Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre Opens New Cardiology Clinic

Geisinger has opened a new cardiology clinic on the campus of Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre to make heart-care services more accessible to the community and better health easier for patients in northeastern Pennsylvania.

The newly renovated space at 50 Roosevelt Terrace offers pediatric and adult cardiology services, providing care for adult patients with congenital heart disease, and featuring noninvasive diagnostics like echocardiography and electrocardiography. Pediatric spaces were specifically designed to calm the youngest congenital-heart patients.

Staffed daily with cardiologists, advanced practitioners, sonographers and technicians to accommodate both pediatric and adult patients, the refinished clinic features a new echocardiography bed, electrocardiography (ECG or EKG) machine, and high-end blanketwarming
cabinet.

“We know patients have wanted a cardiology practice to come back to the South Wilkes-Barre community for some time, and we wanted to provide that service again,” said Kelly Austin, RN,
operations manager for the clinic. “This practice will increase appointments available to cardiology patients in Luzerne County and bring cardiology services closer to home for patients in or near South Wilkes-Barre.”

Pediatric cardiologist Dr. Karen Lurito will lead pediatric cardiology services at the clinic, and she is passionate about expanding heart care in the northeast.

“In one place, you get a full spectrum of care. We have the ability to treat children with cardiovascular disease and continue that specialized care as they mature,” Lurito said, noting the importance of lifelong care for the growing number of patients who now live longer with congenital heart disease due to advancements in treatment.

Patients who need additional heart-care services can take advantage of the robust cardiology and congenital heart disease programs at Geisinger. For example, services in interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, cardiac surgery, pediatric stress testing and metabolic stress testing are all available in the northeast at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center. And pediatric and congenital heart surgery services are offered at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville.

Systemwide, the congenital heart team has been strengthened recently with the addition of a surgeon with 30 years of experience to lead pediatric and adult congenital heart surgery and a certified registered nurse practitioner well-versed in building adult congenital heart disease programs. The team also features cardiologists who have achieved Adult Congenital Heart Disease board certification and can care for patients throughout their lives.

Care even extends to the maternal and fetal medicine clinic, where pediatric cardiologists will do echocardiography on fetuses.

“We will care for you from your prenatal days all the way through adulthood,” Lurito said.

Johnson College Offers Free College Readiness for STEM Occupations Program

Johnson College is offering a free eight-week College Readiness for STEM Occupations program for teenagers ages 14 to 18 years old, from low-income families, who live in Lackawanna County. The program starts Wednesday, April 21, 2021, and continues every Wednesday and Thursday from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. for eight-weeks. The program includes dinner for students and transportation between Scranton High School and the Johnson College campus if needed. For eligibility requirements and to register, contact Dr. Kellyn Williams, Johnson College’s Chief Academic Officer at knolan@johnson.edu or 570-702-8940. This program is supported by a grant from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

The College Readiness for STEM Occupations program includes presentations and hands-on discovery activities designed to increase awareness of career opportunities in the STEM workforce and to improve college-readiness skills. Participants are evaluated throughout the program based on attendance and discussion. The program will:

  • Increase awareness of STEM-related occupations.
  • Increase awareness of two-year options for post-secondary education.
  • Designed for all students, not just those who will pursue post-secondary education or careers in STEM or STEM-related fields.
  • Develop skills necessary for success in college and career.
  • Increase student potential for academic and personal success through knowledge of campus resources.

Students who complete the program with at least 80% attendance will receive college credit (a $550 value). To qualify for the college credit, students will be required to sign-in at each session to verify attendance.

For additional information on Johnson College, please call 1-800-2-WE-WORK, email enroll@johnson.edu, or visit Johnson.edu.

The Wright Center for Community Health Names Two New Practice Managers

The Wright Center for Community Health recently promoted two longtime clinical employees to the leadership roles of Practice Managers.

Kimeth Robinson will lead The Wright Center’s Kingston Practice at 2 Sharpe Street. A graduate of McCann School of Business, Robinson joined The Wright Center in 2016 as a medical assistant. She most recently served as medical scribe for Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, President/CEO of The Wright Center, and as Co-Manager of Medical Assistants, responsible for monitoring patient care quality and coordination as well as daily oversight of all medical assistants on staff. Robinson resides in Peckville.

Mary Georgetti will lead The Wright Center’s Wilkes-Barre Practice located inside the Children’s Service Center building at 335 South Franklin Street. A Wyoming Valley West High School graduate, Georgetti joined The Wright Center in 2011 as an administrative assistant. She most recently served as a practice coordinator for The Wright Center’s Luzerne County offices, maintaining physician schedules, electronic health records and community outreach. Georgetti resides in Plains Twp.

As Practice Managers, both Robinson and Georgetti will be responsible for the daily operations of their respective locations, including oversight of patient flow, staff and services. The Wilkes-Barre and Kingston practices are home to physicians and clinical staff who provide primary and preventive care for pediatric, adult and geriatric patients, including routine check-ups, sick visits, behavioral/mental health, and addiction and recovery services.

“Kimeth and Mary have proven themselves as reliable leaders who each represent the very best of The Wright Center’s core values, as they are exceptional team players who strive for excellence in service to our communities every day,” said Kathleen Barry, Deputy Chief Operating Officer of The Wright Center.

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FNCB Bank Donates $20,000 to the SLHDA

L-R: Katie Blake, SLHDA Community Development Coordinator; Richard Drust, FNCB Bank Senior Vice President, Retail Banking Officer; Deb Kennedy, FNCB Bank Vice President, Retail Market Manager; Jim Wansacz, SLHDA Executive Director; and Jerry Champi, FNCB Bank President and CEO.

FNCB Bank, locally-based for over 111 years, recently donated $20,000 through the Pennsylvania Neighborhood Assistance Project Tax Credit Program, to the Scranton-Lackawanna Human Development Agency for their Pre-Kindergarten Center of Excellence project.

FNCB’s donation helped the SLHDA purchase the historic former Holy Rosary School in Scranton. The organization’s goal is to start offering in-person pre-school education services to children of low-income families this fall.

The donation represents part of FNCB’s larger Community Caring initiative. Through outreach programs, donations and an employee volunteer network, FNCB is committed to helping the communities they serve.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Announces 2021 Game Times

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, have set their game times for the upcoming 2021 season. Major League Baseball has delayed the start of the Triple-A season and the RailRiders will now play a 120-game schedule, including sixty games at PNC Field in Moosic, beginning on the road May 4 with a home opener one week later.

SWB-2021-ScheduleDownload

In May and early June, weeknight home games will begin at 6:35 P.M. and Saturday games will start at 4:05. Beginning on Tuesday, June 15, weeknight home games will start at 7:05 and Saturday games will have a 6:05 first pitch. All Sunday home games will start at 1:05 P.M. throughout the course of the 2021 season.

Gates will open one hour prior to first pitch for Season Ticket Members. At this time, the RailRiders are planning on a reduced capacity at PNC Field due to CDC and state guidelines. No single-game tickets are available at this time.

Health and safety protocols will be announced closer to Opening Day. Capacity restrictions and additional ticket availability are subject to change throughout the course of the year.

Full, Half and Partial Season Ticket Memberships are on sale now. The RailRiders front office is open on a limited basis and by appointment only. For more information on the upcoming 2021 season, please visit swbrailriders.com or contact the club by calling (570) 969-2255 and leave a voicemail. Calls will be returned at the earliest possible opportunity.

Greater Scranton YMCA Rally for the Y Fundraiser

The Greater Scranton YMCA is proud to announce our very own Brandon Whipple, Wellness Director, will again participate in the Expresso Bike Challenge: Rally for the Y fundraiser.

The 2021 Rally for the Y fundraiser will take place throughout the month of April, with funds raised benefitting the 2021 Annual Support Campaign. Brandon will ride as many miles as he can on the Expresso Bike throughout the month. Last year, he logged 300 miles on the bike and raised $3,000. This year, his goal is to raise $5,000. In addition to what Brandon raised, Expresso will donate $0.10 for every mile he rides.

“In this line of work, raising money for those in need is very important,” said Brandon. “Giving those who are less fortunate a chance to come be part of our YMCA where they can make new friends and feel like they belong is an amazing feeling. The fact that I am able to raise money while exercising is an added bonus.”

Funds raised for the Annual Support Campaign support the Y’s financial assistance program. Last year, the Y awarded $373,275 in scholarships to children, adults and families from our community, allowing them to benefit from all the Y has to offer. We believe that together, we can provide a Y membership for those struggling with chronic disease; child care for parents who need to go to work; a safe, nurturing space for kids to attend school remotely; and outreach to seniors who are feeling isolated.

To support the 2021 Rally for the Y fundraiser, simply visit us online and choose the 2021 Rally for the Y campaign. If preferred, you can also mail a check to the Y. Please note Rally for the Y on the memo line and mail to the Greater Scranton YMCA, 706 N. Blakely Street, Dunmore, PA 18512.

PennDOT Commercial Product Extensions Expiring March 31

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportations (PennDOT) reminds Pennsylvanians that expiration dates for commercial driver licenses and commercial learner’s permits will end after the current extension expires for Pennsylvania residents in response to statewide COVID-19 mitigation efforts. There are no plans to implement additional extensions at this time.

The final extension is currently in place for the following products’ expiration dates, and no further extensions will be given on these products:

  • The expiration date for commercial driver licenses scheduled to expire from March 16, 2020, through March 31, 2021, is extended through March 31, 2021.
  • The expiration date for a commercial learner’s permit scheduled to expire from March 16, 2020, through March 31, 2021, is extended through March 31, 2021.

Customers with commercial products that are covered by the extension but have not yet been renewed are encouraged to renew their CDL products as soon as possible by March 31, 2021. 

Additionally, expiration extension deadlines on non-commercial driver license, photo identification cards, learner’s permits and camera cards ended on August 31, 2020.

For a list of open driver license and photo license centers and the services provided, as well as their hours of operation, please visit www.dmv.pa.gov.

Customers may continue to complete various transactions and access multiple resources online at www.dmv.pa.gov. Driver and vehicle online services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and include driver’s license, photo ID and vehicle registration renewals; driver-history services; changes of address; driver license and vehicle registration restoration letters; ability to pay driver license or vehicle insurance restoration fee; driver license and photo ID duplicates; and schedule a driver’s exam. There are no additional fees for using online services.

PennDOT will continue to evaluate these processes and will communicate any changes with the public.

Additional COVID-19 information is available at www.health.pa.gov. For more information, visit www.dmv.pa.gov or www.PennDOT.gov.

University of Scranton to Host Virtual Preview Day

The University of Scranton will host a Virtual Preview Day for high school students accepted to its Class of 2025 and their families on Saturday, Mar. 27. The virtual event, which will begin at 10 a.m., will include live, interactive sessions with faculty, students and staff members, as well as informational videos and panel discussions. The event will include virtual tours of campus and labs and allow for personal appointments with staff from the Financial Aid Office.

The virtual event will include residence hall tours and live Q and A sessions with current students; sessions on more than 35 academic programs, pre-law, honors programs and pre-health professions; live sessions on student life, study abroad, and career development; mission and ministries and more.

The virtual event will provide an opportunity for accepted students to take a closer look at the Jesuit university before making their final college decision. The last sessions will begin at 1 p.m.

For additional information or to register for Virtual Preview Day, visit the Virtual Preview Day webpage or contact The University of Scranton Admissions Office at 1-888-SCRANTON.