The Settlers Inn Earns Award

The Settlers Inn has been honored for its outstanding wine program in Wine Spectator’s 2023 Restaurant Awards, which celebrate the world’s best restaurants for wine.

“In a time of technological innovation, restaurants offer the human experience diners are hungry for—listening to their customers and offering personalized experience,” said Marvin R. Shanken, Editor and Publisher, Wine Spectator. “This annual issue celebrates the places where wine is at the top of that conversation. I’m pleased to congratulate all 3,505 restaurants for their dedication to wine and wine-loving diners.”

“We are honored to receive this recognition from Wine Spectator as an acknowledgement of our continued commitment to providing the highest caliber wine service to guests of The Settlers Inn,” states CEO Justin Genzlinger. “It’s a privilege to be distinguished as one of only two restaurants in Northeast PA to receive this prestigious award. We are proud of our Sommelier, Claude Briere, and Director of Food and Beverage Steven Vennie, who have crafted an award-winning wine experience for our guests.”

Launched in 1981, the Restaurant Awards represent the world’s only program focused exclusively on restaurant wine service. They are assigned on three levels: the Award of Excellence, the Best of Award of Excellence and the Grand Award, with 2,001; 1,411; and 93 winners this year in each respective category.

The Settlers Inn has won the Best of Award of Excellence for a second consecutive year. Best of Award of Excellence recipients display excellent breadth across multiple winegrowing regions and/or significant vertical depth of top producers, along with superior presentation.

The Lodge at Woodloch Receives Three Prestigious Accolades

In recent weeks, The Lodge at Woodloch was honored with three noteworthy accolades — the AAA Four-Diamond Award, the Award of Excellence by Wine Spectator, and the 2023 Men’s Health Travel Award — further solidifying the spa resort’s status as a beacon of excellence.

  • On June 2nd, The Lodge at Woodloch welcomed Glenn Zumbach, President/CEO, and Nina Waskevich, VP of Brand & Membership, from AAA NorthPenn. Together, they presented the prestigious AAA Four-Diamond Award, a distinction reserved for a mere 7% of the 25,000 esteemed hotels across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. The Lodge at Woodloch has proudly maintained its Four-Diamond status since 2010.
  • Additionally, for the 13th consecutive year, The Lodge at Woodloch has won the Wine Spectator Award, a testament to its highly curated selection of over 175 wines. With a strong focus on wines produced in the Western United States complemented by those from around the globe, from local farm-to-bottle gems to limited classics, guests are guaranteed to find the perfect pairing.
  • Men’s Health is a renowned publication dedicated to empowering men to lead healthy fulfilling lives by providing valuable insights and expert advice on physical and mental well-being, fitness, nutrition, relationships, and lifestyle. Its Travel Awards recognize and celebrate exceptional destinations that cater to the diverse needs and desires of modern travelers. The awards are separated into three categories – active, relaxation, and recovery – with The Lodge at Woodloch falling into the final.  

Nestled in Pennsylvania’s serene Pocono Mountains, The Lodge at Woodloch is dedicated to providing guests with a transformative and all-inclusive wellness experience. With luxurious accommodations, delectable cuisine, and a plethora of mind, body, and soul activities, The Lodge at Woodloch is a sanctuary for those seeking relaxation, rejuvenation, and personal growth.

Marion Munley Speaks on Women in Leadership

Munley Law is pleased to announce that Marion Munley recently spoke to the Connecticut Women Trial Lawyers Association on Women in Leadership: Empowering One Another. Marion spoke on “Authentic Leadership: Telling Your Story”.

A champion of victims’ rights and the civil justice system for over 25 years, Marion Munley is known for her compassionate approach to representing the catastrophically injured and her tireless devotion to her clients and their families. Triple Board Certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy in Civil Trial, Civil Practice, and Truck Law, Marion has earned an AV-Preeminent designation from Martindale-Hubbell, the industry’s highest ethical and client satisfaction rating.

A leader in the legal community, Marion is an active member of the American Association for Justince (AAJ) and currently serves on the AAJ Board of Governors and on its Executive Committee. She was the first woman to become Chair of the AAJ Trucking Litigation Group in 2018 and is a past chair of the AAJ’s Women Trial Lawyers Caucus. Marion is the second woman in Pennsylvania to become Board Certified as a Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Among her other professional affiliations are the American Board of Trial Advocates, the International Society of Barristers, and the Summit Council, an exclusive group of todays top civil justice attorneys committed to the highest levels of trial advocacy, to obtaining justice for individuals and families who have been hurt by corporate wrongdoing, and to the protection of the civil justice system.

Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® since 2012, Marion has been named the 2023 “Lawyer of the Year” for Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Marion has also been selected to the list of Pennsylvania Super Lawyers for the last 18 years and was recently named to the 2023 Top 10 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list. She has been consistently recognized as one of the “top 50 Women Lawyers in Pennsylvania” in Super Lawyers Magazine. A graduate of Temple University School of Law (J.D., 1986), Marion received her undergraduate degree from the University of Scranton in 1983.

Janney Montgomery Scott, LLC Named Finalist in WealthManagement.com Industry Awards

Janney Montgomery Scott, LLC Named Finalist in WealthManagement.com Industry Awards acknowledges and celebrates the companies, individuals, and organizations who demonstrate outstanding achievement in support of financial advisor success. Janney Montgomery Scott, LLC was named a finalist in four categories this year: Corporate Social Responsibility, Transition Support, Technology, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Allied Services Recognized for Excellence in Rehabilitation

Allied Services Scranton Rehab Hospital recently received the Top Performer Award from the Uniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation. UDSMR is the most widely used system for documenting the severity of patient disabilities and medical rehabilitation outcomes. The Top Performer Award recognizes facilities that rank in the top 10 percent of more than 800 inpatient rehabilitation facilities nationwide. UDSMR ranks facilities according to data on several important patient outcomes, including functional improvement, length of stay, and how often patients return home after rehab. 

The Scranton Rehab Hospital ranked in the top 4 percent of inpatient rehabilitation facilities for patient outcomes. In addition, the facility ranked in the top 2 percent for the proportion of patients able to return to the community following discharge.  

The Scranton Rehab Hospital has earned the Top Performer Award for 15 consecutive years, an achievement that the hospital’s leadership attributes to several factors, including staff expertise, a multi-disciplinary approach, and advanced rehab technology. 

“Our inpatient rehabilitation hospitals serve a vital service to the region,” commented Karen Kearney, LCSW, Vice President of Inpatient Rehabilitation. “Patients come to us in the days following a serious illness, injury, or surgery in need of highly specialized care. Our sole focus is to support patients in achieving their full rehabilitation potential in the most expeditious manner, allowing them to return to independent living. This recognition exemplifies the success of the high-quality patient care our physicians and employees of the Scranton Rehab Hospital are delivering.”  

The data used to determine the latest ranking of 861 inpatient rehabilitation facilities in the United States is based on twelve months of data drawn from Medicare and non-Medicare patients. The rankings are determined by using UDSmr, LLC’s program evaluation model (PEM), a case-mix-adjusted and severity-adjusted tool that provides facilities with a composite performance score and percentile ranking drawn from over 80 percent of all IRFs in the country.  Allied Services Scranton Rehab Hospital provides intensive rehabilitation services and medical management for patients with various conditions. In addition, its specialty programs serve the post-acute needs of patients recovering from an amputation, brain injury, spinal cord injury, stroke, and other neurological conditions

Keystone College Receives Pennsylvania National Guard Award

For the second consecutive year, Keystone College has been honored by the Pennsylvania National Guard Associations (PNGAS) for its service to members of the Pennsylvania National Guard and our nation’s veterans. Keystone is the only college or university in Lackawanna or Luzerne counties to receive this prestigious award.

  “Every day, we honor our veterans and thank our troops serving our nation both overseas and domestically,” said PNGAS Executive Director Chad Rettew. “Here in Pennsylvania, on behalf of PNGAS, we are honored to recognize such a strong collection of dedicated people and organizations helping veterans and working for the success of the Pennsylvania National Guard.”

“Keystone College is once again grateful to receive this prestigious award from the Pennsylvania National Guard Associations,” said Keystone College Human Resources Director and Veterans Outreach Coordinator Daron J. Hogan. “We strive every single day to serve our students and military veterans who dedicate themselves to serving our nation. We thank the Pennsylvania National Guard Associations for this tremendous honor.”

The Pennsylvania National Guard Associations is a non-profit organization whose sole mission is supporting the men, women and veterans of the Pennsylvania National Guard, their spouses, and families. PNGAS celebrated its 2022 Guard Awards at its celebration in Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa. Mission-driven, PNGAS is the only organization exclusively promoting the highest levels of readiness, modernization, and quality of life for its 18,000 members and 70,000

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veterans of the Pennsylvania National Guard, their spouses, and families, while making sure those dedicated men and women have the very-best equipment and resources, and the benefits they earned. 

Keystone has been listed as a top school for veterans by several national military and veterans publications, most recently by Military Times Magazine.

Founded in 1868, with a commitment to providing an education to Civil War veterans and their families, Keystone is home to the Elmer Hawk ’48 Veterans Center. The Center is now the East Coast home for Veterans Stand Together, a national non-profit organization dedicated to veterans’ advocacy and support and is also the home of the Keystone Armed Services Club.

The Veterans Center offers a comfortable and convenient meeting place for this special group of Keystone students who have given so much to their country. Students can meet with each other, complete their school assignments, or simply relax, read, visit with friends and family members, or watch television while waiting for their next class.

Recognized as one of the best educational values in Northeastern Pennsylvania, Keystone offers more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree options in liberal arts and science-based programs in business, communications, education, natural science, environmental science, and social sciences. Located 15 minutes from Scranton, Pa. and two hours from New York City and Philadelphia, Keystone is known for small class sizes and individual attention focused on student success through internships, research, and community involvement.

Misericordia Awarded Pasmart Advancing Computer Science and Stem Education Grant

Misericordia University is among 42 organizations across the Commonwealth to be awarded funding through the 2021-22 PAsmart Advancing Computer Science and STEM Education Grants Program. The university was awarded a grant in the amount of $375,750 in response to their proposal, “Teach STEM!: Strengthening the STEM Pipeline by increasing the number of culturally-responsive Computer Science and STEM teachers in Luzerne County.”

Launched by Governor Tom Wolf, PAsmart is an initiative of the Pennsylvania Department of Education. PAsmart strategically invests resources in education and training opportunities to support Pennsylvania’s economic growth now and in the future. According to the PAsmart website, over the next decade, most of the better paying jobs in Pennsylvania will require some form of education or training after high school, especially in the fast-growing fields of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and computer science.

“The success of our initiative is predicated on the collaboration amongst valued regional stakeholders such as the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce. Joining us in this partnership are Luzerne Intermediate Unit-18 and the Luzerne/Schuylkill Workforce Development Board. Each of these organizations possess a unique, yet interconnected role focused toward alleviating the extreme teacher shortage, particularly in the secondary STEM field, that is impacting the quality of learning experienced by our young students spanning the county,” said Colleen Duffy, Ed.D., chairperson, Teacher Education Department and director of Graduate Teacher Education at Misericordia University.

Additionally, through distinct partner-driven offerings such as new certification programs and professional development courses, the program looks to effectively reverse declining enrollment in teacher preparation programs. These efforts will supplement the STEM workforce pipeline by growing student interest in pursuing CS/STEM majors and careers.

Since 2018, the Wolf Administration has secured $60 million and strategically invested in education and workforce development through PAsmart. The Pennsylvania Workforce Development Board provided initial recommendations and approved the framework for the funding priorities.

Targeted and Advancing PAsmart grants support high-quality STEM and computer science learning and professional development opportunities to communities across Pennsylvania, including within early learning centers, libraries, out-of-school time providers, career and technical centers, post-secondary institutions, and K-12 schools. The department awarded a total of 438 PAsmart grants since the 2018-19 school year.

Misericordia University was founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1924, in Dallas, Pennsylvania. It is Luzerne County’s oldest four-year college offering 37 degree programs in three academic colleges, including Health Sciences and Education, Arts and Sciences, and Business. Faculty at Misericordia are accomplished scholars and educators who prepare students to emerge into a challenging society as ethical leaders, through challenging academic standards and high levels of engagement with students, including research, service to others, and career preparation.

Allied Services Scranton Celebrates Best Nursing Homes Award

Staff at Allied Services is celebrating the national recognition they received for their quality care. Allied Services Scranton Transitional Rehab Unit received U.S. News & World Report’s “High Performing” ranking for Short-Term Rehabilitation. This is the highest possible ranking awarded. 

U.S. News gives the designation of Best Nursing Home only to those homes that satisfy U.S. News’s assessment of the appropriate use of key services and consistent performance in quality measures.  

3 skilled-nursing facilities operated by Allied Services Integrated Health System are among the 13% of facilities nationwide that were recently recognized as a Best Nursing Home for 2021-22 by U.S. News & World Report. 

Allied Services Wilkes-Barre Transitional Rehab Unit also earned the “High Performing” ranking for Short-Term Rehabilitation and/or Long-Term Care. 

This is the 5th consecutive year that the Allied Services Transitional Rehab Units have received the survey’s top rating of “High Performing” for Short-Stay Rehabilitation, earning them the title of “Best Nursing Homes.” The Short-Stay Rehabilitation rating was introduced in 2018 to provide patients with a clearer view of the quality of care provided by nursing homes to short-stay patients in need of intensive rehabilitation or nursing services before they return home after a surgery, stroke, accident or illness. 

“As a non-profit health system, we have made it a priority to give patients in our region access to the very best in clinical expertise and advanced rehab technology” commented Karen Kearney, MSW, Vice President, Inpatient Rehabilitation. “This carries through to our Transitional Rehab Units where patients receive nationally-acclaimed short-term rehabilitation under the direction of our Nursing Home Administrators, Chris Minich and Chris Fazzini.”  Now in its 12th year, the U.S. News Best Nursing Homes ratings and profiles offer comprehensive information about quality of care, COVID-19 vaccination requirements for residents and staff, flu and pneumonia vaccination rates, and infection control violations listed on the resident safety summary. Individuals can easily conduct customized research for a highly rated nursing home by location, size and Medicare and Medicaid coverage.