Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre Opens New Cardiology Clinic Geisinger has opened a new cardiology clinic on the campus of Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre to make heart-care services more accessible to the community and better health easier for patients in northeastern Pennsylvania. The newly renovated space at 50 Roosevelt Terrace offers pediatric and adult cardiology services, providing care for adult patients with congenital heart disease, and featuring noninvasive diagnostics like echocardiography and electrocardiography. Pediatric spaces were specifically designed to calm the youngest congenital-heart patients. Staffed daily with cardiologists, advanced practitioners, sonographers and technicians to accommodate both pediatric and adult patients, the refinished clinic features a new echocardiography bed, electrocardiography (ECG or EKG) machine, and high-end blanketwarmingcabinet. “We know patients have wanted a cardiology practice to come back to the South Wilkes-Barre community for some time, and we wanted to provide that service again,” said Kelly Austin, RN,operations manager for the clinic. “This practice will increase appointments available to cardiology patients in Luzerne County and bring cardiology services closer to home for patients in or near South Wilkes-Barre.” Pediatric cardiologist Dr. Karen Lurito will lead pediatric cardiology services at the clinic, and she is passionate about expanding heart care in the northeast. “In one place, you get a full spectrum of care. We have the ability to treat children with cardiovascular disease and continue that specialized care as they mature,” Lurito said, noting the importance of lifelong care for the growing number of patients who now live longer with congenital heart disease due to advancements in treatment. Patients who need additional heart-care services can take advantage of the robust cardiology and congenital heart disease programs at Geisinger. For example, services in interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, cardiac surgery, pediatric stress testing and metabolic stress testing are all available in the northeast at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center. And pediatric and congenital heart surgery services are offered at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville. Systemwide, the congenital heart team has been strengthened recently with the addition of a surgeon with 30 years of experience to lead pediatric and adult congenital heart surgery and a certified registered nurse practitioner well-versed in building adult congenital heart disease programs. The team also features cardiologists who have achieved Adult Congenital Heart Disease board certification and can care for patients throughout their lives. Care even extends to the maternal and fetal medicine clinic, where pediatric cardiologists will do echocardiography on fetuses. “We will care for you from your prenatal days all the way through adulthood,” Lurito said.
Johnson College Offers Free College Readiness for STEM Occupations Program Johnson College is offering a free eight-week College Readiness for STEM Occupations program for teenagers ages 14 to 18 years old, from low-income families, who live in Lackawanna County. The program starts Wednesday, April 21, 2021, and continues every Wednesday and Thursday from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. for eight-weeks. The program includes dinner for students and transportation between Scranton High School and the Johnson College campus if needed. For eligibility requirements and to register, contact Dr. Kellyn Williams, Johnson College’s Chief Academic Officer at knolan@johnson.edu or 570-702-8940. This program is supported by a grant from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. The College Readiness for STEM Occupations program includes presentations and hands-on discovery activities designed to increase awareness of career opportunities in the STEM workforce and to improve college-readiness skills. Participants are evaluated throughout the program based on attendance and discussion. The program will: Increase awareness of STEM-related occupations.Increase awareness of two-year options for post-secondary education.Designed for all students, not just those who will pursue post-secondary education or careers in STEM or STEM-related fields.Develop skills necessary for success in college and career.Increase student potential for academic and personal success through knowledge of campus resources. Students who complete the program with at least 80% attendance will receive college credit (a $550 value). To qualify for the college credit, students will be required to sign-in at each session to verify attendance. For additional information on Johnson College, please call 1-800-2-WE-WORK, email enroll@johnson.edu, or visit Johnson.edu.
The Wright Center for Community Health Names Two New Practice Managers The Wright Center for Community Health recently promoted two longtime clinical employees to the leadership roles of Practice Managers. Kimeth Robinson will lead The Wright Center’s Kingston Practice at 2 Sharpe Street. A graduate of McCann School of Business, Robinson joined The Wright Center in 2016 as a medical assistant. She most recently served as medical scribe for Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, President/CEO of The Wright Center, and as Co-Manager of Medical Assistants, responsible for monitoring patient care quality and coordination as well as daily oversight of all medical assistants on staff. Robinson resides in Peckville. Mary Georgetti will lead The Wright Center’s Wilkes-Barre Practice located inside the Children’s Service Center building at 335 South Franklin Street. A Wyoming Valley West High School graduate, Georgetti joined The Wright Center in 2011 as an administrative assistant. She most recently served as a practice coordinator for The Wright Center’s Luzerne County offices, maintaining physician schedules, electronic health records and community outreach. Georgetti resides in Plains Twp. As Practice Managers, both Robinson and Georgetti will be responsible for the daily operations of their respective locations, including oversight of patient flow, staff and services. The Wilkes-Barre and Kingston practices are home to physicians and clinical staff who provide primary and preventive care for pediatric, adult and geriatric patients, including routine check-ups, sick visits, behavioral/mental health, and addiction and recovery services. “Kimeth and Mary have proven themselves as reliable leaders who each represent the very best of The Wright Center’s core values, as they are exceptional team players who strive for excellence in service to our communities every day,” said Kathleen Barry, Deputy Chief Operating Officer of The Wright Center.
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Greater Scranton YMCA Rally for the Y Fundraiser The Greater Scranton YMCA is proud to announce our very own Brandon Whipple, Wellness Director, will again participate in the Expresso Bike Challenge: Rally for the Y fundraiser. The 2021 Rally for the Y fundraiser will take place throughout the month of April, with funds raised benefitting the 2021 Annual Support Campaign. Brandon will ride as many miles as he can on the Expresso Bike throughout the month. Last year, he logged 300 miles on the bike and raised $3,000. This year, his goal is to raise $5,000. In addition to what Brandon raised, Expresso will donate $0.10 for every mile he rides. “In this line of work, raising money for those in need is very important,” said Brandon. “Giving those who are less fortunate a chance to come be part of our YMCA where they can make new friends and feel like they belong is an amazing feeling. The fact that I am able to raise money while exercising is an added bonus.” Funds raised for the Annual Support Campaign support the Y’s financial assistance program. Last year, the Y awarded $373,275 in scholarships to children, adults and families from our community, allowing them to benefit from all the Y has to offer. We believe that together, we can provide a Y membership for those struggling with chronic disease; child care for parents who need to go to work; a safe, nurturing space for kids to attend school remotely; and outreach to seniors who are feeling isolated. To support the 2021 Rally for the Y fundraiser, simply visit us online and choose the 2021 Rally for the Y campaign. If preferred, you can also mail a check to the Y. Please note Rally for the Y on the memo line and mail to the Greater Scranton YMCA, 706 N. Blakely Street, Dunmore, PA 18512.
CANPACK Group Hosts Ceremonial Event The CANPACK Group held a ceremonial event on Friday March 19 with state and local officials along with community leaders. A short program was presented marking the 908,000-square-foot aluminum can manufacturing plant being completely under roof with final construction expected to be in May. In July of 2020, The CANPACK Group – a subsidiary of Blandon, PA-based GIORGI GLOBAL HOLDINGS, INC. (GGHI) – announced the construction a state of the art aluminum beverage can body and ends manufacturing plant. President and CEO of GGHI Peter Giorgi remarked that “this is CANPACK’s first plant in the United States and will feature a North American Center of Excellence which will demonstrate our R&D and lithographic capabilities. In anticipation of this ceremonial event, Mr. Giorgi added: “We are extremely excited to be bringing CANPACK to the United States and to my home state of Pennsylvania, and we are very pleased that Roberto Villaquiran, CEO of the CANPACK Group, will be joining us in person for this event as well as our leadership team for CANPACK US.” The new $366 million facility in Olyphant will create more than 400 skilled and semi-skilled jobs. CANPACK will open the first of its assembly lines in September with further lines to follow.Roberto Villaquiran, CANPACK’s CEO, notes that “providing life sustaining jobs while creating essential packaging products which can be recycled again and again is foundational with respect to CANPACK’s focus on sustainability, being a responsible corporate citizen, and passionately serving the needs of our customers.” Brooke Lipperini, HR Manager o f CANPACK US, added, “We are hiring passionate and dedicated individuals to join our team. This is an exciting time for CANPACK and we welcome those who want to be a part of the creation of a major manufacturing facility that brings great sustainable product to our great country.” Learn more at Canpack.com.
Chamber Celebrates 2021 SAGE Award Winners at Chamber Gala Photos by Todd Hiller Photography We hosted its Chamber Gala this evening, presenting the 2021 SAGE Awards – the Scranton Awards for Growth and Excellence. This year’s event was a hybrid celebration with SAGE finalists and award sponsors joining us at the Hilton Scranton & Conference Center, while other guests enjoyed viewing parties from home via Zoom. Chamber president, Bob Durkin, and Chamber board chair, Patrick Fricchione, opened the ceremony thanking all finalists, award sponsors, and Gala sponsors for their dedication to the NEPA community. Our emcee for the evening was Thom Welby, with musical entertainment provided by Lexington Entertainment. The SAGE Awards honor outstanding local businesses for their talent, creativity, and innovation. This year, the awards were enhanced to honor and recognize the innovation our local businesses employed due to COVID-19. The Chamber congratulates all finalists and winners of the 2021 SAGE Awards. The winners in each category are: BEST PRACTICES IN COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT• Coal CreativeBEST PRACTICES IN CUSTOMER SERVICE• Maternal and Family Health ServicesBEST PRACTICES IN MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS• Posture Interactive BUSINESS OF THE YEAR• Fidelity Bank HOMETOWN STAR• Food for All Campaign at The Settlers Inn IMPACT: COMMUNITY OUTREACH• DePietro’s Pharmacy IMPACT: PEOPLE AND CULTURE• Penn Foster IMPACT: PRODUCTS AND SERVICES• Woodloch Resort NEW AND EMERGING BUSINESS OF THE YEAR• Space Time Mead & Cider Works NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR• Keystone Mission PEOPLE’S CHOICE• Hematology & Oncology Associates of NEPA SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR• United Sports Academy
Everhart Museum Begins Second Sunday Folk Arts Series In partnership with the PA Council on the Arts Folk & Traditional Initiative, the Everhart Museum is working to sustain cultural and artistic practices rooted in people’s histories, traditions, and everyday lives in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming counties.To share and educate the community on the creative practices rooted in our region’s traditions, the Museum has introduced the Second Sunday Folk Arts Series. The series will feature a different Folk or Traditional Artist each month. The Second Sundays Folk Art Series began at 2:00 pm on Sunday, March 14th as an online presentation.“The Second Sunday Folk Art Series allows us to honor and highlight some of our region’s amazing artists who have spent their lives practicing, performing, and preserving traditional arts,” said Stefanie Colarusso, the Museum’s Director of Programs and Events. “We have an amazing line-up for 2021. Some of the artists we’ll feature may be familiar to you, and some you’ll be learning about for the first time. Each one of them has incredible stories to share about their journey within their own art form.”The folk and traditional arts often come from a specific ethnic, religious, linguistic, occupational, or regional group. Folk and traditional arts practices are shaped and shared within families, neighborhoods, and communities and are passed down from one generation to another.“It is a program celebrating not only each artist’s art form but, more specifically, it is an exploration of their own journey within that art. Stories of the artists’ upbringing, their personal inspirations and teachers, their own artistic processes, and the way they have shared this art with others are also highlighted in the programs,” said Kimberly Crafton, host of the Second Sundays Series.Those who will be presenting are Maxwell Kofi Donkor, Gaston (Bonga) Jean-Baptiste, Nina Kouznetsov, Frank LittleBear, Peg McDade, Sujata Nair-Mulloth, Mona Pande, Leo Schott, Jr., Doug Smith, and Dr. Kathy Wang.The initiative seeks to identify and document traditional artists in the NEPA region, assist those artists in keeping their traditions and create community access to folk arts through presentations, performances, workshops, and other programs.A full schedule of the Second Sundays Folk Art Series is available on the Museum’s website https://everhart-museum.org/second-sunday-folk-art-series-virtual-ongoing/
