Wolf Administration Reminds Pennsylvanians to Heed Winter Weather Threats This Holiday Weekend The Wolf Administration is urging Pennsylvanians to pay attention to weather forecasts and remain alert for rapidly changing conditions and brutal cold this holiday weekend. “Many people are traveling to spend time with friends and family this weekend, so it’s important to know the forecast for your home, your destination and points along your intended travel route,” said PEMA Director Randy Padfield. “We can’t control the weather, but we each can control how informed and prepared we are, so that we can make decisions that keep our loved ones safe.” According to the National Weather Service, a dangerous winter storm arriving Thursday will bring numerous hazards from west to east across the state, including icing, snowfall, a flash freeze, and dangerous winds and cold that will last through the weekend. Thursday morning, we can expect ice and snow, particularly in the central and northern mountains. Throughout the day temperatures will rise, bringing rain statewide and the threat of isolated flash flooding for central and eastern Pennsylvania overnight into Friday. A dramatic drop in temperatures Friday morning and early afternoon could cause of a flash freeze, meaning any water left on the roadways or sidewalks will quickly freeze and make travel difficult. Strong winds gusting up to 50-60 miles per hour could also bring down power lines and tree limbs. Wind chills will reach negative teens and 20s Friday night, creating hypothermia and frostbite hazards. Homeowners should also be aware of the threat of frozen water pipes. The dangerous cold and windy weather will continue into Sunday, for the Christmas holiday. For northwestern Pennsylvanians, lake effect snow will kick in on Friday with blowing and accumulating snow lasting into Sunday. “We know that many Pennsylvanians are looking forward to their holiday plans,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “If you’re planning to travel, don’t forget to check 511PA.com or the 511PA smartphone app for the latest weather and travel information. The PennDOT team is ready and will work before and throughout the storm to help keep motorists safe during this busy travel season.” Because temperatures will be very low, the potential for icy roads is high, and PennDOT urges motorists to avoid travel if possible. But if travel is necessary, use caution, reduce speeds and be aware of changing weather conditions. PennDOT has been pre-treating roadways to help prevent ice from forming a bond with the pavement during the early stages of a storm. However, salt is not a silver bullet, and drivers may encounter icy spots on the roadway. With freezing temperatures, roads that look wet may actually be icy, and extra caution is needed when approaching bridges and highway ramps where ice can form without warning. If motorists encounter snow or ice-covered roads, they should slow down, increase their following distance and avoid distractions. Last winter in Pennsylvania, preliminary data shows that there were 151 crashes resulting in three fatalities and 81 injuries on snowy, slushy or ice-covered roadways where aggressive driving behaviors such as speeding or making careless lane changes were factors. To help make decisions regarding winter travel, motorists are encouraged to “Know Before You Go” by checking conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. Users can also see plow truck statuses and travel alerts along a specific route using the “Check My Route” tool. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts. For more information on safe winter travel, an emergency kit checklist and information on PennDOT’s winter operations, visit www.PennDOT.pa.gov/winter. Additional winter driving and other highway safety information is available at www.PennDOT.pa.gov/safety. “This upcoming frigid weather will create safety hazards, so it is important to bundle up to stay safe if you must go outside,” Acting Secretary of Health and Pennsylvania Physician General Dr. Denise Johnson said. “To avoid frostbite and hypothermia, I advise you to cover all exposed skin, dress in layers, wear water resistant clothing to stay dry, drink warm beverages and take frequent breaks from the cold. Please keep an eye on yourself and your neighbors for effects of freezing temperatures. If anyone starts to continuously shiver, they should go inside, as that is their body’s way of saying it is getting too cold.” The PSP reminds motorists that Pennsylvania has a new law requiring snow and ice removal from motor vehicles and motor carrier vehicles. The law says drivers must reasonably attempt to remove accumulated snow and ice from hoods, trunks and roofs within the 24 hours following a winter storm. Drivers face a $50 fine if the buildup endangers people or property, regardless of whether any anow or ice was dislodged. State law also makes it unlawful to drive a motor vehicle if ice or snow on the windshield, rear window, or side windows obstructs, obscures or impairs the driver’s clear view of the highway or any intersecting highway. Pennsylvania’s Move Over Law requires drivers who are approaching an emergency response area and are unable to safely merge into a lane further away to slow at least 20 mph under the speed limit. Emergency response areas include tow trucks that are assisting disabled motorists. Finally, headlights must be turned on any time the windshield wipers are being used continuously or intermittently for precipitation such as rain, snow or sleet. The State Police urges drivers to postpone any travel that isn’t absolutely necessary. If you must travel, make sure someone knows where you are going and when you expect to arrive. Be sure to have your cell phone and a charger. Check weather forecasts and travel advisories before you walk out the door. “Snow, ice, and freezing temperatures could make this a dangerous and costly winter storm for Pennsylvanians who aren’t prepared for closed roads and high winds,” said Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. “We urge those in the agriculture industry, as well as pet owners, to plan ahead to minimize risks for your animals and your facilities. Provide shelter for livestock and pets, stockpile feed, monitor your buildings for wind damage or ice and snow accumulation.” Redding provided the following pet and livestock safety tips: Protect animals from the wind.Provide adequate clean, dry bedding.Keep animals clean and dry to maximize the insulating properties of their coats.Change water often to prevent it from freezing. Pets need water to prevent dehydration, which can contribute to hypothermia.Provide additional feed, including hay and grain, to livestock. Ensure that it remains unfrozen.Never leave pets in parked cars. Parked cars amplify the effects of cold weather.Contact your veterinarian if your animals show signs of hypothermia including shivering, lethargy, low heartrate and unresponsiveness.Monitor buildings – especially those with gently-pitched roofs – and remove accumulated snow, ice, and overhanging limbs to prevent collapse. Travelers should be sure to pack an emergency travel kit. The kit should include a flashlight with fresh batteries, jumper cables, first aid supplies, blankets, cell phone charger, bottled water, and non-perishable foods. Families who must travel with infants or pets should consider extra formula or pet food. More information about how to prepare for any type of emergency, including free downloadable checklists of items to keep in your home, car, and at work, and specific information for people with access and functional needs or pets, is available on the Ready PA webpage. MEDIA CONTACTS: Ruth A. Miller (PEMA) – ruthmiller@pa.gov Alexis Campbell (DOT) – alecampbel@pa.gov Shannon Powers (Ag) – 717.603.2056, shpowers@pa.gov PSP Communications – ra-pspcomm@pa.gov Mark O’Neill (DOH) – ra-dhpressoffice@pa.gov
WVIA, The Institute for Public Policy & Economic Development, and the Scranton Area Community Foundation release Video Series This past fall, WVIA in partnership with The Institute received a grant from the Robert H. Spitz Foundation through the Scranton Area Foundation to produce a series of videos to help explain critical issues in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Titled The Data Visualization Video Series, the videos focus on three key areas: Workforce Development, Housing Inequality, and Child Abuse. The project creates compelling informational videos based on The Institute’s Data Indicators, condensing the reports into short 2–3-minute videos. Links to the Data Visualization Video Series can be posted on organizations’ websites or shared on social media platforms: Data Visualization: Workforce Data Visualization: Housing Inequality Data Visualization: Child Abuse To request still images or video excerpts from the Data Visualization Video Series please contact info@wvia.org
YMCA News YMCA to Hold Cooking Classes The YMCA will be gathering in the kitchen and café every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in January for cooking lessons and healthy habits discussions. The Tuesday and Wednesday classes go together, with the Tuesday class a discussion on what will be prepared on Wednesday. Our Thursday class will be a standalone class focusing on preparing meals on a budget. Registration is required for each individual class. For members, each class costs $5.00 and for non-members, $10.00. View the schedule and reserve your spot by visiting us online! https://www.greaterscrantonymca.org/…/kitchen-club/. YMCA to Hold Outreach Program We Are Y is an inclusive community outreach program that provides individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities access to recreational activities that encourage staying active, building interpersonal relationships among peers, self-sufficiency, and aid in developing cognitive abilities. Recreational activities will rotate weekly and will be followed by light refreshments before departing. JANUARY PROGRAM SCHEDULE:1/5: Post Holiday Craft – Draw what made us most happy during this holiday season!1/12: Imagination Playground – Obstacle Course and base building1/19: Habitat Drawing – We will pick a habitat type and then draw out the species that belong to that specific habitat (animals, plants, etc.)1/26: Create your own Super Hero – We will craft our own unique original super heroes and write short descriptions of them (powers, secret identity, backstory, etc.) YMCA Receives Grant from North Pocono Student North Pocono High Schooler Gwendolyn Powell presented the Greater Scranton YMCA with a grant award totaling $5,713.50. Gwen is a youth competitive golfer, participating in national and local PGA Junior Golf Tournaments. Through her participation in the American Junior Golf Association, Gwen signed up for their Leadership Links Program, which helps youth impact their community and help others by golfing for a cause.
Johnson College’s 3D Printing Competition Registration is Now Open Johnson College will host its third 3D Printing Competition for local high school students on Friday, March 24, 2023. The competition is an opportunity for students to showcase their abilities and creativity using science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) techniques. This year’s competition requires high school students to compete individually to design and make a gravity hook. The hook will try and pick up 10 objects that are various weights and sizes. All pieces must be 3D printed, with no adhesives, mechanical fasteners, or non-3D printed parts. Each competitor must submit a complete technical drawing of all parts and assembly. All students and groups must be registered by a school staff member who will also serve as an advisor while their students are on the Johnson College campus on the day of the event. For more information and to register, please e-mail Tim Frank at Tfrank@johnson.edu. Upon registration, a document will be emailed detailing additional information. Registration ends February 13, 2023. Prizes are to be announced.
The Wright Center News The Wright Centers Expand Presence in Luzerne County The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education will increase access to high-quality, comprehensive, affordable primary health services and health care career development opportunities through relocation and expansion of their Kingston primary care and workforce development center into downtown Wilkes-Barre. The Wright Center for Community Health recently completed the purchase and is repurposing a 34,460-square-foot building at 169 N. Pennsylvania Ave. The more than 3-acre site enables the nonprofit community health center to expand opportunities for regional residents to receive integrated, whole-person primary health care at one convenient location. The new primary care clinic will educate primary care physicians, medical students, and interprofessional health students from regionally and nationally affiliated academic institutions. The center will open Monday, Jan. 9, at 8 a.m. “We are honored to have this opportunity in Luzerne County to expand the delivery of our mission to improve the health and welfare of the communities we serve through inclusive and responsive health services and the sustainable renewal of an inspired and competent workforce that is privileged to serve,” said Linda Thomas-Hemak, M.D., FACP, FAAP, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. “We are grateful for and inspired by Gov. Tom Wolf’s validating, generous Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program award. “We are also grateful to and inspired by our supportive governmental and legislative leaders, Sordoni Construction, and all of our partners who made this development project in Wilkes-Barre possible. We look forward to giving back through the regional and local community benefit impact we deliver,” Dr. Thomas-Hemak added. “Together, we are building a preferred future in which everyone will benefit from a health system that prioritizes equity, quality, and affordability of comprehensive primary health care services and career opportunities. “Our deep investment into Wilkes-Barre will enable The Wright Center to grow our operations and our collaborative, interprofessional relationships to ensure everyone in the service area has equitable access to whole-person primary health services, regardless of their ZIP code, insurance status, or ability to pay. We are equally committed to pipeline, community-driven partnerships to open up dream mapping about health care career opportunities, so the demographics of our future health care workforce can better and more inclusively reflect the demographics of our regional community,” she added. In 2019, the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) designated The Wright Center for Community Health as a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike, providing resources that allow the nonprofit organization to further assist medically underserved rural and urban communities and vulnerable populations, including people who are underinsured and uninsured. With a sliding-fee discount program available, The Wright Center reduces barriers to care by ensuring health care is affordable for everyone in need, regardless of their ability to pay. The Wright Center’s network of clinics in Northeast Pennsylvania primarily serves patients from Lackawanna, Luzerne, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming counties. The Wright Center is no stranger to Luzerne County. The enterprise has operated teaching health centers in Wilkes-Barre and Kingston for many years and partnered on several public health initiatives with community resource agencies. The Wright Center for Community Health has utilized its 34-foot mobile medical unit, better known as Driving Better Health, to further address barriers to quality care in several underserved communities, partnering with social service organizations and school districts in lower Luzerne County to deliver routine vaccinations, COVID-19 vaccinations, boosters, and testing to where people live, work, and study. The first phase of the new clinical, educational and administrative center in Wilkes-Barre will be open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on holidays that occur Monday through Saturday. The center has ample, off-street parking and is within walking distance of downtown Wilkes-Barre, the James F. Conahan Intermodal Transportation Center, and public transportation bus stops. It will offer family-friendly primary medical, behavioral, and addiction and recovery services across the lifespan, from pediatrics to geriatrics. Ultimately, its integrated services will offer patients the convenience of going to a single location to access full-service primary medical, dental, behavioral health, addiction and recovery services, and other supportive programs. Over the next several months, The Wright Center will hopefully be adding more than 25 medical examination rooms, 30 behavioral health rooms, and 10 dental operators to increase access. The new facility will also include state-of-the-art conference and learning rooms, complete with audio-visual technology, computers, and more for provider care teams and learners, as well as dedicated space for partnering community resource agencies. The full project is expected to be completed by the end of 2023. To make an appointment at The Wright Center for Community Health Wilkes-Barre Practice, call 570-491-0126 or go to TheWrightCenter.org Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, center, discusses how the new Wright Center for Community Health Wilkes-Barre Practice will improve the health and well-being of residents in Wilkes-Barre and Luzerne County. New COVID-19 Vaccine Available at The Wright Center Children and infants as young as 6 months old can now receive the updated coronavirus vaccines at several of The Wright Center for Community Health’s primary care practices, increasing their defense against sickness during the upcoming holiday season and new year. Nationally, health officials have in recent weeks reported a surge of respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus, more commonly known as RSV. Hospitals in some areas have returned to operating at or near capacity levels due to the sharp rise in seasonal illnesses. Meanwhile, certain cold medications are in short supply, and officials in several large U.S. cities are again urging indoor masking. Lackawanna and Luzerne counties were classified as “low” for community spread of COVID-19 as of Dec. 8. New cases, though, had trended higher in the weeks since Thanksgiving. And, Susquehanna County’s community level is currently “high,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “As winter’s official start draws near, and more activities are conducted indoors, we hope to see more families taking the opportunity to safeguard their health, especially now that adults, children, and even many infants are eligible to get the most up-to-date vaccines,” said Dr. Jignesh Sheth, chief medical officer of The Wright Center for Community Health. Vaccines are the most powerful tool against the highly contagious virus, with demonstrated effectiveness during the pandemic in reducing severe illness, hospitalization, and death. The updated boosters, also called bivalent vaccines, offer protection against the original strain of COVID-19 as well as the now-prevalent omicron sub-variants that account for most new infections in the United States. The Moderna-made pediatric booster is available for individuals ages 6 months through 5 years. Children are eligible for the Moderna booster two months after completing their final primary series dose. Similarly, the Pfizer bivalent vaccine has been approved for children ages 6 months through 4 years old; it will be given as a third primary dose. People can schedule appointments by visiting The Wright Center’s website at TheWrightCenter.org and using the express online scheduling service or by calling 570.230.0019. Locations currently offering the updated pediatric boosters include the Kingston Practice, the Mid Valley Practice in Jermyn, and the Scranton Practice. A patient may choose to receive the booster shot with or without a vital sign assessment and/or primary care office visit, for which out-of-pocket expenses might be billed by the patient’s health insurance provider. Adults and children 6 months and older also are encouraged to get an annual flu shot. All available flu vaccines in the U.S. for the 2022-23 season are the quadrivalent variety, meaning they are designed to protect against four different flu viruses. Appointments to receive the flu vaccine can be made at any of The Wright Center’s locations in Northeast Pennsylvania. The Wright Center for Community Health, headquartered in Scranton, is a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike that operates eight primary care practices in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wayne counties. The Wright Center provides comprehensive primary and preventive health services – including medical, dental, behavioral health, addiction and recovery, and infectious disease services – that cover the lifespan from pediatrics to geriatrics. The Wright Center’s sliding-fee discount program ensures health care is affordable for everyone in need. No patient is turned away due to an inability to pay. The Wright Center Presents Healthy MOMS Program to Participants at Conference Maria Kolcharno, LSW, director of addiction services, and Marcella Garvin, Healthy Maternal Opiate Medical Support program lead case manager, at The Wright Center for Community Health, recently collaborated on the presentation, “Healthy MOMS: It Takes a Village,” at the Family Service Association of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s National Family Week Conference at Mohegan Pennsylvania. The presentation provided a forum to discuss the variety of services available in the region and the best practices to advocate and link mothers with substance use disorder to supportive programs for them and their young children. “The presentation focused on the strong foundation we are building of healthy mothers in our community. It’s a collaborative effort among many organizations across nine counties,” said Kolcharno, who also addressed basic facts about addiction, and how mothers can connect with the program and how they gain independent through their own recovery. The Wright Center for Community Health, for example, recently collaborated with Maternal and Family Health Services to share a lactation specialist who serves as a mother’s coach after the child is born. “This population wouldn’t normally get a lactation coach,” said Kolcharno, who is a key leader of the Healthy Maternal Opiate Medical Support program. “A lot of insurance companies will not cover this service. By offering it, we are seeing healthier babies and mothers.” The Healthy MOMS program is part of The Wright Center for Community Health’s Opioid Use Disorder Center. It was co-founded with multiple agencies to assist women who are pregnant and have a substance use disorder. Healthy MOMS provides prenatal, perinatal, and postpartum care, including medication-assisted treatment to women coping with a substance use disorder. The program strives to break the stigma associated with addiction while building patients’ self-esteem during and after their pregnancies, ideally engaging them in recovery support services. Currently there are 149 mothers active in the program, with 204 babies born through the program. Since its founding, more than 300 mothers have participated in the program. For more information about the Healthy MOMS program, call 570.995.7821 or text healthymoms to 555888. Information about the program and its partners is also available at healthymoms.org. Go to thewrightcenter.org/services for information about the Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence. New Pediatrician joins The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton Practice Dr. Prachi Agarwal, a board-certified pediatrician, will join The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton Practice, 501 S. Washington Ave., beginning in January. The Wright Center for Community Health provides primary and specialty care for children of all ages, from newborn check-ups and well visits to vaccinations, school physicals, and overall anticipatory guidance through a child’s developmental stages. Dr. Agarwal earned her medical degree at KLE University, Belgaum, India. She completed her pediatric training and graduated with excellence from Rutgers Health/Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, New Jersey. She is an active member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and possesses certifications from the Brazelton Touchpoint Parenting Program and the Neonatal Resuscitation Program. The Wright Center was designated a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike in 2019. It offers high-quality, affordable integrated health care at its network of primary care practices in Northeast Pennsylvania, providing patients with the convenience of going to one location to access medical, dental, and behavioral and mental health care, plus addiction treatment and other supportive services. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Agarwal at the Scranton Practice, go to TheWrightCenter.org to use the express online scheduling system or call 570-941-0630.
Precision Software Seeking New Hires Precision Software Innovations is a fast-growing Cloud-Based Point of Sale Company that provides a complete technology solution to restaurateurs, located in the heart of Jessup, PA. Our goal is to completely revolutionize the restaurant-related software industry. This past year we have met with all types of restaurants across the US thanks to food and restaurant tradeshows across the nation, and to expand our network we have to first expand our office. Precision is looking to expand their reach and wants you to join their rapidly growing company. We are currently seeking individuals who have experience in sales and technical support. Aside from technical experience, we also look for experience in restaurants, along with a multitude of other skills. Everyone in our office wears multiple hats and brings a lot to the table on a daily basis, making Precision what it is today. Working for Precision you will join a passionate, close-knit team who cares about their customers, along with gaining valuable experience in technology solutions and establish connections across the US and Canada. We also offer a ton of benefits to our employees, including flexible schedules, health & life insurance and paid time off. If you are interested in joining the Precision Team and to learn more about our current openings, send your resume over to careers@precisionpos.com. We can’t wait to meet you!
Tobyhanna Army Depot Recognizes Employee of the Quarter Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD) employs nearly 3,500 of northeastern Pennsylvania’s best and brightest individuals, so choosing just two employees to be honored as Employee of the Quarter (EOQ) is no easy task. Although there are many great candidates that help our world class business run daily, this quarter Donna Derenick of the C4ISR Directorate and Olivia Corum of the Production Management Directorate have been selected as the junior and senior honorees respectively. Derenick began her career at TYAD nearly 13 years ago and takes pride in her current role as a Secretary within the C4ISR Sensors Division. She is responsible for keeping time, the management of branch and division tasks, calendar meetings and appointments for employees and consistently provides proper coverage, communications, and successful on-time completion of all division deadlines. Derenick has never been one to back away from a new challenge or opportunity to support her team. During her tenure at TYAD, she has completed multiple different developmental assignments, most recently having spent 120 days in the Resource Management Directorate’s Financial Analysis Division. In addition to her duties as secretary. Derenick also currently serves as her division’s safety star point. Recently, she ensured periodic safety briefings were communicated and documented for audit compliance and also inspected/updated all division safety requirements, leading to zero-findings on the division’s recent ISO 45001 internal audit. Chief of the C4ISR Sensors Division Russell Wright said Derenick is always there whenever the team needs a hand. “She is always willing and able to take on new responsibilities to help others, backfill critical roles as needed and always goes an extra step in supporting the mission,” said Wright. “Whether she’s providing training, volunteering for the Combined Federal Campaign or sitting in wherever help is needed, she is a true team player.” Although there are many things, she enjoys about her job at TYAD, at the end of the day, she just loves helping others. “There are many people that come together to make the depot operate. It isn’t up to one person to make the business run so I like to help out wherever I can so that others can do their work to the best of their ability,” said Derenick. “I like to do the best job that I could do so that it helps everybody in the long run. I just really enjoy helping others.” Derenick said she was pleasantly surprised to learn of her selection as EoQ. “I know there’s so many deserving people across the depot, so I feel very grateful and honored to have been selected and I hope more people continue to be recognized,” said Derenick. “At the end of the day it’s a nice feeling to be appreciated and recognized just for doing something I enjoy.” Corum joined Team Tobyhanna five years ago and currently is part of one of TYAD’s newest organizations, the Business Intelligence Team. Among her responsibilities is helping the team develop new visual tools that supervisors can use to see how their shops are performing in easily digestible ways. She also helps to maintain existing business intelligence tools currently used on the depot. Corum’s work has proven to be of tremendous benefit to depot operations. She recently served as project manager and designer of TYAD’s Command Dashboard, an analytical dashboard that monitors the health and productivity of the organization. Her experience and effort have led to significant cost savings and is projected to result in even more savings over time. She has also served as co-creator and a trainer on multiple different performance dashboards in use across TYAD, all with the goal of providing the right data at the right time in the right format so managers and users can make well-informed, actionable decisions. Chief of the Business Intelligence Team Matthew Raup said that Corum’s tremendous work ethic and selfless service make her not only a great asset to his team, but to TYAD as a whole. “Ms. Corum executes the duties of her position description thoroughly and effectively, yet still finds time both on and, voluntarily, off duty to assist, build, and enhance multiple Tobyhanna Data Analytics tools,” said Raup. “She is an entirely approachable and endlessly helpful member of the Tobyhanna Team and always makes herself available to assist and share her expertise with anyone who asks.” Corum said her favorite part about working with the Business Intelligence Team is the opportunities to creatively come to new solutions when it comes to supporting our Nation’s Warfighters. “It is very exciting to see how the things we do impact the Warfighter on a regular basis. If you look at project management for example, we can see how the tools that we’ve created are allowing users to manage projects more efficiently, which means we have the opportunity to get workload out the door faster and onto the battlefield where they’re needed most,” said Corum. “Having opportunities to be creative when it comes to finding ways to visually see results and make an impact is very rewarding.” Like Derenick, Corum said that she was surprised to learn of her selection and feels honored to have been chosen amongst a large workforce. “It feels great to be recognized for what you’re working on especially when it is something you enjoy doing,” said Corum. “Although I certainly didn’t expect an award, it is very nice to see that people across the depot notice each other’s hard work.” The Employee of the Quarter awards and other employee recognition programs align with Tobyhanna’s long-range strategic plan, TOBY2035 – specifically the Investing In Our People line of effort. The plan aims to posture the depot for success in the coming years as the Department of Defense’s premier worldwide C5ISR readiness provider. Tobyhanna Army Depot is a recognized leader in providing world-class logistics support for command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C5ISR) systems across the Department of Defense. Tobyhanna’s Corporate Philosophy, dedicated work force and electronics expertise ensure the depot is the Joint C5ISR provider of choice for all branches of the Armed Forces and industry partners. Tobyhanna’s unparalleled capabilities include full-spectrum logistics support for sustainment, overhaul and repair, fabrication and manufacturing, engineering design and development, systems integration, post production software support, technology insertion, modification, foreign military sales and global field support to our joint warfighters. About 3,100 personnel are employed at Tobyhanna, located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. Tobyhanna Army Depot is part of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command. Headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, the command’s mission is to empower the Soldier with winning C5ISR capabilities.
Marywood University Announces 2023 Summer Camps Even though winter days are here, Marywood University is looking forward to summertime with its 2023 Summer @ the Wood camps program. Pick your passion from 10+ camps, featuring sports activities, creative pursuits, and scientific interests. The 2023 schedule presently includes academic camps on architecture, art of comic books/graphic novels, biotechnology, environmental stewardship, and music, as well as athletic camps for boys/girls basketball, esports, girls lacrosse, softball, swimming, and girls volleyball. For more details, including camp dates, registration information and deadlines, camp descriptions, and associated fees, visit marywood.edu/community/camps/. Some camps are currently open for registration, while others will open after the first of the year. Several feature early bird registration rates. It is possible that other camps may be added to these initial offerings. If so, information will be listed on the camps website at: marywood.edu/community/camps/.
Geisinger’s “Paws to Reflect” program selected for national funding Geisinger was selected to receive grant funding for Paws to Reflect, an innovative program aimed at combating burnout and trauma in the nursing field, during the first ever NurseHack4Health Pitch-A-Thon. Geisinger was one of three health organizations to be awarded the funding provided by #FirstRespondersFirst to implement new, innovative programs for employees. Geisinger nurses, in collaboration with members from Geisinger’s Center for Professionalism and Well-Being and the Volunteer Services Division, presented the program to the panel. Paws to Reflect will connect nurses with therapy dogs and their handlers, as well as a peer support team, to provide real time relief and comfort in a safe environment. When needed, the program can also direct staff to appropriate additional resources. “This program was initiated because we asked caregivers what would help them feel better and get through a difficult day,” said team leader Dawn Snyder, a clinical nurse specialist at Geisinger. “This was their response — we just responded to their needs.” The initiative was one of just three pitches selected by judges to receive full funding, out of dozens of entries from organizations across the country. “The Paws to Reflect program was designed to be a sustainable solution to two very clear needs for our caregivers: more emotional support and more puppies!” said Brittany Drumm, program director of Geisinger’s Center for Professionalism and Well-Being. “By scaling and partnering our RISE peer support program and our employee-facing pet therapy program, we have the chance to deliver comfort, resources, safe spaces and moments of respite to our incredible teams.”