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

Johnson College to Host Events

Closer Look Event

Johnson College is hosting a Closer Look event at Five Star Equipment at 1300 Dunham Drive, Dunmore, PA, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Prospective students can learn more about the College’s Heavy Equipment Technology program while getting a sneak peek at new, industry-immersed classroom and lab space.

Johnson College’s two-year Heavy Equipment Technology Associates Degree program prepares students to succeed as well-trained, mechanically minded, hard-working technicians with heavy equipment dealers and contractors. Instruction involves classroom theory, live shop demonstrations, and repair of heavy equipment currently used in industry. Making repairs on actual equipment is vital to skill development.

The Johnson College Enrollment team, Heavy Equipment Technology faculty, and members of industry partner, Five Star Equipment, will be on hand to answer questions regarding the program, career opportunities, and the enrollment process.

For more information or to register, contact the College’s Enrollment department at (570) 702-8856 or enroll@johnson.edu.

Women In Industry Event

In honor of Women’s History Month, Johnson College’s Special Programs Department will be hosting a Women in Industry event on March 29, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Health Science Center on the Johnson College Scranton campus.

The theme of this event will be women’s entrepreneurship, with a focus on how women can start their own businesses. It will feature two speakers: Donna J Kane, Branch Manager for Fidelity Bank, and Maggie Calpin, owner of Nibbles and Bits, a gourmet chocolate shop in Dunmore. They will use their expertise as fierce supporters of the community to inform, encourage, and inspire attendees to pursue opportunities in entrepreneurship.

The event will also feature an interactive chocolate-making activity with materials supplied by Nibbles & Bits.

This event supports the College’s Women in Industry initiative and its goals to provide networking opportunities, collaborate on industry-related projects, and support women in industries that are still considered “non-traditional.” To learn more or to register for the event, visit johnson.edu/women-in-industry.

The Wright Center Promotes Healthier Eating Habits

Walter Wanas, LDN, RD, a registered and licensed dietitian and nutritionist, is the director of lifestyle modification and preventive medicine at The Wright Center for Community Health. He collaborates with primary care teams to offer lifestyle medicine at practices in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wayne counties. Go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019 for more information about the lifestyle medicine program.

For several years now, The Wright Center for Community Health has been promoting healthier eating habits through our lifestyle medicine initiative. With March serving as National Nutrition Month, now is a great opportunity to promote and tout the many virtues and benefits of incorporating lifestyle medicine into your primary care. 

Created 50 years ago by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, National Nutrition Month promotes the ways in which people can make better dietary and physical fitness decisions in the name of long-term good health. This year’s theme, “Fuel for the Future,” is geared around making smart eating choices that are also environmentally friendly. 

When we think about good nutrition, the government’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans serve as a good roadmap. They are: 

  • Follow a healthy dietary pattern at every stage of life; 
  • Customize and enjoy nutrient-dense food and beverage choices in ways that reflect personal preferences, cultural traditions, and budgetary considerations; 
  • Focus on meeting food group needs with nutrient-dense foods and beverages and stay within calorie limits; 
  • Limit foods and beverages high in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium, and limit consumption of alcoholic beverages. 

These tips make for a great common-sense framework, and better still, they align perfectly with the mission of lifestyle medicine, which The Wright Center launched in 2020 at our primary and preventive care practices throughout Northeast Pennsylvania. 

There’s no question that medications, surgeries, and other medical procedures are crucial to bettering and prolonging our lives, but it’s also very important that we take a more proactive, rather than reactive, approach to our health and well-being. Lifestyle Medicine adheres to this philosophy by focusing on what we would call the six pillars of health: Nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress management, relationships, and the avoidance of risky substances. It’s not alternative medicine but rather an evidence-based approach that could have long-lasting, positive effects on health care. 

The data are showing lifestyle medicine can prevent, treat, or even reverse many chronic conditions. One way of doing this is through better nutrition, specifically through adopting a whole-food, plant-based diet that is high in fiber, phytonutrients, essential fatty acids, and vitamins and minerals, and low in saturated fat, transfats, and sodium.

A vegetarian diet can also accomplish your healthy diet goal. Today, vegetarian diets come in many formats. Some incorporate eggs and/or dairy products. There are hybrid vegetarian diets such as the flexitarian diet which allows for small amounts of animal products, the pescatarian diet which allows for some seafood products, and the vegan diet which excludes all animal products.

These diets are plant based and provide the benefits of a plant-based nutrition profile, while providing the flexibility to match a person’s cultural and personal preferences.

If a vegetarian diet is not for you, consider use of the Mediterranean Diet, which emphasizes plant-based foods, moderate amounts of fish, poultry, dairy, and eggs, and limited red meat and sweets. This diet is still ranked as one of the best overall healthy diets and allows for a wide variety of foods.

Please use this National Nutrition Month to reexamine your diet and exercise patterns and begin making healthy changes to your own diet and routine. If you stick with it, chances are it will pay big dividends in the long run for your health and overall well-being.

HNB Promotes Vice President, Chief Operations Officer

Thomas E. Sheridan Jr., President and CEO of The Honesdale National Bank, announced the promotion of Kathy Enslin to Vice President, Chief Operations Officer.

Enslin joined The Honesdale National Bank in 1999 as an Assistant Vice President, Bookkeeping after spending 24 years with another area financial institution. In that role, she was an integral player in the oversight and development of many procedures and advancements that supported the Bank’s core account management and transaction workflows.  Enslin previously held the position of VP, Deposit Operations Officer for several years at HNB prior to her promotion to Vice President, Compliance Officer in 2015.

“With this promotion, we are very pleased to showcase Kathy’s technical, operational and innovative leadership,” said Sheridan. “Kathy’s appointment as COO is a strategic step for our organization and we know that her experience and skillset will continue to advance the Bank’s opportunities for growth as well as that for our customers.”

“I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to The Honesdale National Bank’s continued growth. I am looking forward to embarking on this new chapter in my career and new chapter for HNB.”

Enslin started her career in banking shortly after graduating from Western Wayne High School and has furthered her education through the American Institute of Banking (AIB).

Penn State Scranton to Offer Summer Cub Camps

Penn State Scranton has a wide variety of fun-filled summer camps for youth and teens to attend during the summer months. Youth campers explore interests while engaging in projects, crafts and events that provide subtle education in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math.

Summer Camp Schedule 2023

Nittany Cub Summer Camps serve the youth of Northeast PA. 

Summer camp registration is now open. Check back often for additional announcements. 

  • Week 1 – July 10 – July 14, 2023
  • Week 2 – July 17 – July 21, 2023
  • Week 3 – July 24 – July 28, 2023
  • Week 4 – July 31 – August 4, 2023
BEGIN DATEEND DATETIMEDAYSUMMER CAMP INFORMATIONINSTRUCTOR
7/10/237/14/239 am to
4 pm		M-FSustainability Environmental Camp (for youth ages 13-16 residing in Lackawanna County)Michele Swarts
7/10/237/14/239 am to 12 pmM-FWizards & Cauldrons – Section 1
(ages 8-13)		Julie Tischler
7/10/237/14/231 pm to
4 pm		M-FWizards & Cauldrons – Section 2
(ages 8-13)  – Sect. 2		Julie Tischler
7/10/237/14/239 am to 12 pmM-FCool Science Camp
(ages 6-8)		Julie Cardillo
7/10/237/14/231 pm to
4 pm		M-FForensic Scientist Camp
(ages 9-13)		Liz Durdan
7/10/237/14/231 pm to
4 pm		M-FCreative Lego Engineering – Section 1
(ages 6-9) 		Doug Mallas
7/17/237/21/239 am to 12 pmM-FRocketry Camp
(ages 9-12)		Doug Mallas
7/17/237/21/239 am to 12 pmM-FPop Art Camp
(ages 8-12)		Julie Tischler
7/17/237/21/239 am to 12 pmM-FLego Mindstorm Robotics
(ages 10-15)		Tom Czachor
7/17/237/21/231 pm to
4 pm		M-FK’NEX Bridge Building (ages 9-12)Doug Mallas
7/17/237/21/231 pm to
4 pm		M-FEngineering Camp (11-14)Michelle Swarts
7/17/237/21/231 pm to
4 pm		M-FWizards  Academy
(ages 12-15) 		Julie Tischler
7/17/237/21/231 pm to
4 pm		M-FJr. Robotics Camp (ages 7-9) Liz Durdan
7/24/237/28/239 am to 12 pmM-FBusiness Start-Up Academy
(ages 12-16)		Kevin Feifer
7/24/237/28/231 pm to
4 pm		M-FCarnival Games (ages 9-13)Liz Durdan
7/24/237/28/239 am to 12 pmM-FFossil Frenzy Camp
(ages 6-8)		Liz Durdan
7/31/238/4/239 am to 12 pmM-FThe Biosphere Environmental Camp – Section 1 (for youth ages 10-12 residing in Lackawanna County)Michele Swarts
7/31/238/4/239 am to 12 pmM-FOur Ecosystem Environmental Camp – Section 1 (for youth ages 6-9 residing in Lackawanna County)Julie Cardillo
7/31/238/4/239 am to 12 pmM-FNursing Academy: Summer Camp (ages 8-12) Explore Health Care CareersJustina Malinak
7/31/238/4/239 am to 12 pmM-FScience of Superheroes
(ages 8-12)		Doug Mallas
7/31/238/4/231 pm to
4 pm		M-FThe Biosphere Environmental Camp – Section 2 (for youth ages 10-12 residing in Lackawanna County)Michele Swarts
7/31/238/4/231 pm to
4 pm		M-FOur Ecosystem Environmental Camp – Section 2 (for youth ages 6-9 residing in Lackawanna County)Julie Cardillo
7/31/238/4/231 pm to
4 pm		M-FCreative Lego Engineering – Section 2
(ages 6-9) – Sect 2		Doug Mallas
  • Dates, fees, instructors and camp descriptions are subject to change.
  • Please ask for discount codes for Employee, Alumni, Family, & Children of PSU Scranton Students.

Marywood University to Host Events for Prospective Students

Marywood University School of Architecture Day Set for March 20

In an eventspecially designed for students interested in pursuing degrees in Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Construction Management, Marywood University will hold a School of Architecture Day for prospective students on Monday, March 20, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m, at the Center for Architectural Studies on campus. Students must register for the event by March 10 if they plan to attend, as space is limited.

The School of Architecture Day will feature meetings with faculty and student groups, tours of the Center for Architectural Studies and the Marywood campus, and opportunities to engage with various studio classes in the Architecture and Interior Architecture programs, as well as the new Center for the Living City’s Living Lab. In addition, there will be make/take activities with student groups and a Q&A panel with the Architecture Student Council and Admissions representatives. The event also includes a complimentary lunch.

Due to the structure of the program, this event is for students only. Parents are invited to attend a Q&A parent panel with the School of Architecture’s Program Director and faculty at 3 p.m.

To attend Marywood University’s School of Architecture Day, please go to marywood.edu/archday and register by March 10; space is limited. Contact the School of Architecture at architecture@marywood.edu or 570-961-4536 if you have any questions about the event.

Marywood University to Hold Virtual Master of Fine Arts Information Session

Marywood University will hold a virtual Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Information Session on Thursday, March 23, at 4 p.m. This information session is free and open to anyone who is interested in pursuing a low-residency master of fine arts degree. To register, please visit marywood.edu/mfainfo.

Marywood’s “Get Your Master’s with the Masters” MFA program for designers and illustrators is the oldest and best low-residency program in the country, designed for those who are working full time, but who are also interested in earning a terminal degree.

The virtual info session will cover what to expect during the three-year program that includes

four, two-week residential summer sessions at Marywood’s campus; six study tours conducted in New York City and other major cities; and independent work. Former student thesis and class

project examples will be shared. While production and technical skills are stressed, the thrust of the program is on creativity and conceptual thinking.For additional information about Marywood University’s MFA Information Session, please contact Steven Brower, MFA, director of the “Get Your Master’s with the Masters” MFA program at Marywood University, at (570) 348-6211, ext. 2569, or email sbrower@marywood.edu

Discover if Being a Dietitian is Right for You at Marywood University’s “Dietitian for a Day” Program

Marywood University is hosting a “Dietitian for a Day” program on Monday, March 27, from 9:15 a.m. – 1:15 p.m., in the O’Neill Center for Health Families on the University’s campus. The program is free and open to anyone considering a career in nutrition and dietetics.

The program offers students an opportunity to learn what a dietitian is and about the different areas in which dietitians practice. Attendees will gain hands-on experience in several practice areas including sports, clinical and community nutrition, food science, and food service. The program also includes a session with admissions and financial aid counselors, a tour of Marywood’s campus, and lunch. Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with the nutrition and dietetics faculty as well as current students.

Attendees will gain a clearer picture about the career opportunities for a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and the types of classes, course material, and supervised practice involved in being a nutrition and dietetics major. Marywood’s Nutrition and Dietetics department provides coursework that prepares students to provide nutrition care in a variety of settings.

Register online by March 22 at marywood.edu/dietitianday to attend “Dietitian for a Day.” For additional information about Marywood University’s nutrition and dietetics program, please visit marywood.edu/academics/nutrition or call (570) 348-6277.

Marywood University’s MFA Program Ranks Among Top 10 in the Nation

David Plunkert, an nationally recognized illustrator, poster artist, graphic designer, and co-founder of Spur Design LLC in Baltimore, MD, is one of the industry masters who mentor and guest lecture in Marywood’s renowned “Get Your Master’s with the Masters” program.

Marywood University was recently notified that its MFA program, featuring the low-residency MFA Program, “Get Your Master’s with the Masters,” ranks among the top 10 in the nation by Best Value Schools. At #4, Marywood is the only regional institution named in this ranking, which is based on student/faculty ratio and tuition cost, including out-of-pocket expenses. To view Marywood’s ranking, go to bestvalueschools.org/best-mfa-degree/.

Marywood’s distinctive “Get Your Master’s with the Masters” program, a low-residency MFA in Graphic Design, Illustration, and Sequential Art for working professionals, is the oldest low-residency program in the country, designed for those who are working full time, but who are also interested in earning a terminal degree. Marywood also offers a comprehensive, cross-disciplinary MFA in Visual Arts with tracks in Clay, Sculpture, Printmaking, Painting, and Photography.

For more information about Marywood’s “Get Your Master’s with the Masters” low-residency MFA program, go to marywood.edu/visual-arts-graphic-design-illustration-masters-degree. To learn more about the scope of Marywood University’s Art Programs, visit marywood.edu/academics/art or contact the Office of Admissions at (570) 348-6234 or email GoGrad@marywood.edu (graduate) or YourFuture@marywood.edu (undergraduate).

United Neighborhood Centers to Host Purse Bingo

The United Neighborhood Centers of Northeaster Pennsylvania will host a designer purse bingo.

The event will take place on Sunday April 30 at 1:00PM. Doors open at 12:00PM

The event will be held at Holy Cross High School in Dunmore.

The cost to attend the event is $25 in advance or $30 at the door.

20 games with additional purchases available for 3 bingo specials, basket raffles, door prices, basket sales, refreshments and daubers while supplies last.

This is a BYOB event. Players are welcome to bring their own food and alcoholic beverages.

Proceeds benefits United Neighborhood Center of NEPA.

Clarks Summit University Students Travel for Professional Intensive

Clarks Summit University students traveled to Orlando, FL, after being selected to participate in the Reclaim Today 2023 Professional Writing and Design Intensive. 80 students from nearly 160 member institutions of the Association for Biblical Higher Education across the United States and Canada applied for the program. Three of the final 30 students selected were from CSU.

Lydia Peters, of Allentown, PA, and Josh Fowler, of Chillicothe, OH, both participated in the writing portion of the intensive while Sam Ford, of Montrose, PA, participated in the design portion. These students received a three-year contract to submit work to Reclaim Today with the opportunity to have their work published.

Part of Our Daily Bread Ministries, Reclaim Today appeals to the Gen Z and Millennial generations by providing biblical truth and encouragement that allow readers to “connect with God in the ordinary, extraordinary, everyday moments of life.”

CSU Associate Professor Sarah Scranta was instrumental in assisting the students during the application and travel process for the Intensive. She says the Intensive poured into the lives of young people who will build the content that points people to Christ. Reclaim Today plans to have two more years of the Intensive in partnership with ABHE.

Peters, a sophomore Communications-Writing major with a minor in Youth Ministries, has a heart for missions and a desire for her words to encourage and help others. Peters is an editor and a writer for “Vantage Magazine,” a digital magazine for creative expression, career preparation and community interaction, produced by CSU students. She particularly enjoys writing poetry. 

Scranta said, “Lydia is dependable, flexible and open to challenges in her academic pursuits. She is a careful thinker and highly regarded by her peers.”

A sophomore Accelerated Counseling major, Fowler writes to encourage and to provide hope. Fowler writes primarily journalistic nonfiction pieces and devotionals and is a contributing writer for Vantage Magazine.

He said, “I love using my writing to help other people. I want for my creative pieces to teach lessons that you do not hear very often. I want my journalistic nonfiction pieces to inspire those who are going through hardship. I want for my devotional pieces to challenge people to grow in their relationship with Christ.” He continued, “the conversation on mental health is growing in popularity, and it is important that the voices involved in the conversation are speaking the truth of the gospel.”

Fowler aspires to use his writing and his counseling training “to publish material in the future that would help families and churches grow in their ability to converse on difficult topics like grief, brokenness, sexuality, forgiveness and identity.” He said, “I believe that I can use my skills to ask questions to bring about discussion, which in turn could bring about change.”

Scranta said, “[Fowler] is dependable, flexible, willing to take on learning and writing challenges and is a source of encouragement for his peers.”

Ford, a junior Communications major with a minor in Pastoral Ministries, believes design is the best way for him to communicate a message of hope to a culture hungry for it. 

He said, “I really enjoy design, because although it is a very corporate branch of art; it is effective in its reach, as it can be printed onto anything. A painted canvas in an art gallery is beautiful, but we only view it occasionally; whereas a design, printed onto our favorite item, we will see daily. In summary, ‘art communicates.’”

Ford works at CSU’s Underground Café. He served as an intern and produced digital designs for Lincoln Lake Baptist Youth Camp. He also designed his residence hall’s apparel. Scranta said, “[Ford’s] sense of humor and creativity contribute to his academic success. He is also a careful thinker who seeks to serve others through his design work.”