The Wright Center’s Free Health Insurance Enrollment Assistance The Wright Center for Community Health announces that its enrollment assisters are now available to help individuals sign up for appropriate health insurance coverage. Get free, no-pressure and unbiased enrollment information. Call The Wright Center’s Enrollment Department at 570-591-5253, or send an email to twc-insurance-enrollment@thewrightcenter.org. Please include your full name, phone number and place of residence (city, borough or township). Immediately: You can connect with the team for assistance in enrolling in programs such as Medicaid, which is for eligible adults, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which is for kids and teenagers. Also, seniors (ages 65 and older) can talk with the team about the Medicare Low Income Subsidy (LIS) program, which helps certain people with Medicare pay for prescription drugs. Between Nov. 1, 2021, and Jan. 15, 2022: You can participate in open enrollment in the Health Insurance Marketplace, choosing from a variety of insurance products accessible to Pennsylvania residents through an online exchange known as “Pennie.” The Wright Center’s team can help you understand and navigate the choices. (Of course, if you suddenly lose your employer-sponsored coverage or otherwise find yourself without insurance, don’t wait to contact The Wright Center’s Enrollment Department. You might qualify for a special enrollment period.) Enrollment assisters at The Wright Center’s primary care practices in Northeast Pennsylvania, as well as at other health centers and medical facilities, are trained to help people identify and enroll in affordable coverage options, providing them with a financial safety net and greater access to care. Contact the enrollment assisters with your questions. Did you know, for example, that benefits under Pennsylvania’s Medical Assistance (aka Medicaid) program might be available to you, even if you were denied in the past? Gain peace of mind in knowing that you, and your family members, have health insurance coverage that fits your needs and budget. At The Wright Center, which is a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike, all patients are provided access to care regardless of ability to pay. If you are not insured or lack adequate insurance, you might be eligible for its 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’s Rack of Warmth Project Begins November 1 Shane Cobert, Dr. Susan Baroody, Gerri McAndrew and Marah Lettieri set up donations for our Rack of Warmth Project at our Scranton Practice. The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education are working to ensure everyone in the community is ready for the fast-approaching winter season by stocking the annual Rack of Warmth Project with free coats, hats, mittens, scarves and boots for community members in need. Winter clothing will be available at the eight primary care clinics in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wayne counties beginning Nov. 1. The program runs through Feb. 14. The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education are working to ensure everyone in the community is ready for the fast-approaching winter season by stocking the annual Rack of Warmth Project with free coats, hats, mittens, scarves and boots for community members in need. A project of The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement, the annual endeavor features racks of gently used and new coats for children and adults, with other assorted items of all sizes stored below the racks. The racks will be available inside the lobbies of the eight primary care practices in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wayne counties. The theme of the project is simple, according to Geraldine McAndrew, the director of community outreach: “Share a little warmth with our neighbors and friends.” “The Wright Center strives every day to improve the health and welfare of our communities, especially for the most vulnerable people in society” said McAndrew, the director of Patient & Community Engagement. “We carry our mission directly into the communities we serve, addressing financial challenges and food and clothing insecurity. The Rack of Warmth Project immediately addresses the upcoming challenge that’s presented by the winter season – staying warm.” All donations are provided by Wright Center employees and board members due to COVID-19 precautions. Their donations will be dropped off at the clinic of their choice. Donated items also will be machine washed and coats will be stored in dry-cleaning plastic bags for added safety. Members of the community in need of warm garments can select items for themselves, family members, or friends and neighbors beginning Monday, Nov. 1. The initiative runs through Monday, Feb. 14. The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement inspires and nurtures interactions with patients, community members and like-minded organizations to energize The Wright Center’s mission to focus on patient and community engagement and support. Overall, it focuses on improving access to health care while addressing the negative social and economic determinants of health that affect patients, including food insecurity, homelessness, poverty and access to education. For more information, please contact Geraldine McAndrew at 570-230-0019 or email her at mcandrewg@TheWrightCenter.org. The Wright Center for Community Health operates clinics in Clarks Summit, Hawley, Jermyn, Kingston, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. Visit TheWrightCenter.org to find the location nearest to you.
Wright Center decorating pumpkins at Carbondale Farmer’s Market The Wright Center for Community Health will present a series of children’s activities for the fall season and offer important information about the services offered by the regional health care provider on Thursday, Oct. 21 from 2-5:30 p.m. at the Carbondale Farmers Market, 185 Fallbrook St. The Wright Center for Community Health will set up its information and activities table in the Fallbrook Healthy Aging Center. A pumpkin painting activity will be provided to all children that attend the market. Market shoppers will also receive free merchandise and information about health care services. “The Carbondale Farmers Market is a perfect opportunity for The Wright Center to engage with community members of all ages and reinforce the health care services we provide at eight regional clinics,” said Allision LaRussa, the director of health humanities at The Wright Center. “We will be creative with our pumpkins and other crafts, while highlighting the important role art can play in our daily lives.” The Wright Center for Community Health also participated in the grand opening of the farmers market in September. The market is open year-round on Thursdays. Photo Caption: Allision LaRussa, director of health humanities at The Wright Center, poses with arts and crafts supplies that she will bring to the Carbondale Farmers Market on Thursday, Oct. 21 from 2-5:30 p.m. The Wright Center for Community Health is offering children an opportunity to be extra creative with pumpkins and other seasonal activities, while others can obtain information about the health care services the nonprofit provides in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wayne counties.
New nurse practitioners at Wright Center’s Hawley and Jermyn practices Allison MillerKayla Gatto Two certified registered nurse practitioners with diverse experience in general nursing and acute patient care have joined The Wright Center for Community Health to provide primary and preventive care to people of all ages. Greentown resident Allison Miller, M.S.N., C.R.N.P., F.N.P.-C., joins The Wright Center’s primary care practice in Wayne County at 103 Spruce St., Hawley. She earned her master’s, bachelor’s and associate degrees in nursing from The Pennsylvania State University. Miller is a board-certified registered family nurse practitioner and a member of the Emergency Nurses Association. Prior to joining The Wright Center, she worked as an education liaison for Regional Hospital of Scranton and as an emergency department nurse for Moses Taylor Hospital. At The Wright Center, Miller will see infant, adolescent, adult and geriatric patients. To schedule an appointment with Miller at the Hawley Practice, please call 570-576-8081. Dunmore resident Kayla Gatto, M.S.N., C.R.N.P., F.N.P.-B.C., joins The Wright Center’s Mid Valley Practice, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn. She earned her master’s degree in nursing from The University of Scranton and her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Wilkes University. Gatto is a board-certified registered family nurse practitioner. She most recently served as a registered nurse in the medical surgical intensive care unit at Geisinger Wyoming Valley, Wilkes-Barre. At The Wright Center, Gatto will provide family practice care to patients of all ages. To schedule an appointment with Gatto at the Mid Valley Practice, please call 570-230-0019.
Dr. Karen Arscott Joins the Wright Center Karen E. Arscott, D.O., a primary care physician and addiction medicine specialist, has joined The Wright Center for Community Health. Providing primary and preventive care as well as addiction and recovery services, Dr. Arscott is accepting new adult patients at The Wright Center’s Mid Valley and Hawley primary care practices. Dr. Arscott is Board Certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Physicians in Neuromuscular Medicine and is fellowship-trained and board-eligible by the American Society of Addiction Medicine. A founding director of PA Lung and the Northeast/Central Pennsylvania Interprofessional Education Coalition, she is also an Associate Professor of medicine at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine and serves on Lackawanna County’s Recovery Coalition. Dr. Arscott is a member of the American Osteopathic Association, the Pennsylvania Medical Society, and the American Academy of Osteopathy. She is a board member and President-elect for the Lackawanna County Medical Society, and serves on the board of trustees of the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association. A Waverly Township resident, Dr. Arscott graduated from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, where she completed her neuromuscular/osteopathic manipulative medicine residency training. Dr. Arscott also completed an addiction medicine fellowship with Geisinger Marworth Treatment Center. She has been treating patients for more than 25 years in private practice, hospital, clinical and urgent care settings. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Arscott, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
The Wright Center for Community Health Offers ‘OARS’ App The Wright Center for Community Health announces it has introduced a new software tool intended to help individuals who are coping with substance use disorder to better maintain their treatment plans and avoid relapse. The Opioid Addiction Recovery Support app, known as OARS, can be installed on a patient’s smartphone. Patients use the app to securely message their healthcare team, chart daily progress and receive support from professionals and/or peers. The Wright Center’s healthcare providers, meanwhile, are able to view the patient’s real-time reporting and feedback, then use that information to quickly address any emerging challenges and make treatment decisions to promote a more successful recovery journey. The app was developed by Q2i, a Boston-area digital health company, in partnership with UCLA. Their work is aimed at mitigating the nation’s ongoing opioid crisis, which reached a historic new level in 2020 – reportedly the deadliest year ever in the U.S. for drug overdoses. Federal estimates released this month show a nearly 30% rise in fatal overdoses over the prior year, an increase that health officials attributed partly to the emotional toll of the COVID-19 pandemic. OARS can improve the success of medication-assisted treatment programs. The Wright Center’s primary care practices offer medication-assisted treatment – a whole-person approach to addiction that combines counseling and behavioral therapies with the use of approved medications such as buprenorphine. “Tools like OARS, which extend our behavioral health team’s ability to connect with and support individuals in recovery, are especially useful and potentially can improve outcomes,” said Scott Constantini, The Wright Center’s Director of Behavioral Health. “We’re proud to be on the forefront of studying and introducing these kinds of technologies.” In response to community needs, The Wright Center became an early proponent and provider of medication-assisted treatment and related services across a multicounty area in Northeastern Pennsylvania. In 2016, the state Department of Human Services designated The Wright Center as an Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence. Today the organization serves about 540 active Center of Excellence patients. The Wright Center also co-founded the Healthy MOMS program, which assists pregnant and postpartum women who are coping with substance use disorder. The program currently has 121 active mothers. The OARS app will be offered to The Wright Center’s Center of Excellence patients and the women enrolled in the region’s Healthy MOMS program. About two dozen patients have already adopted use of the app. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) had granted approval earlier this year for the OARS software to proceed to a Phase II clinical trial. The Wright Center, which operates primary care practices in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wayne counties, served as a study site during Phase I and is also a study site for Phase II. For more information about The Wright Center’s healthcare services, visit thewrightcenter.org.
Wright Center Establishes New Post, Director of Health Humanities The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education have appointed Allison LaRussa, Scranton, as Director of Health Humanities. In this newly introduced position, LaRussa will promote emotional wellness by engaging the organizations’ physician trainees, employees, patients and community members in artistic activities. For patients and the general public, there will be art therapy initiatives addressing trauma and addiction as well as community art projects to help alleviate social isolation and foster connections. For health professionals, activities also will be designed to support their professional identity development and growth by providing opportunities for shared experiences, awareness, reflection and expression. “As a valued member of our team, Allison will nurture positivity and resiliency within individuals and at the organizational level, which is particularly relevant as we collectively emerge from the pandemic experience,” said Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, President and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. A special focus of LaRussa’s work will be The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s resident physicians and fellows. These trainees, like their counterparts in programs across the country, deal with the dual pressures of delivering top-notch care to patients and simultaneously completing rigorous graduate medical education requirements. “Our art activities at The Wright Center will be designed to decrease a lot of stress and burnout,” said LaRussa. “The projects will allow people to be more mindful, to process more, so that they are better able to handle their work.” A 2010 Marywood University graduate, LaRussa, 34, has long been active in the region’s arts scene, including First Friday Scranton.
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.
Lida Kiefer Named Practice Manager of The Wright Center for Community Health’s Hawley Location The Wright Center for Community Health recently promoted longtime clinical employee Lida Kiefer to the leadership role of Practice Manager. Kiefer will lead The Wright Center’s Hawley Practice at 103 Spruce Street, where she will be responsible for daily operations including oversight of patient flow, staff and services. The Wayne County office is home to 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. A graduate of McCann School of Business and Technology, Kiefer joined The Wright Center in 2012 as an administrative assistant and worked her way up to the role of certified medical assistant II. She most recently served 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. In addition to her leadership responsibilities at Hawley as Practice Manager, Kiefer will also serve as a medical assistant there. “Throughout her career at The Wright Center, Lida has demonstrated her dedication to our mission of improving the health and welfare of our community. This promotion is a great fit for her proven skills and experience,” said Kathleen Barry, Deputy Chief Operating Officer. Kiefer resides in Honesdale.
The Wright Center for Community Health Names New Director of Geriatric Services Program Nicole Lipinski, a registered nurse with 25 years of experience working with elderly patients and caregivers, has been named the new Director of The Wright Center for Community Health’s geriatric services program. Since its debut in July, the program has been recognized by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement as an Age-Friendly Health System Partner for providing a full spectrum of comprehensive, safety-net primary health and support services for seniors. Through individualized care plans developed by a team of providers, The Wright Center serves as a trusted primary health advisor for seniors and their families to support independent living. A key component of the geriatric program is the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Clinic, which provides comprehensive evaluation and testing and is accessible no matter who the patient’s primary care doctor is. The Wright Center is one of only eight health systems across the country selected as an adopter of the innovative Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program created at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). “Our geriatric program was created to meet the need for specialized services that address the physical, mental and behavioral health challenges specific to seniors, especially as we experience an unprecedented growth rate in Pennsylvania’s aging population,” Lipinski said. “Countless families in Northeast Pennsylvania have benefited from this expert care already, which became even more critical as we navigated the challenges the pandemic presented for at-risk older adults, including isolation.” Lipinski joined The Wright Center in July as the geriatric care manager, bringing decades of experience caring for patients with dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases to the role. She earned her nursing degree from Luzerne County Community College, and her bachelor’s degree in business and master’s degree in healthcare informatics from Misericordia University. She resides in Throop. For information about The Wright Center’s geriatric services or to make an appointment, call 570-230-0019.
