Johnson College to Hold Instant Decision Day for Veterans and Current U.S. Military Service Members Johnson College’s Instant Decision Day for Veterans and those currently serving in the U.S. Military will be held on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. virtually and inside Ideal Saldi Hall on the Johnson College Scranton campus. To register to attend in person or virtually, visit Johnson.edu/instant. During the Instant Decision Event, Johnson College will provide prospective veteran students and those currently serving in the U.S. military with an immediate enrollment decision. They must supply their high school transcripts and can bring their college and military transcripts if applicable. It is highly recommended that the prospective student completes an application before attending. Applications for Johnson College’s Physical Therapist Assistant, Radiologic Technology, and Veterinary Nursing programs are excluded from instant decisions.
Johnson College Hazleton Now Enrolling for Medical Assistant Course Johnson College’s Continuing Education program is now enrolling students in its Medical Assistant course at its satellite campus, Johnson College at the CAN DO Training Center in Hazle Township. The course will begin on May 20, running Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This program prepares students to assist physicians by performing functions related to the clinical aspects of a medical office. Functions include preparing patients for examination, treatment, routine laboratory procedures, pharmacology, and taking and documenting vital signs. Plus, students will learn the fundamentals of phlebotomy and venipunctures, anatomy & physiology, and medical terminology encountered in the field. Students will gain the knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties required of a medical assistant. The class fee is $5,000 and is approved by PA CareerLink for those eligible for funding through their local CareerLink. To learn more or to enroll in the Medical Assistant course, visit https://johnson.edu/continuing-ed/medical-assistant/ or contact the College’s Continuing Education department at continuinged@johnson.edu
Road Closures for Saturday’s “The Office 5K” Below is the map of road closures for Valley in Motion’s “The Office 5K” on Saturday, May 4.
The Wright Center Shares Health Column for National High Blood Pressure Education Month Below is a guest health column by The Wright Center’s Dr. Nirali Patel for National High Blood Pressure Education Month in May. By now, many of you are well aware of the dangers of hypertension or, as it’s more commonly known, high blood pressure, which affects roughly half of all Americans and is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Thanks to the marvels of modern medicine, we now have drugs that significantly reduce the potential harms of high blood pressure. Still, too many people don’t realize they even have it, so fortunately, there are observances like May’s National High Blood Pressure Education Month, which the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and other organizations use to promote myriad resources relevant to the subject. For those who don’t know, high blood pressure develops when blood flows through the arteries at an elevated level. Blood pressure consists of two numbers – systolic, the pressure when the ventricles pump blood out of the heart, and diastolic, the pressure between heartbeats when the heart is filling with blood. Blood pressure changes throughout the day based on activity. For most people, normal blood pressure is less than 120 over 80 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), which is the systolic pressure reading over the diastolic pressure reading. That becomes high blood pressure with consistent systolic readings of 130 mm Hg or higher or diastolic readings of 80 mm Hg or higher. Unfortunately, the majority of people don’t experience symptoms related to high blood pressure until it’s already begun to cause serious health issues – and roughly 1 in 3 American adults aren’t aware they have it, according to the NHLBI. That’s why it’s extremely important that you get your blood pressure checked at least once a year. In addition to taking medications, you can make several lifestyle modifications to control or lower your blood pressure. Here are a few: Maintain a healthy weight: Excess weight often leads to hypertension and can also disrupt breathing during sleep, which also elevates blood pressure. Losing a few pounds can have a marked effect. Exercise: Regular physical activity can lower your blood pressure by 5 to 8 mm Hg, so aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily. Eat better: A diet heavy on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy that’s low in saturated fat and cholesterol can lower high blood pressure by up to 11 mm Hg. Examples include the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and the highly adaptable Mediterranean diet. Reduce salt intake: Decreasing your sodium consumption can improve heart health and reduce high blood pressure by about 5 to 6 mm Hg. The recommended daily amount is no more than 2,300 milligrams (mg), while 1,500 mg is ideal. Limit alcohol: Less than one drink a day for women or two drinks a day for men can help lower blood pressure by about 4 mm Hg. One drink equals 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor. Quit smoking: Not surprisingly, smoking increases blood pressure. Quitting will not only lower your hypertension but improve your overall health. Get a good night’s sleep: Consistently poor sleep can raise your blood pressure. In fact, one of our internal medicine resident physicians at The Wright Center, Dr. Aayushi Sood, recently worked on a study that found that sleeping less than seven hours a night increased the risk of developing high blood pressure by 7% while sleeping less than five hours increased the risk by 11%. High blood pressure is serious business, but as we’ve clearly demonstrated here, many practical ways exist to contend with it. Be vigilant and be well. Nirali Patel, M.D., is board certified in internal medicine and obesity medicine, and is board eligible in geriatrics. Dr. Patel is accepting adult patients at The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton Practice. She also serves as associate program director of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Geriatrics Fellowship Program and as core faculty of the Internal Medicine Residency Program.
Celebrating Success with Lackawanna College’s Physical Therapist Assistant Alumni Mixer Lackawanna College will host a Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Alumni Mixer event on Thursday May 9, in the lobby of Angeli Hall following the current PTA senior cohort pinning ceremony. Attendees will have the chance to network with peers, reconnect with former classmates and engage with Lackawanna College clinical education partners. Clinical partners include Saber Healthcare Group and AccessPT. “An event like this benefits our graduates because they have the opportunity to communicate and network with our local clinical partners and possibly get interviews and job placements,” Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education, Dr. Ashley Reedy said. Date and Time: Thursday, May 9, 2024, from 5:15 PM to 6:15 PM Location: Angeli Hall, 501 Vine Street, Scranton, PA 18509 In addition to creating professional connections, the event will offer refreshments, basket raffles and giveaways. Tickets are free, and alumni attendees are encouraged to bring guests, with each guest receiving two raffle basket tickets plus a special giveaway. Join us for an evening of networking and celebrating the accomplishments of our students at the PTA Alumni Mixer event. “We want our graduates to leave with pride in their future profession, themselves and personally I hope they leave being proud of what they’ve accomplished,” Dr. Reedy said. Those interested in attending can register online at no cost here: https://shorturl.at/joJW5.
Big Bass Lake Community Association, Inc. Honored as Award Winner in 2024 American Business Awards Big Bass Lake Community Association, Inc. (BBLCA) was named the winner of a Gold Stevie® Award in the Achievement of Organization Recovery category in The 22nd Annual American Business Awards® today. The American Business Awards are the U.S.A.’s premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations – public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small. Nicknamed the Stevies for the Greek word meaning “crowned,” the awards will be presented to winners at a gala ceremony at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York on Tuesday, June 11. More than 3,700 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories, including Startup of the Year, Executive of the Year, Best New Product or Service of the Year, Marketing Campaign of the Year, Thought Leader of the Year, and App of the Year, among others. BBLCA’s Mission Statement is to promote a high quality of life and to protect property values through the prudent use of resources, for the benefit of all who live, visit, or work in our community. Feedback from the 2024 Judging Panel included, “BBLCA is a powerful story of resilience, strategic leadership, and a commitment to excellence” and “This entry clearly outlines the challenges faced by BBLCA during the COVID period and sets the stage well for understanding the context in which the recovery efforts took place.” More than 300 professionals worldwide participated in the judging process to select this year’s Stevie Award winners. “While growth in much of the world economy has recovered slowly from the COVID-19 pandemic, the American economy continues to show remarkable resilience and growth,” said Stevie Awards president Maggie Miller. “Our 2024 Stevie winners have contributed to that successful recovery through their innovation, persistence, and hard work. We congratulate all our winners in the 2024 ABAs and look forward to celebrating their achievements during our June 11 awards banquet in New York.” Details about The American Business Awards and the list of 2024 Stevie winners are available at www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.About Big
Northeast Regional Cancer Institute Receives Donation from Foundation The Northeast Regional Cancer Institute recently received a $50,000 grant from The Hawk Family Foundation, in memory of their daughter, Carolyn Hawk Horter. Carolyn passed away in 2023 from colon cancer at the age of 46. Funds will support the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute Community Based Cancer Screening Navigation Program and specifically colon cancer screenings. The Navigation Program is a cancer screening initiative focused on education, barrier reduction and facilitation of screenings for breast, cervical, colon and lung cancer targeting low income un/underinsured individuals, while connecting or reconnecting all participants to a medical home to ensure ongoing preventative care. “We are very appreciative of the Hawk Family Foundation grant that provides critical support for the colon cancer screening component of the Community-based Navigation Screening Program. Targeting low income, un/underinsured individuals, these funds will be used to reduce barriers to colon screening and ensure that those most vulnerable are up to date with these potentially life-saving cancer screenings,” said, Laura Toole, Executive Vice President at the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute. This funding was awarded as part of the open applications for The Hawk Family Foundation.
The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement Receives 10,000 Pairs of Socks from Bombas The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement (PCE) received 10,000 pairs of warm, cozy socks from Bombas to distribute to people experiencing homelessness and hardship throughout the region. PCE, a subsidiary of The Wright Center for Community Health, focuses on improving access to health care while addressing the negative social and economic determinants of health that affect patients and community members, including food insecurity, homelessness, poverty, and access to education. Throughout the year, PCE hosts clothing giveaways at Wright Center for Community Health locations and community events. Additionally, it hosts regular food distributions, backpack and school supply giveaways, and provides transportation vouchers to patients who have difficulty getting to and from doctors’ appointments. The socks will be distributed to people experiencing homelessness, as well as residents who are experiencing financial hardship or emergency situations, according to Holly Przasnyski, director of The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement. “We’re thrilled to receive this generous donation from Bombas,” she said. “A pair of socks can be such a comfort.” Bombas is a comfort-focused, basic apparel brand with a mission to help those in need. The company was originally founded in 2013 because socks are the No. 1 most requested clothing item at homeless shelters. Underwear and T-shirts are No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. While the brand started with and is known for its extremely comfortable socks, Bombas used its expertise in comfort to launch into apparel with T-shirts in 2019 and, most recently, underwear in 2021. For every item purchased, a specially designed item is donated to someone at risk of or currently experiencing homelessness. To date, Bombas has donated over 100 million items. For more information about PCE, call 570.343.2383, ext. 1444, or visit TheWrightCenter.org/ patient-and-community-engagement.
NEPA Philharmonic Executive Director Announces Retirement Nancy Sanderson will retire from her position as executive director of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic on December 31, 2024, according to Carol Nelson Dembert, president of the NEPA Philharmonic’s board of directors. On behalf of the board and staff, Nelson Dembert expressed appreciation for Sanderson’s service. “Nancy has led the NEPA Philharmonic for ten years, exhibiting outstanding leadership and stewardship,” she said. “Nancy has earned the respect of the region, our partners in the arts and education, our musicians, our sponsors, our board of trustees, and our patrons.” Sanderson has been the face of the NEPA Philharmonic for a decade. Under her guidance, the orchestra has overcome many challenges, including COVID and economic changes, while still maintaining the Philharmonic’s position as the leading performing arts organization inNortheastern Pennsylvania. Also, during Sanderson’s tenure, the orchestra has expanded its educational programs with regional schools, introduced a juried mentoring program for highly talented high school students, and expanded the Music in our Schools program. Recently, Sanderson launched interactive performances in senior centers and children’s libraries. Nancy shared her feelings about her upcoming retirement. “It is with mixed emotions that I’vemade the difficult decision to step down from my position as executive director of the NEPAPhilharmonic. Since I joined the Philharmonic’s team in 2014, I have been honored to be a part of some major changes and accomplishments, all of which are positive and promising for the future of our outstanding regional orchestra. I have treasured the opportunity to get to know our incredibly talented musicians, our hard-working board members, and last, but not least, our loyal patrons. I know I leave the orchestra in the capable hands of the entire NEPA Philharmonic team, and I look forward to attending concerts as an enthusiastic and appreciative audience member.” Nelson Dembert has named Carl Witkowski, chair of the NEPA Philharmonic board governance committee, to chair the search committee. “Nancy has set the bar very high,” Nelson Dembert stated, “and we are confident that with our new executive director in place, we will continue to entertain, educate and enhance life in Northeastern Pennsylvania.”
Allied Services Clinician Earns Advanced Certification in Vestibular Rehabilitation Allied Services‘ Kori Wood, DPT, recently earned the Advanced Vestibular Physical Therapist Certification (AVPT) from the University of Pittsburgh. The AVPT Certification is a post-professional certification program for physical therapists who want to become experts in vestibular rehabilitation. Wood completed rigorous coursework and demonstrated clinical competency skills to achieve the advanced certification. Vestibular rehabilitation is a type of physical therapy commonly used for conditions such as vertigo and labyrinthitis that focuses on improving the relationship between the inner ear, brain, eyes, muscles, and nerves. The therapy can also reduce the risk of falling and improve balance, body strength, and the patient’s ability to stabilize vision. Wood, who is a Montrose native, joined Allied Services in 2005. She currently treats patients at Allied Services Luger Scranton Rehab Center and has extensive experience in treating balance and vestibular disorders, back and neck pain, and orthopedic injuries and conditions.
