The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Resident Appointed as AMA Delegate Dr. Urvashi “Urvi” Pandit, a resident physician in The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s National Family Medicine Residency Program, was appointed to represent the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) as a delegate to the American Medical Association (AMA) Medical Resident Section. Dr. Pandit, who is completing the third and final year of her residency at Unity Health Care in Washington, D.C., will serve in this role through Sept. 30, 2025. During that time, she will work with members of the AAFP staff and attend the AMA Interim Meeting in November in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, and the annual meeting of the AMA House of Delegates in June in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Pandit was inspired to apply for the position after attending the AMA Annual Meeting in June 2024 as a resident representative of the Medical Society of the District of Columbia, where she now also serves as co-chair of the Early Career Physicians Section. “I look forward to serving as the collective voice of family medicine residents and advocating for the specialty in this new role,” she said. “I am applying for a postgraduate fellowship in health policy and plan to use my training in a teaching health center and public health and research, and my experiences at the AMA to help inform any future work I may do in the graduate medical education space and, more broadly, in advocating for primary care.” Her appointment was recommended by the AAFP Commission on Education and confirmed by the Board of Directors. AAFP’s mission is to improve the health of patients, families, and communities by serving members’ needs with professionalism and creativity. “The faculty and I are very proud of Dr. Pandit for stepping into a national leadership role to represent family medicine and her resident colleagues at the American Medical Association,” said Dr. Lawrence LeBeau, program director of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s National Family Medicine Residency Program. “It’s another great example of how our residents are fulfilling the mission of The Wright Center and our National Family Medicine Residency Program by being strong advocates for their profession and the communities they serve.”
Scranton Counseling Center Receives Grant Scranton Counseling Center (SCC) has been awarded a $300,000, 3-year grant from the Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation, in collaboration with the Moses Taylor Foundation and AllOne Foundation and Charities. This grant will support the expansion of SCC’s Employee Assistance Program, providing counseling to our direct-service staff as well as focusing on physical wellness, mindfulness and professional training for non-direct service staff. With over 260 employees, Scranton Counseling Center serves over 9,000 consumers in Lackawanna, Susquehanna and surrounding counties each year. Staff often suffer from compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma and burnout. It is our goal with this grant to provide the tools necessary for all staff to live healthier lives, reduce stress and burnout, and have the opportunity to grow through attending in-house seminars. We are very thankful for the NEPA Health Care Foundation for recognizing the importance of providing employee mental and behavioral health services and for this grant which will allow us to impact the lives of all our staff.
Geisinger Health Plan announces Medicare Advantage plans for 2025 Seniors have until Dec. 7 to sign up for a plan that helps fill coverage gaps Geisinger Health Plan announced its Geisinger Gold Medicare Advantage plans for 2025 include benefits designed to make better health easier for its members with premiums starting as low as $0 per month. “Health care should be at the top of everyone’s mind — especially seniors,” said Kurt Wrobel, Geisinger Health Plan president. “Now is the time for older adults to review their Medicare coverage plans for 2025. Everyone’s health looks different, which is why Geisinger Gold offers plans that fill the gaps that might be missing in their current coverage. People can live healthier lives when they have access to extra services and programs that make managing health easier and more affordable.” The Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) begins Oct. 15 and goes through Dec. 7, providing a seven-week window for eligible seniors to evaluate and enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan for 2025. Medicare Advantage plans help older adults fill health care gaps that traditional Medicare does not cover, such as vision, dental, prescription benefits and long-term care. As an added perk, all Geisinger Gold plan members can join Geisinger 65 Forward, a program that delivers concierge care focused on older adults. At a 65 Forward Health Center, members enjoy: Same-day appointments to see the doctor faster Longer 1:1 time with the doctor Social and educational activities A personal wellness plan, including state-of-the-art fitness equipment, exercise classes and wellness coordinators Access to mental health resources, including therapists and online tools Geisinger’s program data indicates participation in programs like 65 Forward lowers emergency room visits by 40% and lowers inpatient admissions by 15%. Click here to learn more about Geisinger’s Medicare Advantage health plans.
Haunt at the Hive Returns to Mohegan Pennsylvania Spooky Halloween party set to take over The Hive Taphouse and Embers Terrace on Thursday, October 31st WILKES-BARRE, PA (October 1, 2024) – Guests looking for Halloween plans can look no further than joining Mohegan Pennsylvania for Haunt at the Hive. On Thursday, October 31st at 8:00pm, The Hive Taphouse and Embers Terrace will be transformed into the best Halloween Party in Northeast Pennsylvania, featuring food & beverage specials, live entertainment and a spooky good time. All are welcome to dress in their best Halloween costume, and those who dare to be bold are encouraged to enter in the costume contest. There are three categories – “Scariest,” “Most Original” and “Couple or Group” – and the first-place winner in each category will win a $250 Mohegan Pennsylvania gift card! Costume photos will be taken upon registration, and winners will be announced at 11:00pm. From 8:00pm – 11:30pm, The Hive Taphouse and Embers Terrace will feature can’t-miss live entertainment. Over at The Hive Taphouse, Hoopla Band Lite will perform the best selection of music that promises to keep the good times rolling. The River 105 and 103.5’s DJ Tommy will be providing guests with an electric atmosphere over at Embers Terrace. All guests must be 21 or older with valid ID to attend Haunt at the Hive. Costumes are not required; masks and full-face paint are only allowed in the event spaces.
The University of Scranton’s Henry George Lecture to be Delivered by Marc Melitz Marc Melitz, Ph.D., the David A. Wells Professor of Political Economy at Harvard University, will deliver The University of Scranton’s fall 2024 Henry George Lecture titled “Global Production and Innovation Networks: Consequences for Trade and Industrial Policy.” The lecture will take place Thursday, Oct. 24, at 7:30 p.m. in the McIlhenny Ballroom of the DeNaples Center on campus. Dr. Melitz’s primary research interests are in international trade and investment. Theories which he introduced in 2003, now called the “Melitz model,” have been widely adapted by economists. Melitz’s theory holds that only the largest and strongest companies in an industry engage in international trade because of the significant resources required to conduct business in foreign markets. Dr. Melitz’s research has been published in several of the leading economics journals, including the American Economic Review, the Journal of International Economics, The Review of Economic Studies, the Journal of Political Economy, The Review of Economics and Statistics and the Journal of Economic Perspectives. He is a co-author, with Paul Krugman and Maury Obstfeld, of the textbook International Economics: Theory and Policy. A fellow of the Econometric Society, Dr. Melitz is affiliated with the National Bureau of Economic Research, the Centre for Economic Policy Research and the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. His research has been funded by the Sloan Foundation and the National Science Foundation. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Science in 2017. In 2008, the Economist magazine named him among the best of a new generation of economists. Dr. Melitz has been a professor in the Economics Department at Harvard University since 2009. Previously he was professor of economics and international affairs in the Department of Economics and the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University from 2007 to 2009. Dr. Melitz served as an associate editor of the American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, from 2007 to 2010, the foreign editor of The Review of Economic Studies from 2007 to 2010, an associate editor of the Journal of International Economics from 2005 to 2011 and an associate editor of the Economic Journal from 2004 to 2008. Dr. Melitz received a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Michigan. He received a bachelor’s degree from Haverford College and a master’s degree from the Robert Smith School of Business of the University of Maryland. Considered the preeminent public lecture series on economics in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the Henry George Lecture Series is presented by the University’s Department of Economics, Finance and International Business and the campus chapter of Omicron Delta Epsilon, an international honor society for economics. Among the distinguished list of speakers who have spoken at previous lectures are eleven winners of the Nobel Prize in Economics: David Card (2021) Paul Romer (2018), Robert Shiller (2013), Tom Sargent (2011), Peter Diamond (2010), Paul Krugman (2008), Joseph Stiglitz (2001), George Akerlof (2001), Amartya Sen (1998), Robert Lucas (1995) and Robert Solow (1987). The lecture series is named in honor of the 19th century American economist and social reformer and is supported financially by a grant from the Robert Schalkenbach Foundation. The Henry George Lecture is presented free of charge and is open to the public. For more information, call 570-941-4048 or email janice.mecadon@scranton.edu.
Johnson College to Host Fall Open House Johnson College Hazleton will hold its Fall Open House on Thursday, October 17, 2024, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the CAN DO Training Center located inside the Humboldt Industrial Park at 370 Maplewood Drive in Hazle Township. To register for the Open House, visit Johnson.edu/hazletonopenhouse or contact Johnson College’s Enrollment Department at 570-702-8856 or enroll@johnson.edu. The Open House will include discussions about the admissions process, information about financial aid for those who qualify, and student services such as student life, student support, and career services. Plus, same-day acceptance will be available for many programs if students bring their high school or college transcripts. Tours of each technical area will be conducted and program directors and instructors will be available to review the specifics of their programs.
Geisinger’s Pediatric Neurologist Recognized for Patient Advocate Award Anne Marie Morse, DO, director of pediatric neurology and pediatric sleep medicine at Geisinger Janet Weis Children’s Hospital, was recognized with the Patient Advocate Award by the organization Wake Up Narcolepsy. The award is given to individuals who have touched the lives of patients living with narcolepsy and other rare sleep disorders and who have set a high benchmark for their unwavering commitment to patient partnership and advocacy for health and well-being of children and adults living with narcolepsy. Dr. Morse is passionate about the need for transformational healthcare change that empowers the patient and delivers on achieving outcomes that the patient values. She executes on this belief using channels within the healthcare system and through research, but also via social media platforms, public appearances and patient interactions and partnerships. “My commitment and mission for healthcare progress starts and ends with the person on their own healthcare journey. Every effort is centered on empowering people living with any chronic disease, but especially those living with narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia,” Dr. Morse said. “My intention is to augment understanding, awareness and knowledge, while combating stigma about sleep disorders. And finally, I want to advance care through personalized treatment that allows every patient to live fully despite a chronic medical condition trying to limit them.” Dr. Morse has been the director of pediatric neurology since 2018 and has grown the department from 5 providers to 15 to serve more families throughout the region. She also created and is the director of the Department of Pediatric Sleep Medicine and is the program director for the child neurology residency program. Her commitment to growth and development extends into the community. She founded with her pediatric residents a program called LEAP (Launching the Empowerment of Adolscents Program), with a mission to provide social support and decrease stigma for teens living with a chronic disease. She created a school-based program called Wake Up and Learn that empowers teens, families and schools to learn about using sleep as a tool for wellness, health and performance and helps identify teens struggling with sleep wake difficulties. The program has been a success in many central Pennslyvania middle and high schools. She replicated this success with the development of Sleep to Be Well, a-first-in-the-country program that educates people about sleep as a resource for better health. Morse received the award during Wake Up Narcolepsy’s Shadows to Light Gala held in New York City on Sept. 20. Wake Up Narcolepsy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to driving narcolepsy awareness, education and research toward improved treatments and finding a cure.
Maternal and Family Health Services to Host Community Luncheon Celebrating Leaders MFHS is happy to announce the 2024 Annual Community Luncheon, scheduled for October 29th at The Banks Waterfront in Pittston. Please join as they honor First Lady Lori Shapiro and Second Lady Blayre Davis with the 2024 Outstanding Public Service Award. MFHS President and CEO Maria Montoro Edwards will engage in a generative conversation with our honorees, focused on their commitment to improving women’s health in the Commonwealth. Tickets are $65 per person, or $500 for a table of 8. RSVP by Wednesday, October 16th to reserve your seat. Program advertising opportunities are also available.
Dave and Boo-ster’s – Halloween Fun Awaits Stop in for a spell and throw your witch’s hat in the ring to win a FREE year of game play in the Dave and Boo-ster’s costume contest or rack up a scary good haul with in-store trick-or-treating. You’ll also find festive movies and music, boo-tiful crafts, and more tricks and treats! In addition, the first 25 guests to purchase tickets get a FREE swag bag?
