The Wright Center Receives Grant from Robert H. Spitz Foundation The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement (PCE) was recently awarded an $8,000 grant from the Robert H. Spitz Foundation to help patients and community members alleviate financial pressures, which can help improve the overall health and well-being of regional communities. The grant will support a food donation program and transportation assistance to and from doctor appointments. Requests for help have increased sharply over the past few years. In 2021, The Wright Center for Community Health received 201 requests for help with food from community members in Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wayne counties. In 2022, those appeals rose to 743. Through May 2023, the organization has received 426 requests for food. The Wright Center received 2,156 requests for transportation help in 2022. Through May 2023, 1,351 community members have asked PCE for assistance. “Food and transportation insecurities make it hard for the patients to address their medical needs,” said Holly Przasnyski, director, The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement. “This grant provides us with the ability to address transportation and food needs for our patients, which allows them the ability to address their medical needs.” The Robert H. Spitz Foundation awards grants to registered nonprofit organizations that support initiatives and programs serving Lackawanna County and Northeast Pennsylvania. Among the foundation’s five priority areas are programs that break the cycle of poverty, veterans’ affairs and veteran-oriented programs, animal welfare, Jewish culture and cemeteries, and environmental projects. To date, the Robert H. Spitz Foundation has provided over $3.7 million in funding to the community. For more information about PCE, call 570-343-2383, Ext. 1444 or visit TheWrightCenter.org/ patient-and-community-engagement.
Wright Center Dr. Receives Ann Preston Women in Medicine Award The Pennsylvania Eastern Region Chapter of the American College of Physicians (ACP) has presented Dr. Erin McFadden, a board-certified internal medicine physician, deputy chief medical officer of The Wright Center for Community Health, and the medical director of The Wright Center’s Scranton Practice, with the Dr. Ann Preston Women in Medicine Award. Recognized as the world’s largest medical-specialty society, the ACP honored Dr. McFadden as part of its efforts to “recognize excellence and distinguished contributions to internal medicine.” Dr. McFadden accepted the award at the ACP’s Annual Scientific Meeting in Hershey, Pennsylvania, in November. Dr. McFadden joined The Wright Center on Jan. 1, 2020, after earning her medical degree at Temple University School of Medicine and completing her internal medicine residency training at The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education. She also serves as the dean of undergraduate medical and interprofessional education and is a core faculty member for The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Internal Medicine Residency. Dr. McFadden is also involved in The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Geriatric Fellowship program. In addition, she plays an integral role in developing the lifestyle medicine curriculum and serves as co-regional director of medical education for A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Mesa, Arizona. As the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, Dr. McFadden led an educational support and clinical coaching program with the University of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Penn State University, Temple University, Geisinger, and Allegheny Health Network to assist more than 400 personal care, assisted living, and skilled nursing facilities in Northeast Pennsylvania with pandemic care. She also led an outpatient infusion center at The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton Practice, providing monoclonal antibody treatment for patients with severe COVID-19. To watch her speak about her experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, visit bit.ly/3MHVtR7. The Women in Medicine Award was first awarded in 2019. It recognizes an ACP chapter member whose outstanding efforts and achievements have promoted career success, leadership, and overall quality of life for women in medicine, fostering tomorrow’s women leaders in medicine, according to the ACP. The award is named after medical pioneer Dr. Ann Preston, a lifelong Philadelphia resident in the first class of women who enrolled in the Female (later Women’s) Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1850. After the Board of Censors of the Philadelphia Medical Society effectively banned women physicians from the public teaching clinics of the city, she raised funds to start a new hospital where teaching could occur and opened The Women’s Hospital in 1858. She later created a nursing school and was named the first woman dean of the Women’s Medical College in 1866. The Wright Center for Community Health operates 10 primary and preventive care practices in Northeast Pennsylvania, including a mobile medical and dental unit. It treats individuals of all income levels and insurance statuses, including the underinsured and uninsured. No patient is turned away due to an inability to pay. For more information about the primary and preventive care services provided by The Wright Center for Community Health or the nearest location, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
The Wright Center Welcomes Dr. Pannu Dr. Ajit Pannu, a family medicine physician, has joined The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton Practice, where he is accepting new patients of all ages. Dr. Pannu will also serve as associate program director and physician faculty in The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Regional Family Medicine Residency. He is a 2023 alumnus of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Regional Family Medicine Residency program. He had been its chief resident for resident advocacy, traveling to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C., to speak at various legislative meetings on behalf of his peers and the nation’s network of community health centers. Dr. Pannu earned his medical degree from the Aureus University School of Medicine, Oranjestad, Aruba, where he served for as vice president of its student body government. He completed his medical school clinical rotations in Atlanta, Georgia. Formerly of Vancouver, Canada, Dr. Pannu was a volunteer coach for the Vancouver Thunderbirds ice hockey program as well as a volunteer during the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic games. He is fluent in English and Punjabi and can also communicate in French and Hindi. The Wright Center for Community Health operates 10 primary and preventive care practices in Northeast Pennsylvania. It treats individuals of all income levels and insurance statuses, including the underinsured and uninsured. No patient is turned away due to an inability to pay. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Pannu at the Scranton Practice, 501 S. Washington Ave., go to TheWrightCenter.org to use the express online scheduling system or call 570.230-0019.
The Wright Center Announces Flu Shot Reminder As the thick of the holiday season, one of the happiest, most festive times of the year approaches, so does peak flu season. The last few years have been dominated by COVID-19, which, though not nearly the public health threat it once was, continues to spread throughout the population via its newest strain. Couple that with the flu and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), and you have an unholy triumvirate of respiratory illnesses capable of wreaking significant havoc and ruining your yuletide cheer. Thankfully, there are vaccines to keep these viruses at bay. They’re safe and effective and can save you and your loved ones from getting sick or worse. National Influenza Vaccination Week, takes place next week, Dec. 4-8. Coordinated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the annual observance serves as a helpful reminder to people that there’s still time to get a flu shot this season. This year’s slogan is the highly appropriate “A flu vaccine can take flu from wild to mild.” Typically, flu season begins around late September or early October (the ideal time to get vaccinated), then increasingly accelerates until it peaks between December and February. In some years, infections may occur as late as May. The best thing you can do to protect yourself from the flu – and lessen its effects if you do contract it – is to get the annual flu shot, which is available to anyone ages 6 months and older. CDC studies have shown that flu vaccination reduces the risk of contracting the illness by 40 to 60 percent among the general public. Flu symptoms typically surface within a couple of days, and the virus shares many of the same effects as COVID-19, among them fever, chills, dry cough, body aches, headaches, stuffy/runny nose, shortness of breath, and fatigue. For specific vulnerable populations, vaccination is essential given their risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and even death. That list includes pregnant women, young children, adults ages 65 and older, and those with serious health conditions like cancer, heart disease, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, asthma, and kidney disease. In the case of kids, thousands are hospitalized every year with severe flu, according to the CDC. The Wright Center will now provide flu vaccinations at all Northeast Pennsylvania locations. To schedule an office visit that includes vaccination, call 570-230-0019 or go online to use the express scheduling system at TheWrightCenter.org. Meanwhile, many local pharmacies offer free flu shots to insured customers, and numerous local employers provide flu vaccinations as a free service to their workers. According to the CDC, all flu vaccines available in the U.S. this season are the quadrivalent variety, designed to protect against four different flu viruses. You want the holidays to be as joyous as possible without the threat of illness upending your plans. So, get the flu vaccine – it’s safe, effective, and one of the best gifts you can give yourself and others this season. Joshua Braddell, DNP, CRNP, FNP-C, a board-certified registered nurse practitioner, serves as medical director of The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley practice.
Lackawanna County Sheriff’s Department Toy Drive Benefits The Wright Center Lackawanna County Sheriff’s deputies will ensure local children have a great holiday season by hosting a toy drive benefiting The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement (PCE). Deputies are asking the public to help fill the department’s transport van with new, unwrapped toys on Dec. 2-4 during the Lackawanna Winter Market on Courthouse Square, 200 N. Washington Ave., Scranton. The outdoor market will feature craft vendors, live music, food, and the lighting of the county’s Christmas tree. The drive benefits PCE, a subsidiary of The Wright Center for Community Health, that focuses on improving the health and well-being of residents across Northeast Pennsylvania. Throughout the year, PCE hosts food giveaways at their clinics and provides transportation vouchers to patients who have trouble getting to and from doctors’ appointments. Additionally, PCE distributes backpacks filled with school supplies and hosts school uniform giveaways and clothing closets for needy residents. Last year, sheriff’s deputies held a food drive for PCE, according to Cpl. Joe George. They collected and donated more than 12 cases of nonperishable food. They hope to build on that success with the upcoming toy drive. The Lackawanna County Sheriff’s Association and Sheriff Mark McAndrew have donated $250 each to purchase toys for the drive. “There are a lot of people in Lackawanna County who need a helping hand, and we want to ensure families – especially their children – have a happy holiday season,” he said. Gerri McAndrew, co-director of PCE, also mentioned the deep need in the community, especially during the holidays. “Last year, we helped 60 families at our clinics with toys and clothes, plus we adopt families through the Salvation Army,” she said, adding that PCE serves about 900 children annually. “This drive will enable us to help more families.” While collecting toys for children might not seem as urgent as some other PCE initiatives, McAndrew thinks about her own kids and how they feel at Christmas. “I don’t want any child’s heart to break on Christmas morning,” she said. “They should get at least one present.” Donations of new, unwrapped toys will be accepted by deputies throughout the county’s Winter Market on Friday, Dec. 1, from 5 to 9 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 2, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 3, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Look for sheriff’s deputies and their transport van near the main entrance to the Lackawanna County Courthouse. For more information on how to donate, contact Deputy Morgan Holmes at holmesm@lackawannacounty.org or 570.963-6719 x 4857. For more information, visit TheWrightCenter.org.
The Wright Center Receives Donation from Dunkin Franchisee Group To help area children and families in need, The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement (PCE) was recently presented with a $2,500 donation from a regional Dunkin’ franchisee group and a matching gift from the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation. The $5,000 contribution will be reinvested in the community through PCE’s activities, such as school backpack giveaways, winter clothing and blanket giveaways, free food distributions, and other special mission-driven projects. The Lufrankton Network, a franchisee group that operates stores in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, chose PCE to receive charitable funding made available during its recent “Renovation Celebration” to highlight the makeover of its Dunkin’ location in Eynon. The foundation generously doubled the gift because its mission – “to provide the simple joys of childhood to kids battling hunger or illness” – is reflected in many of PCE’s initiatives to assist children in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and nearby counties. “We are grateful for this amazing support from Dunkin’,” said PCE Director Holly Przasnyski. “For its ongoing operation, the nonprofit PCE relies on external funding such as donations and fundraising. So, if it wasn’t for the kindness of civic-minded businesses like Dunkin’, we would not be able to conduct our events that help feed, clothe, and otherwise support the under-resourced children and their families in the communities we serve.” PCE is a subsidiary of The Wright Center for Community Health. Employees of the health center volunteer to conduct its activities, which are intended to improve people’s access to health care and empower them to be co-managers of their health and wellness plans. In particular, PCE strives to help Wright Center patients and others in the community overcome food insecurity and other non-medical issues that can affect their ability to focus on achieving and maintaining their maximum wellness. Those issues commonly include transportation barriers, lack of access to educational opportunities, homelessness, and poverty. For more information about The Wright Center and its primary and preventive care services, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
The Wright Center Provides Whole-Person HIV/AIDS Care As she trained for her career as an infectious disease specialist, Dr. Mary Louise Decker, medical director of The Wright Center for Community Health’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Clinic, worked with people dying of AIDS at the Gift of Peace AIDS Hospice in Washington, D.C. More than 20 years later, half of the patients she treats at the Ryan White Clinic are over 55 and living healthy, everyday lives, thanks to decades of medical advances and the comprehensive care she and her team of dedicated and compassionate healers provide. “The advances in treatment have been remarkable,” she said about the virus, which was once a death sentence. “Now, HIV is a chronic disease, similar to diabetes or hypertension.” Dr. Decker and other staff members reflected on the advances made since the first World AIDS Day was observed on Dec. 1, 1988. Today, more than 70 million people have been infected with HIV, and about 35 million have died from AIDS since the pandemic’s start, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The Ryan White clinic, based at The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton Practice, 501 S. Washington Ave., treats more than 450 patients aged 18 to 84 from 14 counties across Northeast and Central Pennsylvania annually. It offers comprehensive services for people living with or at risk of acquiring HIV/AIDS, including prevention, testing, and treatment. The Ryan White Clinic offers a whole-person approach to patient care, allowing patients to visit a single site for a full spectrum of health services. In addition to medical care management, staff at the clinic offer behavioral health, dental care, and addiction and recovery services. Ancillary services include housing assistance, medical nutrition therapy, emergency financial assistance, and more. “A patient might come for a general medical visit, but during that time, they will have their immunizations updated and their labs drawn and have the opportunity to talk to their case manager or with a behavioral health counselor. They’ll often meet with our nutritionist and maybe visit our food pantry,” said Dr. Decker. “We refer patients to specialists when appropriate. Many of these patients have not had access to these services before. It’s satisfying to see our patients looking and feeling well and caring for their health.” Dr. Decker said the most significant change in HIV and AIDS treatment since the late 1980s has been the advances in medication. Azidothymidine, commonly called AZT, became available in 1987 to help people with HIV live longer. But it was expensive, and because the virus continued to mutate, it often stopped working. As scientists learned more about the virus, better drugs were developed during the 1990s. It meant, however, that people living with HIV had to take “a handful of pills” every day, according to Dr. Decker. Today, people can take just one pill to lower the amount of HIV in their blood to undetectable levels, ensuring they will not develop AIDS. There’s also an injectable medication available to patients at the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Clinic and medication to reduce the risk of the patients’ partners becoming infected with HIV. Because of the effectiveness of new medications and the staff’s focus on making sure patients can obtain medication and take it as prescribed, most of the clinic’s HIV patients have virtually undetectable viral rates. That ensures the patient will not develop AIDS, allowing them to live long, healthy lives. It also means they cannot pass HIV to anyone else. “The overall goal of the Centers for Disease Control is at least 95% of the people diagnosed with HIV have virtually undetectable viral rates by 2025,” said Melissa Bonnerwith, grants administrator for the Ryan White Clinic. “Our viral load suppression at the Ryan White Clinic sits at 96.31%, so we’re already at the national goal.” Despite the advances, the stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS remains, according to clinic leaders. Sister Ruth Neely, CRNP, a Religious Sister of Mercy, began offering HIV outreach services in 1997, three years before The Wright Center’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Clinic was formally established. She said many patients she works with still struggle with acceptance from family, friends, and society. “I talked to one of my patients; he’s 80 years old,” she said. “And he said the stigma is still out there. It’s something he’s always dealt with.” Dr. Decker said HIV and AIDS are discussed more freely than in the past. “We’re doing a better job of getting the message out there,” she said. “The more we can normalize getting tested, the less stigma will exist.” WHO IS RYAN WHITE? Ryan White was 13 when he was diagnosed with AIDS after a blood transfusion in December 1984. When the Kokomo, Indiana, teen tried to return to school, he faced AIDS-related discrimination in his community. Along with his mother, Jeanne White Ginder, he rallied for his right to attend school and became the face of public education about the disease. On Aug. 18, 1990, Congress enacted the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act — the legislation that created the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program — to improve the quality and availability of HIV care and treatment for low-income people with HIV. Today, the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program provides HIV care and treatment services to more than half a million people with HIV. The Wright Center received its federal Ryan White designation in 2003. Since then, the clinic has provided comprehensive HIV primary medical care, essential support services, and medications for those living with HIV, including the uninsured and underserved, throughout 14 counties in Northeast and Central Pennsylvania, including Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wyoming, Wayne, Pike, Monroe, and Susquehanna counties.
The Wright Center Earns Multiple Recognition Badges The Wright Center for Community Health recently received recognition from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for quality work last year in three performance categories, including its use of health information technology to better serve patients and their families. The Wright Center also made notable achievements during 2022 in these two categories: providing services to combat the COVID-19 public health emergency and screening patients for social risk factors that can impact their health, such as lack of adequate housing and food insecurity. HRSA annually reviews the performance data of health centers across the United States and then highlights the organizations that meet or exceed its goals in categories of special focus, such as improving health equity, access, and other quality measures. It bestows the top performers with its Community Health Quality Recognition badges. HRSA first awarded badges in 2021, using data from the prior year’s reporting period. Since then, The Wright Center has earned 10 badges. This year, the three badges awarded to The Wright Center are “Advancing Health Information Technology for Quality,” “COVID-19 Public Health Champion,” and “Addressing Social Risk Factors to Health.” HRSA displays information about all of its badge recipients – which include many of the country’s 1,370 Federally Qualified Health Centers and 117 Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alikes, including The Wright Center – on an online dashboard accessible via its website, hrsa.gov. The Wright Center was among fewer than 12 percent of Look-Alikes nationwide to receive this year’s “Addressing Social Risk Factors to Health,” according to the dashboard. The Wright Center operates 10 primary and preventive care practices in Northeast Pennsylvania, including a mobile medical and dental vehicle called Driving Better Health. Its practices offer integrated whole-person care, meaning patients typically have the convenience of going to a single location to access medical, dental, and behavioral health care, as well as community-based addiction treatment and recovery services. It accepts most major health insurance plans, including Medical Assistance (Medicaid), Medicare, and CHIP. No patient is turned away due to an inability to pay. To learn more about The Wright Center for Community Health’s many services, call 570-230-0019 or visit TheWrightCenter.org.
The Wright Center to Host Alzheimer’s and Dementia Family Support Group Meetings The Wright Center for Community Health announces that its Alzheimer’s and Dementia Family Support Group will resume monthly meetings at its Mid Valley Practice in Jermyn, beginning Monday, Nov. 20. Meetings will be held regularly, from 2-3 p.m. on the third Monday of each month, at the primary care practice, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn. The professionally-led group is for individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, family caregivers, loved ones, and others personally affected by the disease. “Support groups are a good source of practical advice, camaraderie, and emotional support for everyone involved, including those living with the disease and their family caregivers,” said Nicole Lipinski, RN, MS, ADC-MC, CDP, director of The Wright Center for Community Health’s Geriatric Service Line. To register for the support group, a collaborative program with the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Pennsylvania Chapter, send an email to Lipinski, at lipinskin@thewrightcenter.org, or call 570-230-0019. The support group falls under the umbrella of The Wright Center for Community Health’s Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program. The program, which is based on an award-winning model of care that was developed at UCLA, helps patients and their families with the complex medical, behavioral, and social needs of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. The Wright Center’s advanced practice clinicians and dementia care specialists collaborate with the patient’s primary care physician to create a personalized care plan that considers each patient’s medical needs and unique cultural traditions while also offering solutions for caregiver stress. For more information about The Wright Center’s many services, call 570-230-0019 or visit TheWrightCenter.org.
The Wright Center Honors American Diabetes Month Chances are, you know someone who has diabetes, whether it’s a family member or a close friend. The disease remains deadly serious, but thankfully, many medical advances have been made in recent years. And people are getting more proactive about their diabetes care than ever before. But there’s still work to be done, which makes causes like American Diabetes Month all the more integral to the battle. Observed during November and sponsored by the American Diabetes Association (ADA), American Diabetes Month is used to spread timely and relevant diabetes-related information. Among other things, it provides programs and education aimed at helping people prevent and manage diabetes through healthy living; advocates for the equitable treatment of those living with diabetes; funds research to advance treatment and ultimately find a cure for the disease; and makes an impact in local communities through donations and direct action. According to the ADA, about 37 million Americans currently live with diabetes, while nearly one in two people have diabetes or prediabetes – staggering and alarming statistics, no question. Genetics play a role in the disease’s prevalence, but so do poor lifestyle choices. With that in mind, we at The Wright Center for Community Health are doing our part to combat diabetes locally through our Lifestyle Medicine initiative, which can now be found at all of our primary and preventive care practices throughout Northeast Pennsylvania. No doubt, medications and cutting-edge treatments play an essential role in our long-term health, but we should all be doing as much as we can to take a more proactive, rather than reactive, approach to our health. Lifestyle Medicine adheres to this philosophy by helping individuals and families improve their health and quality of life by adopting and sustaining lifestyle behaviors, including eliminating tobacco use, improving diet, practicing stress relief techniques, increasing physical activity, strengthening personal relationships and connections, and adjusting sleep habits for better, more restorative rest. It’s not alternative medicine but rather an evidence-based approach that very well could revolutionize health care in America. The Lifestyle Medicine concept is increasingly gaining traction in the medical community precisely because the data shows it can prevent, treat, or even reverse diseases like diabetes, as well as cancer and hypertension. It’s really all about making those conscious choices to alter our behaviors for the better, and our team, trained in both conventional medicine and Lifestyle Medicine, works with patients to create a personalized lifestyle self-care plan that you can implement and sustain. Many people with diabetes struggle with their weight, which inevitably puts them at risk of developing heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke. And that makes them prime candidates not only for Lifestyle Medicine but also for our Obesity Medicine services. For anyone suffering from a weight-related illness, The Wright Center offers non-surgical approaches to manage better, care for, and overcome obesity. Our board-certified obesity medicine physicians consider all the relevant factors – environmental, genetic, behavioral, and nutritional – that lead to excessive weight gain and, from there, offer evidence-based approaches to provide patients with the safest, most effective weight loss solutions available. By getting to an ideal weight, you can significantly decrease the likelihood of developing chronic conditions while markedly improving the overall quality of your life. Diabetes remains a very serious disease, but prevention and treatment are well within reach thanks to modern medicine and an overall healthier approach to living. It can be done – trust the process. Douglas Klamp, M.D., a board-certified internal medicine physician, see patients ages 18 and over at The Wright Center for Community Health Clarks Summit Practice. He also serves as the senior vice president and chief medical education officer of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, as well as associate program director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program.
