The Wright Center and Wayne County Commissioners Collaborate on Hunger-Fighting Initiative The Wayne County commissioners and The Wright Center for Community Health have teamed to expand access in two rural locations to free, nutritious food for individuals and families facing food insecurity and hunger. The county’s Food Pantry Program recently began supplying nonperishable items to two of The Wright Center’s primary and preventive care clinics: Hawley and North Pocono. Clinic employees will hand out the county-provided food boxes – each containing about 25 pounds of shelf-stable items such as soups, pasta, canned vegetables, tuna, and chicken – to patients who disclose on intake forms that they are in need. In addition, the clinics will periodically promote and hold larger-scale distribution events, called pop-up food pantries, during which boxes will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis to patients and members of the broader community. The next pop-up food pantry at the Hawley Practice, 103 Spruce St., is scheduled for noon to 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 25. Volunteers from The Wright Center will coordinate the event and dole out the boxes. For more information about The Wright Center’s pop-up food pantries, contact Holly Przasnyski, director of The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement, at przasnyskih@TheWrightCenter.org, or call 570-209-3275. Wayne County residents who utilize The Wright Center for Community Health North Pocono Practice, 260 Daleville Highway, Suite 103, Covington Township, are also eligible to receive county-provided food boxes. “We are so appreciative of commissioners Brian Smith, Jocelyn Cramer, and James Shook for seeing the value in using our Wright Center practices as distribution sites and for generously contributing via the county’s Food Pantry Program to enable us to provide this service to vulnerable individuals and their families,” said Holly Przasnyski, director of The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement. The Wright Center’s hunger-fighting initiative in Wayne County supplements the county’s existing Food Pantry Program, sponsored by the county government and coordinated by private citizens. The program distributes U.S. Department of Agriculture items and private food donations each month at five sites. “It is important to use funds wisely and target the need as best we can,” said Commissioner Cramer. “We are grateful that the Wright Center can help identify those that need this assistance and help them. No one with food insecurities can overcome health challenges, financial challenges, and employment challenges. We are grateful to the Wright Center for this extra support.” Through the new arrangement, The Wright Center will be able to offer extra support and convenience to families who are struggling to afford quality foods for their tables, Przasnyski said. She said that food assistance requests from under-resourced individuals, including senior citizens, have risen locally and nationally since May when the COVID-19 public health emergency declaration ended. Experts attribute the increased demand for food banks and related charitable programs to the federal government’s rollback of certain pandemic-era health and food benefits, such as emergency allotments to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). About one out of every 20 households receiving SNAP benefits experienced food insufficiency after this year’s discontinuation of emergency allotments, according to a study released in August by the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Elsewhere, researchers have previously done studies linking food insufficiency with poor health outcomes, identifying it as a potential contributor to chronic conditions such as heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. These and other health impacts that people experience due to certain social and economic conditions are a prime focus of Przasnyski and others involved with The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement, known as PCE. As a subsidiary of the nonprofit health center, PCE strives to help people in Northeast Pennsylvania overcome food insecurity and other non-medical issues that can affect their ability to focus on achieving and maintaining their maximum wellness. Those issues commonly include transportation barriers, lack of access to educational opportunities, homelessness, and poverty. In rural Wayne County, where transportation and other quality-of-life issues require broad-based solutions, county government leaders have for more than a decade been working in collaboration with residents to strengthen the county’s human services safety net and support a prosperous community. They created Wayne Tomorrow!, a planning initiative to guide the county’s development. The commissioners have encouraged The Wright Center’s involvement in Wayne Tomorrow!, welcoming input on task forces that address issues of mutual concern, such as how to assist residents who face transportation hurdles and how to implement solutions to the affordable housing crunch, Przasnyski said. “The Wayne County commissioners are very active in trying to address the needs of the county’s residents, including those who are economically disadvantaged,” said Przasnyski, a Wayne County resident. “Many of the things they are doing align with The Wright Center’s mission, so we are glad to partner with them on initiatives to improve the health and well-being of the population.” For information about The Wright Center for Community Health’s primary and preventive care services and locations, visit TheWrightCenter.org.
Citizens Savings Bank Hosting Holiday Collection Drive Citizens Savings Bank is collecting children’s coats in all sizes (new or gently used) along with new/unwrapped toys for Friends of the Poor in Scranton at all of its Lackawanna County branch locations from now through 12/8/2023. Lackawanna County branch locations include 538 S. State St., Clarks Summit; 156 South Main Ave.; Scranton, 702 Cedar Ave., Scranton; and 137 South Main Ave., Taylor.
The Wright Center Receives Grant from Robert H. Spitz Foundation The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement (PCE) was recently awarded an $8,000 grant from the Robert H. Spitz Foundation to help patients and community members alleviate financial pressures, which can help improve the overall health and well-being of regional communities. The grant will support a food donation program and transportation assistance to and from doctor appointments. Requests for help have increased sharply over the past few years. In 2021, The Wright Center for Community Health received 201 requests for help with food from community members in Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wayne counties. In 2022, those appeals rose to 743. Through May 2023, the organization has received 426 requests for food. The Wright Center received 2,156 requests for transportation help in 2022. Through May 2023, 1,351 community members have asked PCE for assistance. “Food and transportation insecurities make it hard for the patients to address their medical needs,” said Holly Przasnyski, director, The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement. “This grant provides us with the ability to address transportation and food needs for our patients, which allows them the ability to address their medical needs.” The Robert H. Spitz Foundation awards grants to registered nonprofit organizations that support initiatives and programs serving Lackawanna County and Northeast Pennsylvania. Among the foundation’s five priority areas are programs that break the cycle of poverty, veterans’ affairs and veteran-oriented programs, animal welfare, Jewish culture and cemeteries, and environmental projects. To date, the Robert H. Spitz Foundation has provided over $3.7 million in funding to the community. For more information about PCE, call 570-343-2383, Ext. 1444 or visit TheWrightCenter.org/ patient-and-community-engagement.
Tobyhanna Army Depot Equips Frontline Fighters Soldiers in the field have access to the latest Army technology, all thanks to Tobyhanna Army Depot. The organization is now the depot source of repair for the Integrated Air and Missile Battle Command System, or IBCS, a vital “supersystem” that consolidates several air and missile defense command and control functions into a single network. Its open infrastructure allows the integration of various functionalities, enabling Soldiers to consolidate and sort through information more quickly for sound decision-making. The launch of the IBCS represents a transformational strategy for the Army as it moves towards arming Soldiers for the multi-domain battlefield. While the system won’t fully transition to Tobyhanna until 2026, depot personnel are currently providing forward support to units with IBCSs – and recently provided emergency fabrication support to ensure field readiness for Soldiers. Earlier this year, several IBCSs were discovered to be inoperable at Forts Bliss and Cavazos because they lacked simple operational cables. The cables, used to power up environmental control units part of IBCS Engagement Operations Centers, were unavailable on the open market – leaving soldiers and the Integrated Fires Mission Command with few options. Upon hearing about the need for cabling, a specialty of the talented artisans at Tobyhanna, depot personnel jumped at the opportunity to assist. The Systems Integration and Support Directorate’s Preproduction & Development Branch worked closely with design engineers and logisticians to quickly create a prototype of the cable. Once the cable had passed through the necessary approval channels, the cables were produced in just five working days. From the first phone call to project completion, only 60 days passed — a cooperative feat Preproduction & Development Branch Chief Jesse Tutino and his team take great pride in. “We have a cohesive team here at Tobyhanna that allows us to overcome challenges to meet our customers’ requirements. For this project, we developed a strong team with the technical skills to provide one-off, quick turnaround, fabrication services with exceptional quality.” Two members of the quick reaction team were recognized for their efforts by Caleb Nabors, product manager, Integrated Fires Mission Command Hardware during a visit to the depot earlier this fall. Nabors presented Clyde Walts of the Systems Integration and Support Directorate and Matthew Check of the Production Engineering Directorate with ceremonial coins, honoring their outstanding support of the IBCS program. In addition to the emergency cable support, Tobyhanna has entered into a public-private partnership with Northrop Grumman to fabricate additional assemblies for the IBCS system. Joseph Lynn, a logistics management specialist in Tobyhanna’s Strategic Initiatives Office, says the unplanned project will undoubtedly lead to more workload for the depot. “Because we had the opportunity to showcase our responsiveness and capabilities before the mission ‘officially’ started, our partners are already looking to expand our involvement in the effort.” More than 440 IBCS assets will be supported through the lifetime of the sustainment program. Support for the IBCS is a critical part of warfighter readiness, and the mission directly aligns with Tobyhanna’s long-range strategic plan, TOBY2035, which has four focus areas: Investing in Our People, C5ISR Readiness, Shape the Future and Strategic Communications. TOBY2035 aims to posture the depot for success in the coming years as the Department of Defense’s premier worldwide C5ISR readiness provider.
HNB’s Sarah O’Hora Promoted to Commercial Loan Officer II Thomas E. Sheridan Jr., President and CEO of The Honesdale National Bank, announced Sarah O’Hora has been promoted to Commercial Loan Officer II. In making the statement, Sheridan noted, “Sarah has shown commitment to both our customers and entire community throughout her longstanding career at HNB.” He continued, “Her promotion is a result of her dedication and contributions to the strength of our Commercial Lending Team.” O’Hora is a graduate of Greencastle-Antrim High School and received a Bachelor of Science Degree (Cum Laude) from Millersville University in 2011. She also attended the PA Bankers School of Banking in 2015, and Leadership Northern Poconos Class of 2016, ABA Bank Marketing School Program in 2016, and PA Bankers School of Commercial Lending in 2023. Currently residing in Lake Arial, PA, she started her 12-year career in the financial industry with HNB. Previous positions included Teller, Customer Service Representative, Marketing Assistant, Marketing and Communications Specialist, and Commercial Loan Portfolio Manager, Commercial Loan Officer I, and she will continue her career as Commercial Loan Officer II. In this role, she is responsible for developing and managing commercial loan relationships, collecting and analyzing financial information, and negotiating terms for small business and other commercial loan applicants. In mentioning her time with HNB, O’Hora said, “My work at HNB has always allowed me to support those in my local community.” She continued, “As a commercial lender, I get to help local business owners reach goals, expand their growing businesses, and much more. I believe these business owners are the foundation on which our communities are built.” In her spare time, she is a Worship Director, Leader, and Partner at Wallenpaupack Church. She enjoys spending time with her family, golfing, pheasant hunting, target shooting, side-by side rides, and walks in the woods with their family dog, Nelli. The Honesdale National Bank, established in 1836, holds the distinction of being the area’s oldest independent community bank headquartered in Northeastern PA, with offices in Wayne, Pike, Susquehanna, Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties. The Honesdale National Bank offers personal banking, business banking and wealth solutions. For more information on HNB’s products and services, visit www.hnbbank.bank.
Chamber Member Vince Galko Named to PA “Fifty Over 50” One of Pennsylvania’s top government affairs strategists, Vincent Galko has over 25 years of experience with national, state and local political and issue-based campaigns.With Harrisburg-based Mercury Public Affairs, where he is senior vice president, Galko recently helped score state legislation that dramatically expands the commonwealth’s autonomous vehicle industry. He also successfully lobbied for refinements to the state’s remote work rules in the financial industry and for millions in state funding for clients, including Philadelphia’s University of the Arts.On the campaign side, Galko recently helped engineer election wins in Berks, Chester and Lehigh counties – where judicial candidates won both GOP and Democratic primary nominations – as well as races for Lackawanna County Commissioner and numerous local council and supervisor posts.Galko previously served as regional administrator for the U.S. Department of Education and as executive director of the Pennsylvania GOP. He has worked for multiple U.S. senators, members of Congress and Pennsylvania governors.He is a commissioner for America250PA, the commonwealth’s organizing effort for the United States’ 250th-anniversary celebration. Galko is also currently member of the University of Scranton Alumni Board, a board member of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, the NEPA Economic Alliance and an Adjunct Professor in Lackawanna College’s Business Department.
Wright Center Dr. Receives Ann Preston Women in Medicine Award The Pennsylvania Eastern Region Chapter of the American College of Physicians (ACP) has presented Dr. Erin McFadden, a board-certified internal medicine physician, deputy chief medical officer of The Wright Center for Community Health, and the medical director of The Wright Center’s Scranton Practice, with the Dr. Ann Preston Women in Medicine Award. Recognized as the world’s largest medical-specialty society, the ACP honored Dr. McFadden as part of its efforts to “recognize excellence and distinguished contributions to internal medicine.” Dr. McFadden accepted the award at the ACP’s Annual Scientific Meeting in Hershey, Pennsylvania, in November. Dr. McFadden joined The Wright Center on Jan. 1, 2020, after earning her medical degree at Temple University School of Medicine and completing her internal medicine residency training at The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education. She also serves as the dean of undergraduate medical and interprofessional education and is a core faculty member for The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Internal Medicine Residency. Dr. McFadden is also involved in The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Geriatric Fellowship program. In addition, she plays an integral role in developing the lifestyle medicine curriculum and serves as co-regional director of medical education for A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Mesa, Arizona. As the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, Dr. McFadden led an educational support and clinical coaching program with the University of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Penn State University, Temple University, Geisinger, and Allegheny Health Network to assist more than 400 personal care, assisted living, and skilled nursing facilities in Northeast Pennsylvania with pandemic care. She also led an outpatient infusion center at The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton Practice, providing monoclonal antibody treatment for patients with severe COVID-19. To watch her speak about her experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, visit bit.ly/3MHVtR7. The Women in Medicine Award was first awarded in 2019. It recognizes an ACP chapter member whose outstanding efforts and achievements have promoted career success, leadership, and overall quality of life for women in medicine, fostering tomorrow’s women leaders in medicine, according to the ACP. The award is named after medical pioneer Dr. Ann Preston, a lifelong Philadelphia resident in the first class of women who enrolled in the Female (later Women’s) Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1850. After the Board of Censors of the Philadelphia Medical Society effectively banned women physicians from the public teaching clinics of the city, she raised funds to start a new hospital where teaching could occur and opened The Women’s Hospital in 1858. She later created a nursing school and was named the first woman dean of the Women’s Medical College in 1866. The Wright Center for Community Health operates 10 primary and preventive care practices in Northeast Pennsylvania, including a mobile medical and dental unit. It treats individuals of all income levels and insurance statuses, including the underinsured and uninsured. No patient is turned away due to an inability to pay. For more information about the primary and preventive care services provided by The Wright Center for Community Health or the nearest location, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
Tobyhanna Army Depot Recognizes Jeffrey Compton When it comes to leadership, Tobyhanna Army Depot’s Personnel Management Division Chief Jeffrey Compton is always looking for ways he can grow his team so that they can achieve whatever career goals they have. For his dedication to the organization’s mission and his employees, Compton has recently been named TYAD’s latest Supervisor of the Quarter. Compton, who received the honor for the third quarter of 2023, has over 30 years of federal service under his belt. From February 1992 to August 2012, he served as a member of the United States Marine Corps. While serving, he took advantage of the Marine Corps Enlisted Commissioning Education Program which offered him the chance to go to a four-year college full-time, while maintaining active duty status and pay. Always having had an interest in accounting, he earned an accounting degree and then attended Naval Post-Graduate School to earn a Defense Industry focused MBA. Upon his retirement from the Marine Corps, Compton transitioned to providing Financial Management for the Headquarters Marine Corps Intelligence Department. Two years later, he returned to Northeastern Pennsylvania and took a job with the Federal Bureau of Prisons before joining Team Tobyhanna in December of 2017. In his nearly six years at TYAD, he worked as a member of the budget team and the Financial Analysis Division before moving into his current role as Chief of the Personnel Management Division (PMD). When the PMD team was faced with an unexpected challenge this year, Compton worked with leadership so that requirements were clearly communicated up and down the chain of command. Under his direction, he ensured the problem was solved in an expeditious manner by regularly going the extra mile despite any hurdles that blocked his team’s path. Compton strongly believes in the idea of working as a team. When the PMD was facing these challenges, he emphasized that it wasn’t just him that got the problem solved. It was the effort and support of an entire group coming together to collaboratively solve an issue. “I didn’t do anything. The team did everything,” said Compton. “They understand the diverse work that is done across the board to support each other in their work. It was really the team and the team’s dedication to come in and execute their programs that made everything work.” Compton continued to credit the team he works with, stating that he does what he can to encourage them to be leaders themselves. “Teams, a lot of times, are one-deep in what they do but every one of those teammates steps up and acknowledges that a lot of he programs they run affect the entire depot. I encourage them to take ownership of their programs and to execute their programs,” said Compton. “It is really the team that makes everything go. From a leadership perspective, it is very important to me personality-wise and my leadership style to be supportive of the teammate and to remove any hurdles that they may have from executing their work and getting everything done.” Director of Resource Management at TYAD Patricia Kratzer lauded Compton for his dedication to TYAD’s mission and willingness to make sure the job is always done right. “Jeff sets a great example to peers and subordinates by exhibiting dedication, integrity, and a strong work ethic,” said Kratzer. “He makes himself available and provides guidance to his team daily. He understands his significance to mission execution and takes his responsibility as Chief of PMD very seriously.” Emphasizing personal and professional development is a practice Compton leads with on a daily basis. He said he often challenges his team to ask their own questions, be confident in viewing problems from their own perspective, and to consider different perspectives and how would they change their response depending on that different view. He said he believes challenging open-ended questions helps people grow. “My goal in leadership is to help develop people and help them in their career as they progress through with whatever their goals, wishes, desires are,” said Compton. “I would not mind that my entire team gets promoted out to take on new opportunities. That turnover is a result of professional development and those folks becoming ready to take that next step, if they so choose.” Kratzer added that Compton ensures those working on his team are set up for success whether it is today or into the future. “Those around Jeff respect him and follow his lead. On numerous occasions, he held one on one discussions with several of his team members that required, and benefited from, additional coaching, reassurance, and direction,” said Kratzer. ”He also actively supported several TOBY2035 initiatives during the quarter that focused on people and readiness … and met with peers to discuss challenges and opportunities shared as means of leadership development.” The Supervisor of the Quarter award – and its companion Employee of the Quarter awards – are TOBY2035 initiatives aligned with the Invest in Our People line of effort. The plan, which has three additional focus areas, strives to position Tobyhanna for success in the coming years as the Department of Defense’s premier worldwide C5ISR readiness provider.
The Wright Center Welcomes Dr. Pannu Dr. Ajit Pannu, a family medicine physician, has joined The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton Practice, where he is accepting new patients of all ages. Dr. Pannu will also serve as associate program director and physician faculty in The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Regional Family Medicine Residency. He is a 2023 alumnus of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Regional Family Medicine Residency program. He had been its chief resident for resident advocacy, traveling to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C., to speak at various legislative meetings on behalf of his peers and the nation’s network of community health centers. Dr. Pannu earned his medical degree from the Aureus University School of Medicine, Oranjestad, Aruba, where he served for as vice president of its student body government. He completed his medical school clinical rotations in Atlanta, Georgia. Formerly of Vancouver, Canada, Dr. Pannu was a volunteer coach for the Vancouver Thunderbirds ice hockey program as well as a volunteer during the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic games. He is fluent in English and Punjabi and can also communicate in French and Hindi. The Wright Center for Community Health operates 10 primary and preventive care practices in Northeast Pennsylvania. It treats individuals of all income levels and insurance statuses, including the underinsured and uninsured. No patient is turned away due to an inability to pay. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Pannu at the Scranton Practice, 501 S. Washington Ave., go to TheWrightCenter.org to use the express online scheduling system or call 570.230-0019.
Urban Co-Works Opens Downtown Scranton Urban Co-Works is proud to announce the opening of its newest coworking space in Scranton, Pennsylvania, providing professionals and entrepreneurs with a dynamic and collaborative work environment. The coworking business is located at the newly renovated space at 116 North Washington Ave. With a focus on fostering a dynamic professional community, Urban Co-Works offers a range of amenities to meet the diverse needs of today’s workforce. The new Urban Co-Works in Scranton came together through a collaboration with Mayor Paige G. Cognetti and the City of Scranton, Charlie Jefferson, owner of 116 North Washington Ave, and Urban Co-Works. “Urban Co-Works will substantially contribute to downtown Scranton’s thriving business environment,” said Mayor Paige G. Cognetti. “The City is dedicated to revitalization, and their model of innovation, connectivity, and productivity directly supports that goal while transforming the modern working environment.” “We are excited to see months of hard work result in an incredible space for a growing company,” said Charlie Jefferson. “Urban Co-Works found opportunity in Downtown Scranton thanks to Mayor Cognetti and her economic development staff. They brought Jeff and his company to the downtown and got creative to make the project a reality. The downtown is a vibrant neighborhood with great places to eat and shop and now has the best coworking space in NEPA. It’s the right time for this idea in our town and Urban Co-Works is the perfect company to make it happen.” Jeffrey Goronkin, CEO of Urban Co-Works, expressed his excitement about the Scranton location: “Urban Co-Works is committed to providing a top-notch office environment that brings the business community together. We are thrilled to bring this unique coworking experience to Scranton, offering professionals the ideal space to thrive and succeed.” The Urban Co-Works ribbon cutting, officiated by Bob Durkin, The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce CEO, is scheduled for Friday at 4:00 pm with tours of the space and networking to follow. “Urban Co-Works, with a recognized record of success, is adding another asset to our already growing regional small business and remote worker economy. I am certain that this facility will prove to be a complement to the entrepreneurial ecosystem and programming established by the Chamber and our local universities.” KEY FEATURES AT URBAN CO-WORKS 57 Modern Offices: Urban Co-Works boasts 57 fully furnished offices, providing professionals with a private and comfortable workspace tailored to their needs. Training Room: The facility includes a dedicated training room equipped with large screen TV’s, erasable writing boards and other technology, ideal for workshops, seminars, and corporate training sessions. Multiple Meeting Spaces: Members have access to various meeting spaces designed for collaboration and brainstorming sessions, fostering a creative and productive atmosphere. Privacy Pods: For those moments when focus and concentration are paramount or to jump on a Zoom call, Urban Co-Works offers privacy pods, providing a quiet and distraction-free workspace. Expansive Coworking Space: The coworking space is equipped with 20 workstations with a modern adjacent kitchen, offering an open and flexible environment for individuals by day and networking events in the evening. Other amenities include high speed internet, a copy center and mail room, member-only networking events, coffee and tea, self-service snack station and more. MEMBERSHIPS Urban Co-Works offers a variety of memberships to accommodate the various needs of today’s workforce. Virtual Mailing: Ideal for remote professionals, this membership level provides a prestigious business address and mail handling services. Coworking: Access to shared workspaces on a part-time to full-time basis, allowing flexibility for those who need a professional environment without a long-term commitment. Private Offices: Fully furnished private offices provide professionals with a dedicated and personalized workspace on a month-to-month basis. Conference Room by the Hour: Need a professional meeting space? Urban Co-Works offers conference room rentals on an hourly basis, ensuring members have access to the facilities they need when they need them.
