners to claim no matter how much time passes. “This is another tremendously successful auction, and I’m pleased that it generated such an incredible result,” Treasurer Garrity said. “We work for at least three years to find the rightful owners of every item that comes to Treasury’s vault. But eventually, we have to auction items to make room in our vault for incoming property. All auction proceeds are held in perpetuity at Treasury for a rightful owner to claim anytime – whether that’s tomorrow, a few months from now, or many years down the road.” Nearly 4,400 items were sold during the auction that took place online in March this year. Treasury partners with Pook & Pook, Inc., of Downingtown for auctioneer and appraisal services. The top price for an item was $18,000 for 27.22 ounces of palladium (a form of platinum). Other high-price items included: 18K yellow gold bracelet with 14K yellow gold charms sold for $4,600 14K white gold ring with an old European cut diamond sold for $3,200 18K yellow gold wristwatch, with .40 ctw of round brilliant cut diamonds sold for $3,000 Platinum ring with 1.71 carat diamond sold for $3,000 “This was another successful collaboration between Pook & Pook, Inc., Auctioneers and Appraisers and the Pennsylvania Treasury,” said Deidre Pook Magarelli, President of Pook & Pook. “Across the board, in all categories of coins and jewelry, we saw strong prices. The Pennsylvania Treasury puts forth a heroic effort each year to reunite unclaimed property with its original owners, but, when that’s not possible, they make sure the monetary compensation for that unclaimed property is available to those individuals in perpetuity. It’s a huge undertaking, and Pook & Pook appreciates playing a small part in this important process.” Treasury expects to net $262,840.16 after Pook & Pook receives its 12 percent commission of the full auction total, $298,682.00. The proceeds from the auction were nearly $80,000 over the high estimate. Items that are not sold at auction, or those not paid for by a winning bidder, are returned to Treasury to be listed in future auctions. Treasury receives unclaimed property from businesses if the property has been dormant for three years. Tangible property, most often the contents of forgotten safe deposit boxes, is stored in Treasury’s vault for another three years while Treasury tries to find the rightful owners. Treasury never auctions military decorations or memorabilia. More than $4.5 billion in unclaimed property is available to be claimed. More than one in ten Pennsylvanians is owed unclaimed property, and the average claim is worth about $1,600. To learn more about unclaimed property or to search Treasury’s database, visit patreasury.gov/unclaimed-property.
Maternal and Family Health Services Announces Staff Promotion At Maternal and Family Health Services (MFHS), Laurie Waskovich, MS, RD, CLC, has been promoted to Nutrition Services Administrator. This newly created role reflects an expansion of nutrition services at MFHS and Laurie’s oversight of existing and newly developed service lines. As Nutrition Services Administrator, Waskovich oversees nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and quality management in the Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition Program (WIC), and has expanded her responsibilities to include oversight of nutrition and lactation support for the maternity program. In addition, Waskovich launched and oversees the innovative TeleWIC clinic at MFHS, maximizing access to WIC through remote options for WIC visits. For the last twenty years, Laurie has been ensuring high quality nutrition and breastfeeding services at MFHS in various roles in the WIC Program. Waskovich holds a BS in Nutrition Sciences from Penn State University and a Masters in Food and Nutrition from Marywood College, and is a Certified Lactation Counselor.
Wayne Bank Sponsors New Teaching Laboratory Jim Donnelly, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wayne Bank, is pleased to announce that Wayne Bank has sponsored the new Teaching Laboratory at Lacawac Sanctuary’s William E. Chatlos Environmental Education Center with a $25,000 donation. Lacawac Sanctuary Field Station and Environmental Education Center is an independent, non-profit, environmental education organization located on the shore of Lake Wallenpaupack in the Northern Poconos. The historic sanctuary is dedicated to inspiring lifelong connections to nature and shaping the next generation of scientists and earth stewards through research, education, and preservation. The new Teaching Laboratory houses a wet laboratory for all ages to learn about ecology with hands-on-activities, modern equipment, and up-to-date resources. According to Mr. Donnelly, “Wayne Bank is delighted to sponsor the new Teaching Laboratory that provides incredible opportunities for students to learn about their environment. Lacawac Sanctuary is a local treasure and we hope that the Lab will be a valuable resource for future generations of scientists and environmental conservationists.” To fulfill its mission of Research, Education and Preservation, Lacawac offers environmental education and programs to the community, by communicating the core values of environmental responsibility, citizenship, inclusiveness, and the pursuit of knowledge. Lacawac works with an association of colleges and universities to provide research partnerships and a pristine location for undergrad and graduate students. Visitors to the 550-acre nature preserve can enjoy a rich outdoor education and exposure to a blend of diverse habitats including wetlands, open fields, forests, and lakes. Additionally, the sanctuary provides nine miles of hiking trails open to the public, free of charge, from dawn to dusk year-round.
Lackawanna College Receives Grant to Support Adult Literacy Lackawanna College was recently awarded a $5,000 grant from The Dollar General Literacy Foundation (DGLF) to support adult literacy. This local grant is a part of the Foundation’s more than $10.6 million donated to support adult, family and summer literacy programs in the 48 states in which Dollar General operates. With today’s grants, the DGLF also surpasses helping more than 20 million individuals achieve their educational dreams since its inception in 1993. The Lackawanna Language Academy (LLA) will provide free ESL classes to benefit the residents of Hazleton, PA. The LLA will offer three, 10-week ESL classes that will occur in Summer and Fall 2024 and Winter 2025. Experienced ESL Instructors will provide responsive, individualized, in-person instruction of literacy skills. Additionally, take-home lessons will assist Spanish-speaking individuals with limited English proficiency to improve their speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills by at least 2 proficiency levels to attain Adult Basic English proficiency. Lackawanna College also offers Continuing Education Certifications for the Workforce and an English Proficiency college certificate in an 18-credit program that advances English learning and prepares learners for college-level work. “We believe individuals of all ages deserve access to a quality education, and the Dollar General Literacy Foundation is thrilled to support thousands of learners across the country as they enrich their lives with literacy and education,” shared Denine Torr, executive director of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. “This year’s spring grant cycle is equally exciting as we surpass impacting more than 20 million individuals. We hope these funds provide resources needed to positively change students’ lives, helping them to build a brighter future for themselves and generations to come.” The Dollar General Literacy Foundation supports organizations that increase access to educational programming, stimulate and enable innovation in the delivery of educational instruction and inspire a love of reading. Each year, DGLF awards funds to nonprofit organizations, schools, and libraries within a 15-mile radius of a Dollar General store or distribution center to support adult, family, summer and youth literacy programs. The Foundation also offers a student referral program for individuals interested in learning how to read, speak English, or prepare for the high school equivalency exam. Referrals to a local organization that provides free literacy services are available online here or through referral cards found in the Learn to Read brochures that are available at the cash register of every Dollar General store.
Geisinger Mail-order and Specialty Pharmacies Receive URAC Accreditation Geisinger Mail-Order Pharmacy has earned the Utilization Review Accreditation Commission (URAC) accreditation for Mail Service Pharmacy and Geisinger Specialty Pharmacy received re-accreditation from URAC Specialty Pharmacy Accreditation. By achieving these accreditations, the mail-order and specialty pharmacies continue their personalized approach to the specialized pharmacy and medication needs of their patients. “Geisinger Pharmacy finds ways to provide our patients affordable options when it comes to their prescriptions and other pharmacy needs,” said Michael Evans, chief pharmacy officer for Geisinger. “As a URAC-accredited organization, we meet rigorous standards for health care quality, safety and accountability while continuing to make better health easier for our patients in central Pennsylvania.” URAC is the independent leader in promoting health care quality by setting high standards for clinical practice, consumer protections, performance measurement, operations infrastructure and risk management. “Mail service and specialty pharmacies provide a critical connection for patients receiving specialized pharmaceutical care,” said URAC President and CEO Shawn Griffin, M.D. “URAC’s Mail Service Pharmacy Accreditation recognizes excellence in the areas of pharmacy operations, medication distribution and patient service and communication, all of which are valuable components of the patient care experience.” Geisinger Specialty Pharmacy also received reaccreditation through the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) in 2023. To learn more about pharmacy options through Geisinger, visit geisinger.org/pharmacy.
Scranton Area Community Foundation Announces 2024 Scholarship Recipients Scranton Area Community Foundation has awarded twenty students from thirteen different high schools a prestigious scholarship through the James F. Swift Scholarship Fund. This competitive scholarship provides $5,000 per year for each recipient for up to four years to assist with continuing education expenses. The following students are first-time recipients of a James F. Swift Scholarship: Noah Beckish (North Pocono), Caden Brennan (Carbondale), Jocelyn Brown (Carbondale), Holly Burke (Scranton Preparatory), Carolyn Chakiris (Mid Valley), Elizabeth Cummings (Old Forge), Celia Emiliani (West Scranton), Kate Evans (West Scranton), Nikauri Fernandez (Holy Cross), Emma Field (Scranton), Sarah Goetter (Mid Valley), Geanna Kirchner (Dunmore), Savannah Lockwood (Dunmore), Antonia Piraino (Lakeland), Allyson Stafursky (Valley View), Makenna Stugus (Abington Heights), Alexa Williams (Riverside), Sarah Wolfe (Riverside), Meghan Wong (Scranton), and Angela Zeng (Abington Heights). In addition to the 20 new recipients, there were 57 James F. Swift Scholarship renewals in 2024. The following students are recipients of a James F. Swift Scholarship Renewal in 2024: Ava Aulisio, Emma Aversa, Jacquelyn Bitter, Alexander Bond, Jillian Brennan, Cameron Butka, Joel Cali, Sofia Capozzi, Kaeden Carr, Riley Clarke, Ryan Coleman, Alyssa Cosklo, Ava Decker, Jayden Evans, Erileidi Fernandez, Sofia Flores-Weidner, Hunter Geise, Sadid Hassan, Courtney Hazelton, Matthew Howard, Emma Illian, Elina Joshi, Michael Kazmierczak, Eliana King, Kendal Johnson, Lorna Lynch, Dana Mackin, Hailey Matechak, Sara McCormack, Finley McHale, David McKenney, Thomas Milewski, Connor Monahan, Ayman Mounota, Owen Morgan, Julia Murphy, Mia Muskey, Paige Pezanowski, Ron Prislupski, Meredith Purcell, Mila Racibor, Ritu Regmi, Taralyn Reilly, Lexee Risner, Michael Rodyushkin, Kayla Rose, Chloee Rumford, Ryan Salony, Michael Sewack, Gabrielle Snee, Christian Snee, Ethan Symuleski, Alexis Tanana, Benjamin Thompson, Martin Turi, Jayde Waibel, and Molly White. The James F. Swift Scholarship Fund has awarded over $5 million since 2008, benefiting over 340 local students. Created in 2002 through a gift by Mr. James F. Swift to the Scranton Area Community Foundation, the James F. Swift Scholarship Fund supports higher education for students graduating from high schools in Lackawanna County. Following Mr. Swift’s death in 2006, the Scranton Area Community Foundation gratefully received a significant gift from his estate to the scholarship fund, allowing many students from Lackawanna County to pursue their academic and professional goals through higher education. The scholarship aims to provide an ongoing matriculation stream at Lackawanna County colleges and universities. The Scranton Area Community Foundation aims to award 75% of the scholarships to students who plan to attend institutions of higher learning in the Lackawanna County region. Scranton Area Community Foundation President and CEO Laura Ducceschi praised Mr. Swift’s generosity, noting that “he has left a permanent and enduring legacy for our region’s youth. His scholarship fund makes higher education more attainable for generations of students.” The Scranton Area Community Foundation partners with the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) in the Partnership for Access to Higher Education (PATH) Program to offer qualifying students additional financial aid. Through PHEAA, scholarship recipients may be eligible for additional dollars toward their tuition. For more information on the James F. Swift Scholarship Fund at the Scranton Area Community Foundation, please contact Brittany Pagnotti, Communications Director of the Scranton Area Community Foundation, at 570-347-6203.
Geisinger Announces Medical Center Expansion Geisinger officials today announced major plans to make better health easier for the central Susquehanna Valley and beyond with a proposed $880 million expansion of Geisinger Medical Center. The proposed project will feature a new 11-story tower that will be constructed at the front of the hospital, near an expanded main entrance area. This expansion will dramatically alter and improve the Geisinger Medical Center campus through modern spaces and tools to meet the region’s current and future healthcare needs, focusing particularly on patient experience and high-level care. The new tower will feature a larger emergency room to serve more patients and provide a more efficient flow of care. The new ER will double the square footage of the current space and increase it from 45 beds to 60 beds. Updated and expanded intensive care units and operating suites will surround the ER to allow collaboration between teams as they care for the sickest and most severely injured patients. The hospital will transition to a 100% private-room facility for a more comforting and modern healing environment, so each patient will have their own room to recover and be with their loved ones. It also allows more space for teams to work collaboratively on a patient’s care plan. “Our community has depended on Geisinger for world-class health care for more than a century,” said Terry Gilliland, M.D., president and CEO of Geisinger. “We’re continuing that legacy today as we announce the largest expansion project in the nearly 110-year history of Geisinger Medical Center. This project will truly transform care. It’s proof of our commitment to making better health easier for our communities today and into the future.” Beyond the clinical expansion, the project improves campus convenience with a proposed multi-level parking garage near the front of the hospital. The garage will connect to the hospital with an enclosed sky bridge, offering patients and visitors an easy way to reach the facility and its emergency services. The parking garage also will better connect the hospital with the Pine Barn Inn, which will continue operations adjacent to the hospital. “This project will completely reimagine the Geisinger Medical Center campus to strengthen collaboration among our staff and units for better patient care,” said Megan Brosious, chief administrative officer for Geisinger’s central region. “Our patients will have a modern care environment where they can continue receiving expert care right here in Danville, as they’vecome to expect from us over the past century. And our teams will have the space they need to provide that care.”The investment comes at a time when the need for expanded health care access is growing in Pennsylvania and across the country. In central Pennsylvania, the 65 and older population, which typically requires more health resources and specialized care, is expected to grow over the next decade. This expansion marks the latest investment in the region’s health needs. The system recently started construction on Geisinger Behavioral Health Center Danville, a 96-bed inpatient facility in Mahoning Township that’s expected to open in 2025. Geisinger Medical Center provides specialized treatment options and services not widely available in the region, including Level I trauma care, transplant surgery, advanced cancer care and Geisinger Janet Weis Children’s Hospital. It is also a Magnet hospital and a Comprehensive Stroke Center, and it was the first hospital in the country to receive a Comprehensive Heart Attack Center designation in 2022.Danville’s project is happening in parallel with a similar expansion at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center near Wilkes-Barre. These investments underscore Geisinger’s commitment to creating a better patient experience for northeastern and central Pennsylvanians.Geisinger Medical Center campus development work is already underway, with a roadway project in front of the hospital that will improve traffic flow. The Danville expansion project is expected to begin in 2025, starting with the planned demolition of Dickey Clinic to make room for the tower. Tower construction will occur in phases with the new tower slated to open in 2028. The last expansion on the campus occurred in 2010 with the opening of the Hospital for Advanced Medicine tower.
