Northeast PA Area Health Education Center to Host Career Exploration Event

The 2nd Annual Healthcare Career & College Exploration Event, organized by Northeast PA Area Health Education Center, is pleased to announce that registration is now open for exhibitors and sponsors. The event will take place on Thursday, October 12th, from 10-2 pm at the Viewmont Mall in Dickson City.

Following the overwhelming success of last year’s event, which drew participation from over 200 high school students representing more than 6 counties, this year’s edition is set to exceed expectations. Based on the valuable feedback received from participants, the event organizers have implemented several modifications, including an adjusted schedule that will conclude the event at 2 pm, providing a focused and impactful experience for all attendees.

In collaboration with the Northern Tier Industry & Education Consortium (NTIEC) and the Wayne/Pike Workforce Alliance, Northeast PA Area Health Education Center is proud to host this event, uniting esteemed industry professionals, colleges, universities, and organizations committed to healthcare education and career development. Through this partnership, the event aims to provide an unparalleled platform for students to explore diverse healthcare pathways.

Harold Says as the People’s Advocate

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted and exacerbated issues older adults have experienced for years like rising drug prices, isolation and difficulty accessing or affording healthcare. What progress have local organizations made in addressing these challenges?

Harold Cameron, is the voice for people, was diagnosed with 2 brain tumors in 2006, had to advocate for himself to get what he needed. “If you start to change the way you think, you will start to change the way you feel”. “With the right attitude ask the right questions, and present the correct information you are irrefutable”. “Bottom line is: Don’t Give Up”. “You are loved, and if you need help, here I am”.

Harold Cameron spoke on being the people’s advocate and how he has been impacted through the pandemic. Connect with him on LinkedIN

Harold Says Website

Watch to the full video HERE

Geisinger elected for American Society for Clinical Pathology’s Choosing Wisely Champions

Geisinger Adult Gastroenterology and Laboratory Medicine were elected by The American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) as one of their 2022 Choosing Wisely® Champions for advancing appropriate test utilization at the health system and demonstrating leadership of a local Choosing Wisely® effort.

ASCP’s Choosing Wisely® Champions program is part of ASCP’s broader Choosing Wisely® campaign, an initiative of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation, which seeks to advance a national dialogue on avoiding unnecessary medical tests, treatments, and procedures. The program recognizes the efforts of dedicated pathologists and laboratory professionals for making informed decisions about laboratory testing. Recommendations improve patient care and reduce healthcare costs, and the Choosing Wisely® Champions encourage their colleagues to use the right test at the right time for the right cost.

“This award recognizes the work that our Geisinger adult gastroenterology and laboratory medicine teams do each and every day to stand out as a leader in the field,” said Amanda Haynes, DO, FASCP, Division Chief of Clinical Pathology Professional Services, Quality, and Operations, Laboratory Medicine at Geisinger. “This honor would not have been achieved without the dedication of all our team members. We strive to be innovative and effective in everything that we do, making better health easier for our patients.”

Geisinger Adult Gastroenterology and Laboratory Medicine launched a successful Choosing Wisely® campaign across the Geisinger system to address inappropriate use of fecal occult blood testing (FOBT). Using education and electronic tools, provider decision-making was guided toward ordering FOBT for its intended use of colorectal cancer screening in ambulatory patients.

“Identifying Champions and sharing their successes allows all of us to learn from their efforts to improve healthcare delivery,” said Lee H. Hilborne, MD, MPH, DLM(ASCP)CM, FASCP, chair of the ASCP Effective Test Utilization Steering Committee. “The Geisinger team is an exemplar of Choosing Wisely® values and the application of this effective test utilization initiative.”

NEPA AHEC Healthcare Career Exploration

The Healthcare Career & College Exploration Event will be held Friday, October 14th from 10am-4pm at the Viewmont Mall, Dickson City.  This event has over 30 vendors including colleges, universities, and healthcare organizations looking to hire new employees and many offering incentives.  We have several school districts busing students to this event and hope that many community members come out to explore new careers in healthcare.

The Wright Center for Community Health promotes McAndrew to marketing manager

The Wright Center for Community Health has named Ryan McAndrew of Scranton as community health marketing manager. He previously served as the graphic designer in the marketing and communications department.

An employee of The Wright Center since 2020, McAndrew will be responsible for developing and maintaining marketing strategies and campaigns to meet strategic growth and community relations objectives for the network of community health centers in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wayne counties. McAndrew received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design from Marywood University.

McAndrew will raise public awareness about The Wright Center for Community Health’s medical home model, which offers patients access to nondiscriminatory, high-quality, affordable integrated care that includes medical, dental, behavioral, addiction and recovery, and other supportive services at one location. With a sliding-fee discount available, The Wright Center reduces barriers to care by ensuring health care is affordable for everyone regardless of a person’s ability to pay.  

The Wright Center treats patients of all ages, income levels and insurance statuses. No patient is turned away for lack of health insurance or an inability to pay. Please go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019 to find the most conveniently located community health center in the region or make an appointment.

Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center named among best major teaching hospitals

Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center was ranked No. 9 on Fortune/Merative’s 2022 “25 Top Teaching Hospitals” list. The rankings are based on public data sets including Medicare cost reports, Medicare Provider Analysis and Review data, and core measures and patient satisfaction data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Hospital Compare website. 

Michelle Thompson, MD, chief education officer and vice dean for graduate medical education and designated institutional official, said, “It’s public affirmation recognizing the clinical leadership team and all Geisinger Wyoming Valley employees for their contributions and efforts leading to a top-quality hospital that allows for an exceptional educational experience for the many residents and students who work and learn here.”

According to Erika Fry, a senior writer at Fortune, Merative’s researchers found that hospitals achieving a ranking tend to share seven key characteristics, including:

  • a mature culture (and a commitment to maintaining it)
  • nursing excellence
  • deeply committed leadership
  • quality-focused hospital boards
  • an embrace of data
  • innovative technology (used in a practical manner), and
  • local autonomy within health systems

These characteristics come as no surprise to Daniel Landesberg, Geisinger’s associate vice president for clinical operations. “At Geisinger Wyoming Valley, we are fortunate to have everything on Merative’s list – particularly excellent nurses and committed leadership that emphasizes innovation and technology,” he said. “Their energy and focus make our hospital the ideal place for residents and fellows to work and learn.”

Fortune also writes that the list, “represents those hospitals that held up best against the pandemic’s ongoing stress test. They achieved better results than peer institutions on performance indicators intended to measure clinical outcomes, operational efficiency, patient experience, and financial health. The study, which for this year evaluated 2,650 U.S. hospitals, relies on publicly available Medicare data for its analysis. The Top Hospitals list also considers an organization’s contributions to its community and equity of care.”

The list is a debut for Fortune/Merative because Fortune’s long-time research partner, IBM Watson Health, became a standalone company named Merative when it was purchased in 2022.

The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Resident Physicians Present Scholarly Works at 71st American College of Cardiology Scientific Session

Internal medicine resident and cardiology fellow physicians at The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education recently presented scholarly abstracts at the 71st Annual American College of Cardiology Scientific Session & Expo in Washington, D.C.

The global conference enables the cardiology community to connect with peers and top experts in the field to learn about the latest practice-changing research and cutting-edge education that can transform cardiovascular care for doctors, health care team providers and patients.

Dr. Sanskriti Shrivastava, the lead author, presented three research abstracts and a meta-analysis. His scholarly works included, “Long Story Short: Long-Term Outcomes in Alcohol Septal Ablation vs. Septal Myectomy in Patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy,” “Outracing Cancer: Analyzing Racial Differences in Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes in 270 Patients with Primary Malignant Cardiac Tumors from the Seer Database,” and “Characteristics and Survival Outcomes in Primary Malignant Cardiac Tumors Based on Histology: Insights from the Seer Database.” She also presented the meta-analysis, “Gender-Based Differences in Cardiovascular Outcomes Associated with COVID-19 Infection: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.”

The lead author on three abstracts, Dr. Chaitanya Rojulpote presented “Effects of Prednisone Use on Cardiac Function and Outcomes in Patients with Sarcoidosis,” “Temporal Trends of Acute Myocardial Infarction Complicating Atrial Fibrillation Hospitalizations in the United States,” and “Temporal Trends of Heart Failure Complicating Atrial Fibrillation in the United States.”

Dr. Pooja Kharbanda was the lead author on the scholarly abstract, “Dynamic Assessment of Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction Using Cardiac Catheterization.”

Dr. Raza Naseer offered, “Rate vs. Rhythm Control for Atrial Fibrillation in the Modern Era: A Systematic Review and Mata-Analysis.”

“Monitored Anesthesia Care vs. General Anesthesia Outcomes in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, was presented by Dr. Humza Hanif, the lead author. Co-authors included Drs. Muhammad Affan, Najam U. Saqib, Muhammad Siddique Pir, Shrivastava and Naseer.

“Double Firing AV Node,” a case report, was presented by Dr. Sujithraj Dommaraju.

Dr. Saqib presented his case reports, “The Bread and Butter and Beyond” and “Robotic PCI,” which he co-authored with Dr. Samir Pancholy.   Overall, resident physicians in The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education have had 115 scholarly abstracts, written on a wide array of topics in medicine, accepted for presentation at professional conferences since the beginning of the 2021-22 academic year.

Geisinger Medical Group Physician Joins 65 Forward Team in Scranton

Brenda Goodrich, D.O., Geisinger Medical Group family practice physician and medical director for Geisinger Convenient Care Clinic, is joining Geisinger 65 Forward in Scranton. Geisinger 65 Forward is a health care program designed exclusively for people age 65 and over where patients get longer appointments, more on-site health services and social, educational and wellness activities.

With over 25 years of experience as a family practice physician in Pennsylvania, Dr. Goodrich earned her doctor of osteopathy from Philadelphia College of Osteopathy after completing her undergraduate studies at the University of Scranton. Staying close to home, she completed her family practice residency at Bryn Mawr Hospital in 1996. In the same year, she joined Geisinger Medical Group, where she continues to practice family medicine. She also worked at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Urgent Care Center from 2012-2018 and has served as the medical director for Geisinger Convenient Care Clinic since 2015.

“I’ve had the privilege of practicing at Geisinger throughout my career, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue providing care for my neighbors at Geisinger 65 Forward in Scranton,” said Dr. Goodrich. “I’ve seen Geisinger’s mission of making better health easier in action for many years, and the 65 Forward program is a vital part of creating access to better care for our communities.” Dr. Goodrich, who is board certified in family medicine, is accepting new patients for Geisinger 65 Forward Scranton. For more information about the program, call 570-207-5970 or visit geisinger.org/patient-care/65-forward/scranton to learn

Geisinger Brings Specialty Care to Hazleton Area

Geisinger is poised to open a new multi-specialty clinic that makes better health easier for patients and members by bringing needed outreach services into their community.

Geisinger Multi-Specialty Clinic Hazleton will open Jan. 17 and offer care in a variety of disciplines at 1525 N. Church St. in Hazle Township. Appointments will be offered in person and via telemedicine, and the clinic may increase availability based on the needs of the community. 

When it opens, the clinic will provide pediatric and adult cardiology, nephrology, laboratory services and outpatient appointments for general surgery, colorectal surgery, vascular surgery and neurosurgery. Urology and pediatric dermatology services will begin in February.

  • Laboratory services: Daily Monday through Friday
  • Pediatric cardiology: Once a week
  • Urology: Once a week beginning in February
  • General surgery: Once every other week
  • Colorectal surgery: Once every other week
  • Adult cardiology: Twice a month
  • Nephrology: Twice a month
  • Vascular surgery: Twice a month
  • Neurosurgery: Once a month
  • Pediatric dermatology: Once a month beginning in February

Rheumatology, endocrinology and adult dermatology will be added in coming months.

“By expanding the services we offer in Hazleton and the surrounding communities, we are keeping care closer to home for our patients and members,” said Kenric Maynor, M.D., chair of the Geisinger Medicine Institute. “Our data tells us 82% of our patients from this area have traveled in the past to seek specialty care. Geisinger Multi-Specialty Clinic Hazleton will now provide much of that care without the need for travel to Wilkes-Barre or another city.”

The newly renovated space houses 9 exam rooms and has ample parking. It is approximately 1.5 miles from CommunityCare Federally Qualified Health Center and about 3 miles from Geisinger 65 Forward Hazleton and ConvenientCare West Hazleton. Telemedicine capability will allow the clinic’s providers to see patients at home or to connect them with other specialists while they are at the clinic.

George Ruiz, M.D., chair of Cardiology for the Geisinger Heart & Vascular Institute, is among the cardiologists who will practice at the multi-specialty clinic.

“I’m excited to better understand and serve our patients in Hazleton,” said Dr. Ruiz, a bilingual physician with experience caring for English- and Spanish-speaking patients. “This clinic allows us to better connect with our friends and neighbors in the Hazleton area and build important relationships focused on the community’s health.”

Patients can reach Geisinger Multi-Specialty Clinic Hazleton Monday through Friday at 570-751-5900.

Geisinger Plans Service Expansion in Tunkhannock

Geisinger recently acquired a property that will be the new site of Geisinger Tunkhannock and will allow for the relocation of existing services in the community, specialty expansion and future growth.

Located at 809 Hunter Highway (state Route 29) in Tunkhannock, across from Walmart, the new clinic will provide community members a more convenient care destination with easier access from the road and more available parking.

Primary care, women’s health, ear, nose and throat, hematology/oncology, pharmacy, laboratory, imaging, and ConvenientCare walk-in services, as well as outreach services in cardiology, neurology, general surgery and pulmonology will move to the new space.

Initial renovation of nearly 30,000 square feet is expected to begin in spring 2022 with completion expected by the end of 2022.

Hematology/oncology will be expanded in the new clinic, growing from three infusion chairs and two exam rooms to six infusion chairs and four exam rooms. Cardiology services will also be more available to residents of Wyoming County, increasing from two days per month to 12 days per month (three days per week).

“Our new Geisinger Tunkhannock clinic will be the next step forward in making better health easier for patients and members in Wyoming County,” said Kathy Lloyd, associate vice president of operations for the Geisinger Medicine Institute. “In this new space, we will continue providing the outstanding care and services we’ve offered the community for years with the room to expand and better coordinate primary and specialty care, if the need arises.”

Market research predicts Wyoming County’s 65 and older population will grow by 8 percent in the next five years. These individuals typically require a greater need for specialty services and more frequent visits to their primary care physicians to manage chronic conditions. This new location will make this type of care more accessible so patients can better manage their overall health and, ideally, avoid unnecessary hospitalizations and emergency room visits.