Lackawanna College Receives Grant to Support Adult Literacy Lackawanna College was recently awarded a $5,000 grant from The Dollar General Literacy Foundation (DGLF) to support adult literacy. This local grant is a part of the Foundation’s more than $10.6 million donated to support adult, family and summer literacy programs in the 48 states in which Dollar General operates. With today’s grants, the DGLF also surpasses helping more than 20 million individuals achieve their educational dreams since its inception in 1993. The Lackawanna Language Academy (LLA) will provide free ESL classes to benefit the residents of Hazleton, PA. The LLA will offer three, 10-week ESL classes that will occur in Summer and Fall 2024 and Winter 2025. Experienced ESL Instructors will provide responsive, individualized, in-person instruction of literacy skills. Additionally, take-home lessons will assist Spanish-speaking individuals with limited English proficiency to improve their speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills by at least 2 proficiency levels to attain Adult Basic English proficiency. Lackawanna College also offers Continuing Education Certifications for the Workforce and an English Proficiency college certificate in an 18-credit program that advances English learning and prepares learners for college-level work. “We believe individuals of all ages deserve access to a quality education, and the Dollar General Literacy Foundation is thrilled to support thousands of learners across the country as they enrich their lives with literacy and education,” shared Denine Torr, executive director of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. “This year’s spring grant cycle is equally exciting as we surpass impacting more than 20 million individuals. We hope these funds provide resources needed to positively change students’ lives, helping them to build a brighter future for themselves and generations to come.” The Dollar General Literacy Foundation supports organizations that increase access to educational programming, stimulate and enable innovation in the delivery of educational instruction and inspire a love of reading. Each year, DGLF awards funds to nonprofit organizations, schools, and libraries within a 15-mile radius of a Dollar General store or distribution center to support adult, family, summer and youth literacy programs. The Foundation also offers a student referral program for individuals interested in learning how to read, speak English, or prepare for the high school equivalency exam. Referrals to a local organization that provides free literacy services are available online here or through referral cards found in the Learn to Read brochures that are available at the cash register of every Dollar General store.
Geisinger Mail-order and Specialty Pharmacies Receive URAC Accreditation Geisinger Mail-Order Pharmacy has earned the Utilization Review Accreditation Commission (URAC) accreditation for Mail Service Pharmacy and Geisinger Specialty Pharmacy received re-accreditation from URAC Specialty Pharmacy Accreditation. By achieving these accreditations, the mail-order and specialty pharmacies continue their personalized approach to the specialized pharmacy and medication needs of their patients. “Geisinger Pharmacy finds ways to provide our patients affordable options when it comes to their prescriptions and other pharmacy needs,” said Michael Evans, chief pharmacy officer for Geisinger. “As a URAC-accredited organization, we meet rigorous standards for health care quality, safety and accountability while continuing to make better health easier for our patients in central Pennsylvania.” URAC is the independent leader in promoting health care quality by setting high standards for clinical practice, consumer protections, performance measurement, operations infrastructure and risk management. “Mail service and specialty pharmacies provide a critical connection for patients receiving specialized pharmaceutical care,” said URAC President and CEO Shawn Griffin, M.D. “URAC’s Mail Service Pharmacy Accreditation recognizes excellence in the areas of pharmacy operations, medication distribution and patient service and communication, all of which are valuable components of the patient care experience.” Geisinger Specialty Pharmacy also received reaccreditation through the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) in 2023. To learn more about pharmacy options through Geisinger, visit geisinger.org/pharmacy.
Scranton Area Community Foundation Announces 2024 Scholarship Recipients Scranton Area Community Foundation has awarded twenty students from thirteen different high schools a prestigious scholarship through the James F. Swift Scholarship Fund. This competitive scholarship provides $5,000 per year for each recipient for up to four years to assist with continuing education expenses. The following students are first-time recipients of a James F. Swift Scholarship: Noah Beckish (North Pocono), Caden Brennan (Carbondale), Jocelyn Brown (Carbondale), Holly Burke (Scranton Preparatory), Carolyn Chakiris (Mid Valley), Elizabeth Cummings (Old Forge), Celia Emiliani (West Scranton), Kate Evans (West Scranton), Nikauri Fernandez (Holy Cross), Emma Field (Scranton), Sarah Goetter (Mid Valley), Geanna Kirchner (Dunmore), Savannah Lockwood (Dunmore), Antonia Piraino (Lakeland), Allyson Stafursky (Valley View), Makenna Stugus (Abington Heights), Alexa Williams (Riverside), Sarah Wolfe (Riverside), Meghan Wong (Scranton), and Angela Zeng (Abington Heights). In addition to the 20 new recipients, there were 57 James F. Swift Scholarship renewals in 2024. The following students are recipients of a James F. Swift Scholarship Renewal in 2024: Ava Aulisio, Emma Aversa, Jacquelyn Bitter, Alexander Bond, Jillian Brennan, Cameron Butka, Joel Cali, Sofia Capozzi, Kaeden Carr, Riley Clarke, Ryan Coleman, Alyssa Cosklo, Ava Decker, Jayden Evans, Erileidi Fernandez, Sofia Flores-Weidner, Hunter Geise, Sadid Hassan, Courtney Hazelton, Matthew Howard, Emma Illian, Elina Joshi, Michael Kazmierczak, Eliana King, Kendal Johnson, Lorna Lynch, Dana Mackin, Hailey Matechak, Sara McCormack, Finley McHale, David McKenney, Thomas Milewski, Connor Monahan, Ayman Mounota, Owen Morgan, Julia Murphy, Mia Muskey, Paige Pezanowski, Ron Prislupski, Meredith Purcell, Mila Racibor, Ritu Regmi, Taralyn Reilly, Lexee Risner, Michael Rodyushkin, Kayla Rose, Chloee Rumford, Ryan Salony, Michael Sewack, Gabrielle Snee, Christian Snee, Ethan Symuleski, Alexis Tanana, Benjamin Thompson, Martin Turi, Jayde Waibel, and Molly White. The James F. Swift Scholarship Fund has awarded over $5 million since 2008, benefiting over 340 local students. Created in 2002 through a gift by Mr. James F. Swift to the Scranton Area Community Foundation, the James F. Swift Scholarship Fund supports higher education for students graduating from high schools in Lackawanna County. Following Mr. Swift’s death in 2006, the Scranton Area Community Foundation gratefully received a significant gift from his estate to the scholarship fund, allowing many students from Lackawanna County to pursue their academic and professional goals through higher education. The scholarship aims to provide an ongoing matriculation stream at Lackawanna County colleges and universities. The Scranton Area Community Foundation aims to award 75% of the scholarships to students who plan to attend institutions of higher learning in the Lackawanna County region. Scranton Area Community Foundation President and CEO Laura Ducceschi praised Mr. Swift’s generosity, noting that “he has left a permanent and enduring legacy for our region’s youth. His scholarship fund makes higher education more attainable for generations of students.” The Scranton Area Community Foundation partners with the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) in the Partnership for Access to Higher Education (PATH) Program to offer qualifying students additional financial aid. Through PHEAA, scholarship recipients may be eligible for additional dollars toward their tuition. For more information on the James F. Swift Scholarship Fund at the Scranton Area Community Foundation, please contact Brittany Pagnotti, Communications Director of the Scranton Area Community Foundation, at 570-347-6203.
Geisinger Announces Medical Center Expansion Geisinger officials today announced major plans to make better health easier for the central Susquehanna Valley and beyond with a proposed $880 million expansion of Geisinger Medical Center. The proposed project will feature a new 11-story tower that will be constructed at the front of the hospital, near an expanded main entrance area. This expansion will dramatically alter and improve the Geisinger Medical Center campus through modern spaces and tools to meet the region’s current and future healthcare needs, focusing particularly on patient experience and high-level care. The new tower will feature a larger emergency room to serve more patients and provide a more efficient flow of care. The new ER will double the square footage of the current space and increase it from 45 beds to 60 beds. Updated and expanded intensive care units and operating suites will surround the ER to allow collaboration between teams as they care for the sickest and most severely injured patients. The hospital will transition to a 100% private-room facility for a more comforting and modern healing environment, so each patient will have their own room to recover and be with their loved ones. It also allows more space for teams to work collaboratively on a patient’s care plan. “Our community has depended on Geisinger for world-class health care for more than a century,” said Terry Gilliland, M.D., president and CEO of Geisinger. “We’re continuing that legacy today as we announce the largest expansion project in the nearly 110-year history of Geisinger Medical Center. This project will truly transform care. It’s proof of our commitment to making better health easier for our communities today and into the future.” Beyond the clinical expansion, the project improves campus convenience with a proposed multi-level parking garage near the front of the hospital. The garage will connect to the hospital with an enclosed sky bridge, offering patients and visitors an easy way to reach the facility and its emergency services. The parking garage also will better connect the hospital with the Pine Barn Inn, which will continue operations adjacent to the hospital. “This project will completely reimagine the Geisinger Medical Center campus to strengthen collaboration among our staff and units for better patient care,” said Megan Brosious, chief administrative officer for Geisinger’s central region. “Our patients will have a modern care environment where they can continue receiving expert care right here in Danville, as they’vecome to expect from us over the past century. And our teams will have the space they need to provide that care.”The investment comes at a time when the need for expanded health care access is growing in Pennsylvania and across the country. In central Pennsylvania, the 65 and older population, which typically requires more health resources and specialized care, is expected to grow over the next decade. This expansion marks the latest investment in the region’s health needs. The system recently started construction on Geisinger Behavioral Health Center Danville, a 96-bed inpatient facility in Mahoning Township that’s expected to open in 2025. Geisinger Medical Center provides specialized treatment options and services not widely available in the region, including Level I trauma care, transplant surgery, advanced cancer care and Geisinger Janet Weis Children’s Hospital. It is also a Magnet hospital and a Comprehensive Stroke Center, and it was the first hospital in the country to receive a Comprehensive Heart Attack Center designation in 2022.Danville’s project is happening in parallel with a similar expansion at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center near Wilkes-Barre. These investments underscore Geisinger’s commitment to creating a better patient experience for northeastern and central Pennsylvanians.Geisinger Medical Center campus development work is already underway, with a roadway project in front of the hospital that will improve traffic flow. The Danville expansion project is expected to begin in 2025, starting with the planned demolition of Dickey Clinic to make room for the tower. Tower construction will occur in phases with the new tower slated to open in 2028. The last expansion on the campus occurred in 2010 with the opening of the Hospital for Advanced Medicine tower.
Allied Services Employee Earns Health Executive Qualification Allied Services Integrated Health System is proud to announce that Brianna Hoban, NHA, PCHA, Administrator of Allied Services Skilled Nursing Center in Scranton, has earned the prestigious Health Services Executive (HSE) qualification from the National Association of Long-Term Care Administrator Boards (NAB). This achievement underscores Hoban’s dedication to excellence in long-term care and her commitment to continuous professional development. The HSE qualification is a significant milestone for healthcare administrators. It reflects a comprehensive understanding of the various aspects of long-term care, including nursing homes, assisted living, hospice, and home and community-based services. It serves as a benchmark of quality and competence, ensuring that leaders in the field are well-equipped to manage and improve long-term care services across different settings. Brianna Hoban has been a vital part of Allied Services. She previously served as the Assistant Administrator before taking on her current role as Administrator of Allied Services Scranton Skilled Nursing Center, a 327-bed facility. In addition, she holds the position of Assistant Vice President of Skilled Nursing Administration, where she provides operational and administrative support to the leaders of Allied Services’ Wilkes-Barre-based skilled nursing facilities. Hoban’s educational background includes a degree in Health Services Administration from Marywood University. Her HSE qualification attainment enables Hoban to enhance her expertise further and bring innovative, high-quality care solutions to the patients and families served by Allied Services. This accomplishment allows her to continue her pursuit of knowledge and make an even more powerful impact on the long-term care continuum, benefiting the entire community. “We are incredibly proud of Brianna’s achievement,” said Senior Vice President of Skilled Nursing, James Cooney. “Her dedication to advancing her knowledge and skills exemplifies the values of Allied Services and our commitment to providing exceptional care. Brianna’s leadership and expertise are invaluable assets to our team and the individuals we serve.” Allied Services remains committed to fostering professional growth among its staff and continually improving the quality of care provided. Congratulations to Brianna Hoban on this outstanding accomplishment.
Cooper’s to Present Memorial Block Party Cooper’s Seafood Restaurant has joined forces with Dr. Jen’s Hope again to present Dr. Jen’s Hope Memorial Block Party, which will be held on Sunday, August 11th. This event will be honoring the 10 years of service Dr. Jen’s Hope has dedicated to our communities. The event will take place from 12:00pm – 7:00pm, and will feature food and drinks, live entertainment, basket raffles, and more. We are looking for the support of local businesses and organizations in the forms of presenting sponsor, t-shirt sponsors, gift certificates/baskets, cash donations, and/or other. Dr. Jen’s Hope has been funding initiatives locally and globally to aid in the lives of children and those who care for them. The organization has provided assistance to health clinics, local nonprofits, and educational institutions. Without the continued support of our community none of this would be possible. This year, Dr. Jen’s Hope will be donating to two local charities; Brandon’s Forever Home and Adopt a Single Mom Project. Brandon’s Forever Home is an organization dedicated to the betterment of the lives of Pennsylvania foster children via providing basic needs such as hygiene products, clothes, shoes, luggage, etc. The Adopt a Single Mom Project provides support and resources to single mothers in NEPA including financial services, career development, as well as programs for mothers and children. Thank you in advance for your consideration and support.
