Johnson College Now Enrolling Students in Forklift Operator Training Course Johnson College’s Continuing Education program is offering a Forklift Operator Training Course on Saturday, March 12, 2022, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.in the Diesel Truck Technology Center on the College’s campus in Scranton. The cost of the course is $200, but if you are a current Johnson College student or alumni the cost is only $100. Space is limited! Visit johnson.edu/continuingeducation or contact our Continuing Education team at 570-702-8979 or continuinged@johnson.edu to learn more and enroll. The forklift operator training is designed to familiarize students with OSHA Powered Industrial Truck Operator Training Requirements (29CFR Standard 1910.178 and ASME B56.1), provide current training requirements under the newly adopted standards, and assist participants in becoming an authorized operator of forklifts through theory and tactile testing. Nine hours of instruction including pre-operational inspection, picking up, traveling, and placing loads, parking procedures, refueling, and practical operation. For additional information on Johnson College, please call 1-800-2-WE-WORK, email enroll@johnson.edu, or visit Johnson.edu.
Keystone Mission Accredited by National Financial Accountability Organization The ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability) announced today the accreditation of Keystone Mission of Scranton, PA. ECFA accreditation is based on the ECFA Seven Standards of Responsible Stewardship™, including financial accountability, transparency, sound board governance, and ethical fundraising.Keystone Mission joins a growing number of Christ-centered churches and ministries across America, supported by over 14.6 million donors that have earned the right to display the ECFA seal. When an organization is accredited by ECFA, it demonstrates its willingness to follow the model of biblical accountability. “We are pleased to accredit a ministry committed to transform lives through relationships by the hope of the gospel,” said Michael Martin, president of ECFA. Founded in 2005, Keystone Mission (http://www.KeystoneMission.org) desires to be the Catalyst for the Community, to provide help and hope to the homeless, hungry, and hurting people in Northwest PA. Keystone Mission is growing in Northeast PA. From Mobile Outreach in Lackawanna and Luzerne county to Emergency Shelter, Code Blue, to the Day Center in Scranton and the opening of the 15-bed Transformation Center in Wilkes-Barr this spring—the men and women facing homelessness in NEPA can rely on us to provide them help and hope. “Being accredited by a national financial organization, like ECFA, only shows the NEPA community that Keystone Mission is committed to our mission in helping men and women who are experiencing homelessness, and to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” said Ryan Buchanan, Development Director. CEO & Executive Director, Justin Behrens says, “Keystone Mission is honored to have been accredited by the ECFA. I want our donors, volunteers, community partners, and the NEPA community to understand our level of commitment. My desire is to continue building the organizations relationships with Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties in order to provide the right services and resources.” To learn more about Keystone Mission and their stewardship opportunities, visit GiverConnect, ECFA’s newest online program, that connects giver’s hearts with trusted members.
The Wright Center Hometown Scholars Two Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education-endorsed students have been accepted into the collaborative Hometown Scholars program and will attend medical school at A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Mesa, Arizona (ATSU-SOMA). The Wright Center’s Hometown Scholars program, in partnership with ATSU-SOMA and the National Association of Community Health Centers, recruits future physicians, physician assistants and dentists from Northeast Pennsylvania that want to serve as aspirational examples for young people in the region who aspire to practice medicine and make an impact in a community health setting that provides patient-centered health care. The program helps regional high school and colleges students who are considering a career in medicine and want to serve their hometown communities as a clinician. Wright Center executives endorse the applications of qualified students who exemplify compassion, civic-mindedness and commitment to serving individuals with limited access to high-quality health care. Morgan Schermerhorn of Scranton will receive her Master in Public Health in epidemiology of chronic disease from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health in May after earning her undergraduate degree in biology from New York University. The Wright Center for Community Health’s mission to alleviate barriers to quality health care and to those most in need attracted the Scranton Preparatory School graduate to the novel program. “I am honored to be selected for the Hometown Scholars program,” said Schermerhorn, the daughter of Scott and Kara Schermerhorn. “My interest in medicine began at The Wright Center when I shadowed Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak (president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education). I was inspired by the personal dedication and professionalism of Dr. Thomas-Hemak with her patients. Dr. Thomas-Hemak provides a humanistic health care experience with her patients. “Personally observing this approach, I was drawn to the mission of the community health center – providing compassionate care to all members of the community, especially those who are most marginalized,” she added. Ceilia Severini of Scranton, a Scranton Preparatory School graduate, holds a Bachelor of Science in neuroscience from Bucknell University and a Master of Biomedical Sciences from Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. The daughter of Faith Severini believes the Hometown Scholars program and Wright Center’s mission coalesce with her aspirations as a future health care provider. “When I talked to Dr. Thomas-Hemak, I was intrigued by ATSU-SOMA’s unique approach to medical education,” said Severini. “I learn best from hands-on experience and feel that, though my years of education have helped me greatly in reaching this point, my experiences as a medical scribe, clinical coordinator and a standardized patient have contributed even more value. “I also want to improve access and care to those who are most marginalized in our communities. This is the ideal path for me to become a doctor as it aligns perfectly with my values and goals,” she added. The training and education hometown scholars receive at ATSU-SOMA is distinctive compared to other medical schools, as it intentionally brings students back to Northeast Pennsylvania to care for the underserved and rural communities. Medical students in the ATSU-SOMA program are assigned to one of 16 select community health center partner sites across the country and introduced to the clinical setting earlier than traditional medical schools. Wright Center hometown scholars return to the region during their second year of graduate medical school and begin rotating at clinical sites with preceptors while continuing their academic education through in-classroom and distance-education experiences. The students begin their studies at ATSU-SOMA in July. Other Wright Center-endorsed Hometown Scholars included Grace McGrath of Dunmore and Moriah Bartolai of Pittston. For more information about The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
Marywood University’s School of Business and Global Innovation to Hold Virtual Information Session Marywood University’s School of Business & Global Innovation (SBGI) will hold a free, virtual information session for prospective students and their parents on Thursday, March 3, 2022, at 7 p.m. To register, visit admissions.marywood.edu/register/business22. Registrants will receive the virtual meeting ID and pin prior to the event. Current students and business faculty will join the meeting to answer questions and provide information about the School of Business curriculum. Marywood University’s SBGI is committed to improving the world by enabling students to acquire and develop their leadership competencies to meet the dynamic challenges of a knowledge-based global society and by nurturing values conducive to ethical and socially responsible behavior. For additional information about Marywood University’s School of Business and Global Innovation Virtual Information Session, please visit admissions.marywood.edu/register/business22, or contact Amy Washo, M.B.A., Ph.D., instructor in the SBGI, at awasho@marywood.edu.
Our Town Series on WVIA to Focus on Lewisburg The city of Lewisburg in Union County will be featured in WVIA’s “Our Town” series. “Our Town Lewisburg” will be a “day-in-the-life” one-hour video scrapbook focusing on the people, places, and happenings of Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, as seen through the eyes of its residents. Lewisburg residents are invited to attend the first “Our Town Lewisburg” community/volunteer meeting, Thursday, February 10th at 6:30 p.m. at Community Partnerships at 328 Market Street, Lewisburg PA, 17837. Residents will discuss which landmarks, events, and local stories the program should tell about their town. WVIA will answer questions about the project during the meeting and ask volunteers to brainstorm a list of subjects and events to videotape. On Thursday, February 17th at 6:30 p.m. WVIA will hold a second community/volunteer meeting at Community Partnerships. During this meeting volunteers will participate in a whiteboard session to determine the stories to be told in the program and which stories each volunteer will videotape to create “Our Town Lewisburg.” WVIA hopes to recruit 20 to 25 area residents with personal camcorders. If needed, the snow date for the meeting will be on Thursday, February 24th at 6:30 p.m. Following safety protocol, attendees will be required to wear masks at each meeting. Anyone interested in being a videographer and/or storyteller for the program should contact VIA “Our Town” producer, Lisa Mazzarella, at 570-602-1164 or by e-mailing lisamazzarella@wvia.org. “Our Town Lewisburg” will debut in June 2022 on WVIA TV. For more information on the “Our Town” series, visit http://www.wvia.org/television/documentaries/our-town-series/. As the public television station serving northeastern and central Pennsylvania, the “Our Town” project was initiated in an effort to involve the communities and their residents with WVIA. The “Our Town” series is intended to treat viewers to the many personalities, perspectives, and possibilities that local towns have to offer.
Geisinger Completes First Phase of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Scranton Geisinger Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Scranton opens Monday, Feb. 7, in the Marketplace at Steamtown, making better health easier for patients and members in the area by consolidating and expanding services at one easy-to-reach downtown location. Patients of all ages will find the most comprehensive spectrum of services for bone, muscle and joint conditions — including arthritis, sports injuries, back pain, wound care and fractures — in Lackawanna County. With a focus on convenience and patient experience, the facility will offer expanded orthopaedic urgent care so patients can avoid the emergency room for sprains, strains and minor injuries. When complete, Geisinger Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Scranton will be Lackawanna County’s largest bone, muscle and joint-focused facility of its kind and occupy 83,000 square feet inside the marketplace — triple the space of the former location at West Olive Street. The project’s second phase, expected to be complete in late 2022, brings additional programs in physical medicine & rehabilitation, as well as patient-tailored therapy solutions. Market research shows the population of Lackawanna County residents 65 and older continues to grow, driving an increased demand for orthopaedic services through 2024. “Geisinger Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Scranton will provide all the world-class bone, muscle and joint outpatient services our community needs under one roof,” said Michael Suk, M.D., J.D., chair of Geisinger’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. “Our highly specialized team brings a personalized approach and the latest technology to treating each joint condition, sports injury or spinal disorder.” More patient-friendly features include abundant parking and access to several bus routes, along with proximity to Geisinger Community Medical Center. There, people can continue receiving surgical care with technologies only Geisinger provides in its service area, such as Mako® robotic-arm-assisted joint replacement. “We’re committed to contributing to a healthier, more vibrant Lackawanna County by providing the orthopaedic and sports medicine services our patients and members need close to home,” said Suk. “Geisinger has served northeastern Pennsylvania for decades, and our new facility at the Marketplace at Steamtown furthers our commitment to better health for this community.”
Samantha Maloney Joins Sweda Advertising as Social Media Director Samantha (Sam) Maloney began collaborating with Sweda Advertising in 2019 and started as its Social Media Director in 2022. As Social Media Director, Sam will develop compelling social media campaigns that include public relations and outreach strategies, advertising, and community partnerships. Established in 2004, Sweda Advertising is an award-winning full-service agency that provides professional services to some of the region’s most respected businesses, organizations, institutions, and elected officials. Sam Maloney hails from Utah, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from the University of Utah and enlisted in the United States Army. She continued her studies at Catholic University, Columbus School of Law in Washington DC, where she earned a JD and received a commission into the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. She was assigned to the XVIII Airborne Corps at Ft. Bragg where she regularly jumped out of planes. After receiving her honorable discharge, she moved to New York City and became an Assistant Prosecutor in the Hudson County Prosecutors Office, in Jersey City, NJ, prosecuting Special Victims Unit cases. In 2010, she moved to Scranton and became engaged in advocating for her community through various nonprofits and political campaigns, most notably Women’s Whistle Stop, Women in Philanthropy, the League of Women Voters, and Friends of Lackawanna. She resides in Scranton with her husband Tim and their four fun-loving children.
The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Official Earns Certification Dr. Jumee Barooah, The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s designated institutional official and a primary care physician, recently earned board certification in lifestyle medicine – an approach that uses small lifestyle changes to treat and potentially reverse chronic disease and prevent illness. One of the fastest growing fields of medicine, lifestyle medicine differs from mainstream medical approaches by emphasizing non-pharmaceutical, non-invasive treatments such as wellness, resiliency, movement and a nutritious diet. Patients are empowered to take their well-being into their own hands by making improvements through manageable changes in daily activities. The Wright Center introduced a lifestyle medicine service line in 2020 to address community needs in Northeast Pennsylvania, including the prevalence of diabetes and hypertension. The Wright Center also wove lifestyle medicine into the curriculum of its graduate medical education programs, aiming to appropriately prepare the next generation of physicians to spare patients the needless suffering and expense of certain serious, long-term illnesses. Chronic disease is responsible for up to 80% of all health care expenditure, yet most health professionals typically treat chronic disease the same way they treat communicable disease: with pills and injections. By contrast, lifestyle medicine encourages physicians to focus on the so-called pillars of health: nutrition, exercise, rest and social connectivity, according to the California-based American Board of Lifestyle Medicine (ABLM). At The Wright Center, the lifestyle medicine curriculum will prepare health care providers to complete a thorough patient assessment of current health habits and then introduce individualized treatment plans based on specific risk factors. A Wright Center dietitian, for example, is available to meet individually with patients to develop plans for weight management. “Now seemed like the right time to become certified because of the health care needs of our patients and community and our new lifestyle medicine curriculum,” said Barooah, who received her certification from ABLM. “One common theme in every primary care visit with patients is preventive medicine. I thought I could contribute more to my patients and my resident and fellow physicians by becoming certified.” Lifestyle medicine represents her fourth board certification. Barooah also is certified in internal, addiction and obesity medicine. She sees patients at The Wright Center’s Mid Valley Practice in Jermyn and the Scranton Practice. For more information or to schedule an appointment at The Wright Center for Community Health’s Mid Valley Practice, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
The Ritz to Host Performance In Celebration of Black History Month The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s comes to life in the three-time Tony award-winning musical revue, Ain’t Misbehavin’. Join five performers on a journey through the timeless music of Thomas “Fats” Waller. You’ll be jumpin’ and jivin’ with memorable songs such as “Honeysuckle Rose”, “Ain’t Misbehavin’”, “Black and Blue”, “This Joint is Jumpin’ ” and “I’ve Got a Feeling I’m Falling.” One of the most popular, well-crafted revues of all time, the sometimes sassy, sometimes sultry, has moments of devastating beauty that is simply unforgettable. This Joint will certainly be Jumpin’ in celebration of Black History Month. TICKET INFORMATION: RESERVED SEATING $20: Rows D, E, F, H, Jhttps://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/60615 GENERAL SEATING $15: All other seats in the theaterhttps://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/60617 Tickets are also available at the Box Office in the lobby an hour before curtain. Any questions about the seating chart on ShowTix4U, please contact us at RitzPAC.Scranton@gmail.com. All sales are final. No refunds or exchanges. Tickets are also available at the Box Office in the lobby an hour before curtain. There is a Chairlift in the Ritz building for handicapped patrons. If you need reserved handicapped seating, please email us at RitzPAC.Scranton@gmail.com to reserve your tickets in lieu of using ShowTix4U.com ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:Masks must be worn in the Ritz building.The Black Box Cafe will be open an hour before curtain. Concessions, snacks & drinks from the Black Box Cafe only are allowed in the theater. House opens 30 minutes before curtain. Please contact us at RitzPAC.Scranton@gmail.com or 570-252-4156 with any questions.
Johnson College PA State Vehicle Safety Inspectors Course Enrollment Open Johnson College’s Continuing Education Program is enrolling students in its next on-campus Pennsylvania State Vehicle Safety Inspectors course. Classes will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. starting March 15, 2022, through March 24, 2022, with hands-on testing beginning on Monday, March 28, 2022. To learn more or enroll, contact the Continuing Education Department at 570-702-8979 or continuinged@johnson.edu. The total cost of the course is $200 for cars and light trucks. There is an additional $75 fee for other vehicle categories. The Pennsylvania State Vehicle Safety Inspection course requirements include 12 classroom hours, a written test, and a two-hour tactile test scheduled independently with the instructor. Students must complete all requirements before receiving certification from PennDOT. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis according to the payment date. Class size is limited to 20 students, so participants are encouraged to register early. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and have a valid operator’s license for each class of vehicle they intend to inspect. Classes will be held in the Automotive Center of Weaver Hall on the Johnson College campus in Scranton, PA. For additional information on Johnson College, please call 1-800-2-WE-WORK, email enroll@johnson.edu, or visit Johnson.edu.
