Commonwealth Health Tips to Prevent Type-2 Diabetes

Over 30 million Americans have Type-2 diabetes. If left untreated or unmanaged, the disease can damage all aspects of the cardiovascular system, cause blindness, heart disease, loss of limbs and other serious conditions.

While Type-2 diabetes is most often diagnosed in adults 45 and older with a family history of the disease or in those who are overweight or obese, the condition is now becoming more prevalent in children, teens and young adults. Fortunately, there are small lifestyle changes and habits that can help prevent this chronic condition in people of all ages while also improving overall health.

As the most common type of diabetes, Type-2 diabetes is when the body creates too much insulin or resists it, which causes blood sugar levels to rise.

“The reality is that there is no cure for Type-2 diabetes, so taking steps to prevent this disease is your best course of action,” says Neda Danniel, M.D., family medicine physician with Commonwealth Health Physician Network.  “Even small changes in lifestyle like taking a daily walk or drinking water instead of juice can help ward off a diagnosis and make a big impact on your health.” 

Dr. Danniel suggests four ways to prevent Type-2 diabetes.

  • Manage weight and belly fat: Excess weight in the abdomen and obesity are main causes of Type-2 diabetes. Experts recommend maintaining a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 and a waistline of less than 35 inches for women and less than 40 inches for men.

  • Exercise regularly: Daily exercise can help avoid heart disease, reduce stress and Type-2 diabetes. The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise, like walking or biking, and two strength workouts each week.

  • Move more: Additional movement beyond exercise can also help keep off weight. Consider taking the stairs rather than an elevator or standing during work meetings to add more movement into daily life.

  • Eat fresh food: Avoid overly processed foods like chips, candy and deli meats, and focus on foods rich in fiber and nutrients like fruits, vegetables and lean protein.

Unfortunately, Type-2 diabetes could take years to develop and symptoms are often hard to detect. If you experience extreme fatigue, numbness or tingling in the hands or feet or blurred vision, it is important to get tested.

To learn more about preventing Type-2 diabetes, or to schedule a wellness exam, visit https://www.commonwealthhealth.net/.

Pennsylvania American Water Announces Pipe Project in Scranton

Pennsylvania American Water today announced a $6 million project to provide redundant drinking water supply from its Lake Scranton Water Treatment Plant to the city of Scranton.  The project, which is slated to begin in mid-August, involves rehabilitating an existing water line that runs through the East Mountain area of Scranton.

As part of the project, company contractors will be lining and reinforcing an existing 48-inch transmission line with high-density polyethylene pipe.  The transmission line was originally installed through East Mountain in 1908 to serve the city.  It was taken out of service in 2018 after a new transmission line was installed through the mountain. 

“The original cast-iron pipe served us for well over 100 years,” said Rich Dudek, project manager, Pennsylvania American Water.  “The second line was installed to provide redundancy should any repairs be needed on the original pipe, and now we are making these improvements to extend the service life of the water main and add resiliency and redundancy to our Scranton water system.” 

The project is expected to start in mid-August and be completed in the spring of 2024.  Customers’ water service will not be impacted by this work.

In preparation for the project, part of the walking path around the Lake Scranton reservoir will temporarily close to pedestrian traffic beginning Monday, July 31 as contractors begin delivering material and equipment for the project.  The walking path will be closed from the area where the path meets the roadway at the small stone bridge to the dam near the fishing pier.

The walking path will be closed as a safety precaution due to increased truck traffic on the roadway until August 4.  The path will be reopen Saturday, August 5.

For more information, contact Pennsylvania American Water’s customer service center at 1-800-565-7292.

RailRiders to Host Office Night

Calling all “The Office” lovers! Don’t miss Office Olympics Night at PNC Field on Saturday, August 12. 

The first 2,500 fans to enter the ballpark at 5 p.m. will receive an Oswald Peraza & Oswaldo Cabrera Dual Bobblehead Giveaway. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. against the rival Syracuse Mets. During the game, Kate Flannery will return to her Dunder Mifflin roots to meet with fans and sign autographs from 6 to 8 p.m. (*Timeframe subject to change.) You can even enjoy a Meredith Palmer adult beverage and themed games all night long. Stick around after the final out for post-game FIREWORKS to cap off an electric night by the Electric City! 

Greater Scranton YMCA and Ski Shack Present Healing Summer Vibes Event

As part of the Greater Scranton YMCA’s Wellbeing Initiative, the Y will host a Healing Summer Vibes wellness event in partnership with Ski Shack. The event will take place from 1:00-4:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 5th at Aylesworth Park in Jermyn.

At the event, attendees can participate in a variety of sessions including:

  • Forest Bathing Hike led by Melissa Roberts, owner of Ski Shack. Attendees will take a peaceful walk around the lake and will use all senses to experience what nature is around them.
  • Yoga led by Kailin Bouse. Experience a relaxing yoga class focused on inner balance and harmony. Practice breath aligned movements, calm your mind, and raise your vibration while surrounded by nature!
  • Floating Sound Healing Meditation led by Kailin Bouse. Attendees will float peacefully on the water during this unique guided meditation experience outdoors. During this meditative floating sound experience, attendees will be immersed in the healing sound waves of crystal singing bowls, gongs, chimes, rainsticks and more!
  • Jeannine Luby of Laugh to Live! leads laughter yoga, which does not use a yoga mat, nor require fitness clothes or the ability to touch your toes. She leads intentional laughter activities that include breathing, clapping, laughing and simple movements to enjoy multiple benefits that come from laughter, like improved mood, blood flow and lowered stress.

Please note, registration is required for the Floating Sound Healing portion of the event only. To register, click here.

“Prior to joining the Wellbeing Initiative, I worked in inpatient drug and alcohol/mental health for five years,” said Katie Moran, B.S., CAAP, Coordinator of Wellbeing Initiatives, Greater Scranton YMCA. “Every day, I saw people who had lost everything and hit rock bottom in their lives. It is gratifying to have the ability to carry out preventative work with all demographics and teach a social emotional learning curriculum with pre-school. This program has the power to bring people out of their houses, remove economic barriers, and provide the community with positive coping skills.”

In 2022, the Greater Scranton YMCA was awarded an approximate $1.836 million dollar grant through SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), made possible through Community Project Funding from Congressman Cartwright’s office, to support the YMCA’s Mental Health Substance and Use Disorder Treatment Services Programming, which includes wraparound services. The project is a collaborative effort between the Greater Scranton YMCA, Greater Wyoming Valley Area YMCA (which includes the Wilkes-Barre Family YMCA and Greater Pittston YMCA), Greater Carbondale YMCA and Wayne County YMCA.

Our Northeastern Pennsylvania YMCAs understand mental health and the risk for substance abuse are directly affected by limited resources, increased social isolation and extreme economic circumstances. The effects of the COVID-19 public health emergency are long-lasting and our collaborating YMCAs in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wayne Counties are working to make a profound impact on the mental health and substance abuse emergency we are facing.

Through the YMCA’s Wellbeing Initiative, YMCAs serve as safe, welcoming spaces for community members of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds – both YMCA members and non-members – to convene to grow stronger in mind, body and spirit.

For more information about the Healing Summer Vibes event or the Y’s Wellbeing Initiative, contact Katie at kmoran@gsymca.org or (570) 795-8955. More information can also be found online.

Outreach Call for Career Fair Volunteers

Outreach – Center for Community Resources will host its fourth annual Children’s Career Fair at Outreach, 431 North 7th Avenue, Scranton on Saturday, August 27, 2022, from 10 AM to 1 PM. 

Volunteers are needed for a variety of activities. Volunteers are needed from 9 am to 2 pm on the day of the event. Please consider becoming part of this community event.


It’s never too early for children to think about a career, and research shows that every experience of a child helps develop their understanding of the world. An innovative event that encourages parents and their young or elementary-aged children to engage in career exploration, the Outreach Children’s Career Fair provides an opportunity for children to interact with professionals from numerous businesses and career fields and then dream about what they want to be when they grow up! By introducing young children to potential career options early on in life, parents can keep children focused and engaged in academics throughout their school years, a building block needed to create a well-educated workforce, and help them understand their place in the world as productive, employed adults.

Children and parents will have the opportunity to explore over 30 careers through fun and interactive activities. Several local companies will also be offering information on current employment opportunities within their companies. The Outreach Children’s Career Fair is free and open to all families with children interested in interacting with businesses and exploring future career possibilities!

If interested in volunteering, please call Julie Chowanec at 570-558-7569 or email outreachworks@outreachworks.org

Steamtown National Historic Site Celebrates 107th Birthday

Celebrate the 107th birthday of the National Park Service with Steamtown National Historic Site on Saturday, August 26, 2023 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. In addition to free admission, there will be no cost to ride Steamtown’s short train rides.

Steamtown National Historic Site will commemorate the 107th birthday of the National Park Service with an opening prayer and performance from the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania. This special event will include live music from artists including the Ole 97 Johnny Cash and June Carter Tribute Band, crafts, activities, and feature community partners and National Park Service sites from the local area. Park programming will also be offered throughout the day, including our short train rides, tours of Mattes Street Tower, “Ring of Fire” demonstrations, handcar program with a park ranger, cab tours of the Canadian Pacific Railway No. 2317, demonstrations within the locomotive shop, and a Junior Ranger scavenger hunt activity.

Enacted August 25, 1916, the Organic Act established the National Park Service “…to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”

Plan Your Visit – Located in downtown Scranton, Pennsylvania, Steamtown NHS is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  The park entrance is located at the intersection of Cliff Street and Lackawanna Avenue in downtown Scranton. The physical address is: 350 Cliff Street, Scranton, PA 18503 (GPS: N 41.41, W 75.67). Stay informed by visiting www.nps.gov/stea or @SteamtownNHS on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. General park information is available by calling (570) 340-5203.

Celebrate National Health Center Week at The Wright Center

In observance of National Health Center Week, The Wright Center for Community Health will hold a series of special activities across the region including school backpack giveaways, a vaccine clinic, and a special flag-raising ceremony at its primary health care practice in Jermyn.

The weeklong celebration, from Aug. 6 to 12, helps to draw attention to the critical role that community health centers play in strengthening our nation’s health and well-being by delivering high-quality, affordable primary health care to underserved populations. This year’s theme is “The Roadmap to a Stronger America.”

The Wright Center is one of about 1,400 community health centers in the United States, which collectively serve about 30 million people annually. Community health centers represent the largest primary health care network in the nation. They deliver care to one in 11 people in the U.S., including one in three people who live in poverty, according to the National Association of Community Health Centers, organizer of National Health Center Week.

During its observance, The Wright Center will celebrate its health care providers, board members, stakeholders, staff and, most importantly, the more than 41,200 patients across Northeast Pennsylvania who turn to it for their primary health and preventive care needs.

The Wright Center operates 10 primary health and preventive care practices in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wayne counties, including a mobile medical and dental unit called Driving Better Health. Together, these clinical locations offer a safety net for the region’s residents, ensuring that everyone in The Wright Center’s five-county service area has access to integrated medical, dental, and behavioral health services, regardless of their insurance status, ZIP code, or ability to pay.

The Wright Center, like other community health centers across the nation, is a nonprofit, patient-governed organization that provides high-quality, comprehensive health care to rural and other medically underserved areas, treating all patients regardless of income or insurance status. More than 61% of The Wright Center’s patients fall at or below 200% of federal poverty guidelines, nearly 32% are insured through Medicaid or CHIP, and just over 18% are insured through Medicare.

As part of the weeklong celebration, The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley Practice, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn, will raise the newly designed Jermyn Borough flag at a ceremony beginning at 8:45 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 11. The flag, designed in 2019 by borough resident Amy Ryczak, features a green cross that honors Jermyn as the birthplace of first aid. Speakers at the event will include Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, and state Rep. Kyle Mullins, who represents Jermyn as part of the 112th Legislative District.

Other events planned at The Wright Center’s clinics and in the community for National Health Center Week include:

  • Tuesday, Aug. 8: Backpack giveaway, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., The Wright Center for Community Health Hawley Practice, 103 Spruce St., Hawley.
  • Wednesday, Aug. 9: Back-to-school vaccine clinic with Driving Better Health mobile medical and dental unit, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Hazleton Area High School, 1601 W. 23rd St., Hazle Township. Walk-ups are welcome upon vaccine availability, but appointments are preferred. Call 570-230-0019 to schedule an appointment.
  • Saturday, Aug. 12:  Backpack giveaway and children’s art activity, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., South Side Farmers Market, 526 Cedar Ave., Scranton.

For more information about The Wright Center for Community Health, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570.230.0019.