The Wright Center for Community Health Announces Open Enrollment Event to Assist with Applying for Health Insurance Coverage

Area residents buying health insurance on Pennie, the state’s marketplace exchange, will have more plans to choose from and may pay lower premiums this year thanks to pandemic relief efforts. In order to help community members understand benefits available to them, The Wright Center for Community Health will offer free, in-person assistance on Friday, Dec. 10 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at its Scranton Practice, 501 S. Washington Ave.

Wright Center certified assisters will provide free advice on health care coverage and help people sign up for a plan that meets their needs through Pennie, the replacement for healthcare.gov as Pennsylvania’s official site for choosing health insurance plans. Enrollment is open through Jan. 15, 2022, though plans must be purchased by Dec. 31 for coverage to begin Jan. 1 of next year.

At the Dec. 10 event, Wright Center enrollment assisters will:

  • Explain benefit options;
  • Find the best plan to fit every budget, and
  • Check eligibility for financial assistance.

To schedule an appointment, call Kristen Welch, outreach and enrollment navigator at The Wright Center, at 570.209.3737 or email WelchK@thewrightcenter.org. Please include your full name and phone number. Attendees are asked to enter the event through the patient entrance of the Scranton practice, located on the parking lot side of the building, where an enrollment table will be set up inside the lobby.

The Wright Center’s enrollment assisters are trained to help people identify and enroll in trusted affordable health insurance coverage options, providing them with a financial safety net and greater access to care. The confidential face-to-face meeting will help people better understand their options and assist them in the enrollment process.

“We know there are many residents in our area who remain uninsured and may not be offered coverage through work. Health insurance coverage is a basic human right and enrollment events like ours provide answers to the community regarding affordable health care options,” said Welch.

Anyone who suddenly lost their employer-sponsored coverage or is currently not insured should contact The Wright Center’s Enrollment Department as soon as possible by calling 570.591.5253. These individuals might qualify for a special enrollment period.

The Wright Center is a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike. All patients are provided access to health care regardless of their ability to pay. People who are not insured or lack adequate coverage might be eligible for the sliding fee discount program, which allows The Wright Center to reduce fees for eligible patients, depending on household income and family size. Visit thewrightcenter.org/sliding-fee-scale for more information.

The Wright Center for Community Health Receives Federal Funding to Support Telehealth Services

The Federal Communications Commission’s Wireline Competition Bureau recently awarded a nearly $500,000 grant to The Wright Center for Community Health in collaboration with Endless Mountains Health Systems to support telehealth infrastructure that serves patients in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties.

The $491,814 grant was made available through the federal COVID-19 Telehealth Program: Round 2. The Wright Center was also the recipient of $629,051 in grant funding for Round 1 of the program.

The new round of grant funding supports the purchase and installation of secure telehealth devices and supporting systems. The new technology will expand and enhance telehealth capacity for both health care systems, including check-ins, triage, care delivery and follow-up appointments with video conferencing and telehealth audio calls at regional community health practices in Northeast Pennsylvania.

“We are extremely grateful for this generous federal award to enhance access to and the delivery of essential health services related to COVID-19,” said Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and chief executive officer of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. “These crucial resources will have a long-term, positive impact on enhancing access to primary preventive care and chronic disease management services for patients, including those with substance use disorder.

“We are equally thrilled to have partnered with Endless Mountains Health Systems on this initiative and to be delivering these critical resources to the rural community they serve.”

Endless Mountains Health Systems, a federally designated critical access hospital, is a not-for-profit 25-bed acute care hospital with emergency services and ancillary services. Critical access hospitals, while vital to the health and welfare of the communities they serve, are challenged often in accessing the resources and capacity to set up their own telehealth infrastructure.

Including Endless Mountains Health Systems as a strategic partner and pursuing support for their technology needs enhanced The Wright Center’s grant application and vital regional health system connectivity.

A successful FCC Round 1 recipient, The Wright Center’s partnership with Endless Mountains Health Systems further extends impactful telehealth reach in rural Pennsylvania during the pandemic. The new funding stream enhances access for patients served by Endless Mountains Health Systems by providing them an opportunity to tele-connect with their health care providers.

In addition, the technology will be compliant by federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) standards for patient-doctor interaction. Telemonitors, kiosks and related mobile devices will serve as the patient-doctor platform for the exchange of electronic health records, telehealth visits and information services, while enhancing the platform between patient portals and digital applications that support scheduling, show rates and follow-up telehealth visits for COVID-19-related services.

Overall, telehealth services facilitate public health strategies, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, by increasing social distancing and offering additional flexibility for patients and providers that can save time and resources. E-visits also afford continuity of care, which can prevent negative consequences due to delays in preventive, chronic and routine care.

The Wright Center Names New Associate Vice President of Development and Patient & Community Engagement

The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education recently named Laurie LaMaster as associate vice president of development and Patient & Community Engagement.

A veteran of the regional media market, LaMaster spent 12 years as vice president of promotion and marketing at WNEP-TV 16. Most recently, she was director of marketing and promotion at KMTV-3 News Now in Omaha, Nebraska, where she oversaw marketing, advertising, promotion, public relations and creative services.

“I am excited to work collaboratively with my colleagues and members of the community to ensure everyone has access to health care so they can live their life to the fullest,” said LaMaster. “Our efforts will raise community awareness and also raise the necessary funds to deliver preventive and primary care to the communities that need it most.”

At The Wright Center, LaMaster will pilot a proactive model of community fundraising and awareness, and create and implement a fundraising and community engagement strategic plan to increase awareness of the organization and grow revenue. She will identify, create, launch and execute fundraising opportunities and special events with oversight from the Patient & Community Engagement board.

Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement board is comprised of resident physicians, physician faculty, administration and staff. Members focus on improving access to health care while addressing the negative social and economic determinants of health, such as food and housing insecurity, poverty and access to education that negatively affect the overall well-being of people. Volunteers provide oversight, direction and support for Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement team members.

“We are excited to welcome Ms. LaMaster to our team and community,” said William Waters, co-chair of The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement board. “Her familiarity and knowledge of the region will benefit our growing network of community health centers and resident physician learners that are dedicated to providing comprehensive primary and preventive health care to the citizens who need it most in Northeast Pennsylvania.”

Overall, LaMaster’s role will support the regional nonprofit’s mission and vision to improve the health and welfare of the community through inclusive and responsive health services and the sustainable renewal of an inspired, competent workforce of physicians.

The Wright Center Offering Holiday Pictures with Santa Claus and COVID-19 Vaccinations

The Wright Center for Community Health is combining holiday tradition and spirit with an important public health initiative in December to ensure every family member in Northeast Pennsylvania can safely celebrate the joyous holiday season.

“Pictures with Santa,” will enable children of all ages to carefully recite their wish list to the jolly old elf, as parents snap pictures of the treasured moment and participate in one of the vaccine clinics. The Wright Center will be offering the pediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children, ages 5-11, with their parent’s permission, and vaccines for adults.

The holiday-themed events will be available free to the public at The Wright Center for Community Health’s Scranton Practice, 501 S. Washington Ave., Scranton, on Friday Dec. 3 from 2-5:30 p.m., and Mid Valley Practice, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn, on Sunday, Dec. 5 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The pediatric Pfizer vaccine will be available at both vaccination clinics. The Moderna vaccine will be administered at the Scranton Practice and the Mid Valley Practice will have the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines for people who are 12 and older.

To schedule a vaccine appointment at the Scranton or Mid Valley practices, please go to TheWrightCenter.org and click on the “make an appointment” link at the top, center of the page and follow the directions.

The vaccine clinic will be available simultaneously at both locations during “Pictures with Santa.” Parents can choose to have their children vaccinated before visiting Santa or after the annual tradition. The special event enables children and their families to participate in the holiday festivities in a safe and socially-distanced manner and meet Santa for a picture. Guests are invited to capture the special moments with their personal cameras.

COVID-19 masking will be required for everyone who participates in the event.

“Vaccination is the best tool to keep ourselves and our children safe from COVID-19,” said Geraldine McAndrew, the director of Patient & Community Engagement “We carry our mission directly into the communities we serve, and hope to take the opportunity to encourage children and families to get vaccinated.”

To reserve a time for a photo with Santa, please call McAndrew at 570-267-4199 or email her at McAndrewG@TheWrightCenter.org.

The Wright Center Receives $50,000 Federal Grant to Provide COVID-19 Testing to Underserved Populations

The Wright Center for Community Health announces it has been selected as a recipient of $50,000 in grant funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to improve access to COVID-19 testing for the region’s underserved and vulnerable populations, including rural residents.

The NIH made the funding available through its Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics-Underserved Populations (RADx-UP) initiative. Organizers of the federally supported project aim to ensure that all Americans, especially populations most affected by the pandemic, have access to COVID-19 testing.

The Wright Center plans to use the funding to deploy its mobile medical unit, called Driving Better Health, to expand testing availability in rural areas of Susquehanna and Wayne counties. The mobile unit also will build upon its current COVID-19 outreach in southern Luzerne County, serving residents of Greater Hazleton including its significant Spanish-speaking population.

Since March 2020, The Wright Center’s practices have conducted about 29,000 COVID-19 tests.

The Wright Center’s proposed grant-funded activities in Northeast Pennsylvania will be overseen by the RADx-UP Coordination and Data Collection Center (CDCC), led by the Duke Clinical Research Institute and the University of North Carolina School of Medicine’s Center for Health Equity Research.

The data – and the lessons – compiled during this RADx-UP CDCC Community Collaboration Mini-Grant Program will assist in bringing an end to the pandemic, addressing the nation’s long-standing health disparities and preparing for future public health challenges.

“The COVID-19 crisis is far from over,” according to information on the RADx-UP website. “Although vaccines are available for most people, testing remains a life-saving tool for many communities as the percentage of people who are vaccinated varies from place to place. Beyond the pandemic, the strategies public health leaders use to address testing (and vaccine) equity may inform how we address the larger structural inequalities and consequently improve health and save lives in the long term.”

Pediatrician joins The Wright Center for Community Health’s Mid Valley Practice

The Wright Center for Community Health has named Dr. Manju Mary Thomas, a pediatrician, as medical director of Pediatrics and Community-Based Medical Home Services. She is accepting infants, children and adolescents as new patients beginning Dec. 20 at the Mid Valley Practice, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn.

Thomas, board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, will also be a pediatric physician faculty member for The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education. The Palmer Township resident completed her residency in pediatrics at Brookdale University Hospital, Brooklyn, New York. She received training in a busy community-based hospital and gained experience in inpatient and outpatient settings, including the pediatric intensive care unit (ICU), neonatal ICU, and general pediatric and adolescent care.

Prior to joining The Wright Center for Community Health, she was an attending pediatrician at Lehigh Valley Health Network. In addition, she was an attending faculty pediatrician at St. Luke’s Hospital – Sacred Heart Campus, Allentown, and chief faculty pediatrician of the family practice residency program at Sacred Heart Star Wellness, a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike similar to The Wright Center for Community Health.

She will provide primary and preventive care for pediatric and adolescent patients at The Wright Center for Community Health. Go to thewrightcenter.org or call the Mid Valley Practice at 570-230-0019 to schedule an appointment with her.

The Wright Center for Community’s Health’s Medical Homes in Scranton and Kingston Nationally Recognized

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) recently announced The Wright Center for Community Health’s Kingston and Scranton practices have received NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Recognition for using evidence-based, patient-centered processes that focus on highly coordinated, team-based care within a network with long-term, participative relationships.

The Kingston and Scranton practices join The Wright Center for Community Health’s Mid Valley, 5 S. Washington St., Jermyn, and Clarks Summit, 1145 Northern Blvd., South Abington Township practices, in earning the recognition seal. The Mid Valley and Clarks Summit practices received the NCQA PCMH honor three years ago and continue with annual formal review to meet the highest standards of the designation.

The NCQA’s PCMH is a model of primary health care that combines teamwork and information technology to improve delivery and coordination of care; experience of care by patients, families and care teams, and enhances affordability with reduced cost of care and waste. The program was developed in 2008 to identify medical practices that have invested in a care model that empowers patients at the forefront, while nurturing a culture of continuous improvement. The NCQA’s recognition program is the most widely adopted PCMH evaluation program in the country.

In order to be considered for PCMH recognition, health care practices must meet key standards in six important areas: Team based care and practice organization, care management and support, know and manage patients, care coordination and care transitions, patient-centered access and continuity, and continued performance measurement and quality improvement. Since its inception, more than 10,000 practice sites and 50,000 clinicians have earned the NCQA PCMH recognition seal.

“We are extremely proud that a national organization has affirmed The Wright Center for Community Health’s commitment to improving the health and welfare of the communities we serve through a patient-centered medical home model approach,” said Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and chief executive officer of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. “This model of care allows us to honor and keep patients at the forefront of everything we do and makes continuous quality improvement our priority.”

The Wright Center for Community Health’s Kingston Practice at 2 Sharpe St., is located in First Hospital. A full-service primary and pediatric care office, family doctors, pediatricians and advanced practitioners provide checkups, physicals, screenings, treatment of common illnesses and injuries, as well as behavioral health, addiction and recovery services, sports medicine and hepatitis C and infectious disease services. Please go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-491-0126 to make an appointment.

The Wright Center for Community Health’s Scranton Practice at 501 S. Washington Ave., is a full-service primary and pediatric care office that also offers dental services as well as rheumatology, sports medicine and infectious disease specialists, including the Ryan White HIV Clinic. Family doctors and advanced practitioners provide checkups, physicals, screenings, treatment of common illnesses and injuries as well as behavioral health and recovery services. To make an appointment, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-941-0630.

Director of Addiction Services at The Wright Center for Community Health Participates in PA Panel Discussion

Maria Kolcharno, L.S.W., director of addiction services for The Wright Center for Community Health, recently participated in a panel discussion at the Pennsylvania Perinatal Quality Collaborative Learning Session that addressed working relationships between Opioid Use Disorder Centers of Excellence and maternity care providers in the commonwealth.

Kolcharno addressed numerous collaborative relationships The Wright Center for Community Health’s Healthy Maternal Opiate Medical Support program (Healthy MOMS) has formed with regional Children & Youth Service agencies, OB-GYN providers and hospital maternity units since it was founded in 2018 to better deliver services.

During the program’s breakout sessions, she outlined workflow charts to assist others in replicating the collaborative relationships and processes the Healthy MOMS program has established with Centers of Excellence and maternity care teams. Topics discussed included best practices in connecting patients with opiate use disorder to local Centers of Excellence.

Established in 2016, The Wright Center for Community Health’s Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence is one of 50 in the state. The program helps individuals in recovery reshape their lifestyles from the comfort of their own communities. Patients visit any of The Wright Center’s primary care practices in Lackawanna, Luzerne or Wayne counties to connect with supportive certified recovery specialists, case managers, social workers, and medical providers who collectively help them break the cycle of addiction through outpatient care.

Linked to The Wright Center’s Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence, the Healthy MOMS program 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, and strives to break the stigma associated with it while building their self-esteem during and after their pregnancies, ideally engaging them in recovery support services.

The Pennsylvania Perinatal Quality Collaborative includes 61 birthing hospitals and newborn intensive care units and 14 health plans in the state. Overall, the organization works to reduce

maternal mortality and improve care for pregnant and postpartum women and newborns affected by opioids.

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 online at healthymoms.org. Go to thewrightcenter.org/services for information about the Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence.

The Wright Center for Community Health Launches Online Smart Bot “Neo”

The Wright Center for Community Health recently launched “Neo,” a secure patient-friendly smart bot on its website to help new and existing patients directly schedule appointments, refill prescriptions, learn about available COVID-19 services and more.

By clicking on the easily identifiable icon, located at the bottom right-hand corner of the website (TheWrightCenter.org), consumers can start a convenient chat session with a live agent. “Neo” can find the nearest primary care location, help schedule an appointment, refill prescriptions, share the latest COVID-19 information, address billing questions and more.

“Neo” begins the online interaction with the user by asking for a first name. It then offers a suite of options. The consumer can select, for example, assistance with making an office appointment with their primary care provider for themselves or a family member.

“The Wright Center for Community Health strives to be on the cutting edge of technology when it comes to providing and delivering the best health care and information possible in Northeast Pennsylvania,” said Jignesh Y. Sheth, M.D., chief medical officer and senior vice president at The Wright Center. “The new technology is all about making it more convenient for patients to take care of their health needs while empowering them to schedule appointments directly online without having to go through a call center.”

Users of the technology can also navigate the system to address their COVID-19 needs. The smart bot allows them to go through a menu of options that will help them effortlessly address vaccination, testing or monoclonal antibody infusion therapy appointments or ask general questions about the pandemic.

In addition, “Neo” has learning capabilities that will streamline and personalize future interactions with the smart technology. HIPAA compliant, the friendly chatbot is safe and secure when it comes to protecting patient privacy. The bot also will be phased into Facebook Messenger and eventually allow for direct SMS texting capabilities.

Licensed Clinical Social Worker Joins The Wright Center

A licensed clinical social worker with experience as a psychiatric therapist and clinical supervisor has joined The Wright Center for Community Health’s Mid Valley Practice at 5 S. Washington St., Jermyn.

Danielle D. Sholcosky, M.S.W., L.C.S.W., C.P.R.P., of Dickson City holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal studies with a minor in human development and family studies from The Pennsylvania State University. She earned her Master in Social Work degree with a behavioral health specialization from Marywood University.

A licensed clinical social worker and licensed social worker, Sholcosky previously worked as a psychiatric therapist at NEPA Community Health Care and as a clinical supervisor and psychiatric therapist at NHS Human Services Agency of NEPA. Sholcosky also served as a support specialist at Step-by-Step, Inc.

At the Wright Center, Sholcosky will provide outpatient individual, group and family therapy services to mental health and substance use disorder patients. To schedule an appointment with Sholcosky at the Mid Valley Practice, please call 570-230-0019