Misericordia University Honors Nursing Students Misericordia University proudly celebrated the accomplishments of the Misericordia University Nursing Department’s Part-Time Evening Class of 2024 during the Nursing Pinning and Poster Presentations earlier this month. The ceremony, steeped in tradition, included the time-honored pinning ritual symbolizing the graduates’ transition into the professional nursing field. Surrounded by faculty, family, and peers, the graduates received their pins, a testament to their dedication, resilience, and compassion. As the first BSN program in Northeastern PA, Misericordia University’s Nursing Department has been educating students in the field of nursing and serving the healthcare needs of the community for over 75 years. Misericordia continues this tradition today by offering a wide variety of programs including undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees.
The University of Scranton Held Christmas Gift Drive University of Scranton students, faculty, and staff participated in annual Christmas gift-giving programs organized by the Center for Service and Social Justice. Toys donated through the Giving Tree from students, staff, and faculty, as well as Scranton Baseball, the Psychology Club, and Performance Music’s Empty Stocking Concert, were collected and sorted by the Center for Service and Social Justice. The toys will be donated to the Gifts for Kids giveaway, a program with the Catherine McAuley Center, Friends of the Poor, the Salvation Army, and Catholic Social Services. The event will be hosted at the University’s Byron Recreation Complex on Dec. 15 and 16.
Wright Center Board Member Receives State Award Michael P. Curran, CEO of Commonwealth Health System’s Regional Hospital of Scranton and Moses Taylor Hospital and volunteer member of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Board of Directors, received a 2024 Impact Award from City & State Pennsylvania during an awards ceremony in Philadelphia. The multimedia news organization recognized Curran for nearly 25 years of transformative leadership in health services and his strategic emphasis on fostering strong public-private partnerships to build a pipeline of health care professionals within Northeast Pennsylvania communities. A standout initiative is Commonwealth Health System’s partnership with Jersey College to establish a School of Nursing on the Moses Taylor campus in Scranton. This project tackles Pennsylvania’s looming nursing shortage, which is expected to reach a deficit of 20,345 nurses by 2026, according to the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania. City & State Pennsylvania also highlighted how, as a volunteer board member at The Wright Center, Curran uses his expertise in workforce strategy to enhance partnerships between health care organizations and academic institutions. His efforts ensure that physician residency and fellowship programs are aligned with the region’s evolving health and social needs, helping to cultivate a sustainable, interprofessional health care workforce that is deeply connected to the communities they serve. “Michael’s leadership exemplifies the power of collaboration and strategic vision,” said Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. “His leadership work has strengthened health care delivery and medical education in Northeast Pennsylvania and paved the way for future generations of health care professionals. We are proud and honored to have him as a board member of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, where his expertise in workforce development continues to make a positive and lasting impact on our region.” Since becoming CEO in 2022, Curran led the successful merger of Regional and Moses Taylor hospitals, navigating complex regulations, fostering collaboration among physicians, staff, board members, and community partners, and uniting the hospitals’ 233 years of combined service under a single license. Moses Taylor is the region’s leader in obstetrics, gynecology, neonatal care, and senior mental health services, featuring Lackawanna County’s only Level III neonatal intensive care unit and state-of-the-art family birthing suites. Regional Hospital stands as a comprehensive acute care hub, excelling in medical, surgical, and cardiovascular specialties, with a nationally recognized Heart and Vascular Institute and the first in Pennsylvania to earn all four orthopedic certifications for hip fracture, and knee, hip, and shoulder replacement from The Joint Commission. Before joining Commonwealth Health, Curran served as system chief operating officer at Crozer Health, where he was key in developing an innovative neurosciences program that brought comprehensive stroke and brain surgery interventions to Delaware County for the first time. He also guided the integration of Prospect Medical Holdings into the Crozer-Keystone Health System, ensuring a smooth transition for the nonprofit, four-hospital system. He also served as president of Crozer-Chester Medical Center, a premier tertiary care teaching hospital in Delaware County, where he played a pivotal role in the hospital’s transformation, expanding specialty services like burn treatment, trauma services, and kidney transplant care. He received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a master’s in health administration from Cornell University. Headquartered in Scranton, The Wright Center’s growing network of community health centers in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, and Wyoming counties, including a mobile medical and dental unit called Driving Better Health, provides affordable, high-quality, nondiscriminatory, whole-person primary health services to everyone, regardless of age, ethnic background, ZIP code, insurance status, or ability to pay. No patient is turned away due to an inability to pay. Patients typically have the convenience of going to a single location to access integrated medical, dental, and behavioral health care, as well as community-based addiction treatment and recovery services. For more information, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019. The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education was established in 1976 as the Scranton-Temple Residency Program, a community-based internal medicine residency. Today, The Wright Center is one of the largest U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration-funded Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Safety-Net Consortiums in the nation. Together with consortium stakeholders, The Wright Center trains residents and fellows in a community-based, community-needs-responsive workforce development model to advance their shared mission to improve the health and welfare of communities through inclusive and responsive health services and the sustainable renewal of an inspired, competent workforce that is privileged to serve. The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s residency and fellowship programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. For more information, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-866-3017.
My Benefit Advisor: Creating Value in Employee Benefits In recent years, it has become apparent that the traditional principles pertaining to “value” in workplace benefits have changed. The reality that many employers have begun to embrace is twofold: Employees are not just workers, but real people, and A person’s job is a component of their life, not separate and distinct from it. As a result, employers have realized the need to deliver both value and purpose in their benefit portfolios. To do this, in face of the economic and business uncertainties facing them, organizations are strategically redirecting their benefit expenditures on things that matter most to their employees. They are seeking to understand what employees prefer and value, eliminating underutilized and less relevant benefits, while focusing on improving wellbeing outcomes in a cost-effective manner. Behind salary, most employees rate benefits, empathy and flexibility in their position responsibilities as most important when evaluating either their current job or future employment opportunities. As a result, employers are evaluating their benefit programs to assure they are properly designed to help keep employees feeling safe, protected and prepared for any health concerns that may arise. Additionally, business leaders continue to embrace flexibility both in the workplace and in the benefit programs offered to accommodate the needs of their staff. The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce offers its members access to My Benefit Advisor as a solution for employee benefits, including voluntary offerings. For more information about My Benefit Advisor, visit our website at gscc.mybenefitadvisor.com or contact Rob Higginbotham at (800) 377-3536. This e-mail is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient or have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender by replying to the sender. After notifying the sender of the error, you should immediately delete this e-mail from your system. Please be aware that any unauthorized disclosure, dissemination, distribution, duplication or use of the e-mail contents or any attachments therein is strictly prohibited.
Marywood University: Summer 2025 Sessions Begins in January Marywood University is opening registration for its summer courses in January, to give both Marywood students and visiting students an opportunity to review courses and plan ahead for summer during the holiday season. Registration for Marywood students begins during the week of January 6. Enrollment opens for all students, including visiting students, on January 9. Registration for each session is open up until the start date of that particular session. Marywood University currently offers three summer sessions for students at all levels of study, consisting of undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral courses and featuring online, hybrid, and on-site formats. Session dates include: Summer I (May 19 – June 28) Summer II (July 7 – August 17) Summer III (May 19 – August 16); this is an extended, primarily cohort-based term. “Summer courses are an important part of each student’s educational experience, providing options to get ahead, as well as to take, or even to retake, courses that they need to stay on track and improve their grade point average,” said Leslie Christianson, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs & Strategic Initiatives. “In the summer, students can focus exclusively on one or two classes at a time and mitigate the stress that can sometimes accompany the full course load of a regular semester.” Visiting students are welcome to enroll in summer classes at Marywood, whether for enrichment or for transfer to their home institution. Students who are planning to transfer from another institution to Marywood University in the fall can speak with their advisor about getting a head start on classes in the summer. To get more information on course subjects/listings, session dates, pricing, and more, visit: marywood.edu/summer.
Damage Control Hosts Emergency Preparedness & Disaster Planning Training We are please to announce the upcoming Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Planning Training and we would love for you to join us and share with anyone who may also benefit. Our presenters are: Rocco DiPietro, CSP Associate Vice President, Senior OHS Professional, Office Director Pennoni www.pennoni.com Jeff Skrilow, CR, WLS Damage Control, Inc. www.damagecontrolinc.com Please see attached flyer for training details. Training will be held at Damage Control, 342 Main Street, Eynon, Pa on Monday, 12/16 at 10am with lunch to follow. Please Click Here to Register!
AT&T Opens Connected Learning Center at Boys & Girls Clubs of NEPA in Scranton to Help Bridge the Digital Divide New dedicated learning center in Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeastern Pennsylvania will provide access to internet, technology, and digital learning resources for club members Key Takeaways: Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeastern Pennsylvania and AT&T open new Connected Learning Center to provide digital resources for club members AT&T contributed $100,000 to support the creation and operation of the center AT&T opened a new Connected Learning Center (CLC) inside the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeastern Pennsylvania in Scranton to provide internet access and high-quality educational tools to club members. AT&T made a $100,000 contribution to the club to help launch the center and for programming support. This Connected Learning Center is the first one in Pennsylvania. It offers free access to digital resources. In Scranton, the BGC used the funds to purchase 10 Chromebooks for use by students when visiting the club, with more to be added in the future. The club also procured desktops to help manage students’ participation in the many programs at the club. It also provides educational resources such as The Achievery, a free digital learning platform by AT&T, and free digital literacy courses in partnership with the Public Library Association. Homework help and mentoring are also provided by AT&T employees and community volunteers. “Our investment in the AT&T Connected Learning Center at the Boys and Girls Clubs in Scranton reflects our commitment to get more Americans connected and make an impact in the communities we serve,” said David Kerr, president, AT&T Pennsylvania and West Virginia. “The center will give club members access to internet connectivity, educational and mentoring resources to help them succeed in digital school and job environments.” AT&T also plans to bring its award-winning, high-speed fiber internet service to Northeastern Pennsylvania in the future. AT&T launched this center as part of the AT&T Connected Learning® initiative to help address the digital divide through internet accessibility, affordability, and safe adoption. AT&T is committing $5 billion to help 25 million people get and stay connected to the internet by 2030. “We are so appreciative of our relationship with AT&T and their investment in the children we serve at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeastern Pennsylvania,” said Tricia Thomas, executive director, Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeastern Pennsylvania. AT&T opens these centers within local nonprofit organizations that are already adept at supporting underserved populations within their community, including some of our nation’s most vulnerable students and families. The company plans to open at least 100 Connected Learning Centers across the country by the end of 2027. Learn more at att.com/connectedlearning.
Misericordia University Launches Course on Emergency Preparedness for Healthcare Organizations Misericordia University is proud to announce the launch of a groundbreaking course designed to equip future healthcare leaders with the skills and knowledge necessary to navigate emergencies effectively. This innovative program, Emergency Management for Healthcare Institutions, addresses the growing need for specialized training in disaster readiness and crisis management within the healthcare sector. This course also provides students with the necessary skills and knowledge to help their future employers comply with federal emergency preparedness requirements. “The healthcare industry faces unique challenges when preparing for and responding to emergencies,” said John R. Ash MHA, Ph.D., FACHE, Assistant Professor and Program Director for Healthcare Administration. “This course provides essential tools and strategies to ensure that healthcare organizations can deliver safe, effective care under the most challenging circumstances. Students earned multiple, national, certifications from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Center for Domestic Preparedness.” The course offers a comprehensive curriculum that integrates practical applications with the latest research in emergency management. Key topics include: Risk assessment and mitigation strategies specific to healthcare settings Developing and testing emergency response plans Crisis communication and coordination with public health agencies Managing resources during pandemics, natural disasters, and other emergencies Building resilience in healthcare teams and systems Fire Suppression Designed for healthcare administrators, clinicians, and emergency response professionals, the course combines expert-led lectures, hands-on simulations, and case studies from real-world events. Participants will gain actionable insights and practical skills to enhance their organization’s preparedness and response capabilities. The program aligns with Misericordia University’s commitment to fostering excellence in healthcare education and addressing critical industry needs. “Our goal is to empower healthcare professionals with the expertise to protect patients, staff, and communities during crises,” said Ash, a nationally certified Firefighter-Paramedic. Dr. Ash designed this course from the ground up by leveraging his 45 years of experience in public safety and using resources readily available from the federal government.
