The Wright Center to Hold COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic The Wright Center for Community Health is holding a Driving Better Health COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic at St. Francis Food Pantry, 500 Penn Ave., Scranton, on Friday, Feb. 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Driving Better Health is a 34-foot mobile medical unit that brings high-quality health care services directly to the underserved communities of Northeast Pennsylvania. The mobile medical unit has been serving populations of special concern since 2020. It is regularly deployed to senior living centers, regional schools, homeless shelters and other community gathering spots. COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are available for anybody age 5 and up. A guardian must accompany patients who are younger than 17. Walk-up appointments are welcome depending on vaccine availability, but appointments are encouraged for the convenience of patients. Please go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019 to schedule an appointment. The Wright Center for Community Health clinical staff will also offer COVID-19 testing and flu vaccines at the clinic. Patients are asked to observe public safety measures, including masking and social distancing, during the clinic and bring identification and insurance cards.
The Wright Center Assists Drop-In Center with Services to Scranton’s Homeless The Wright Center for Community Health partners with many of the region’s nonprofit groups to better meet the needs of Northeast Pennsylvania’s residents. Bounced out of foster care when she turned 18, Angela Powers spent a “rough” five years dealing with homelessness, often staying on the streets of New York City’s Times Square. She then moved to and worked in Scranton, where her fortunes seemed on the upswing. But the house in which she lived in 2007 was condemned, thrusting her back into an uncertain and unsafe situation. “I had no relatives in Scranton,” Powers recalls. “I had no friends.” She turned to the Community Intervention Center (CIC) – a now 50-year-old nonprofit in Scranton that provides shelters, apartment-style supportive housing, case management and related services for historically marginalized populations such as adults who are experiencing homelessness. “They have helped me in every way possible,” says Powers, 43, who now lives in an apartment and is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in human services. “There’s no limit to the help that they try to give you. They do things from the heart.” The Wright Center for Community Health – a nonprofit with a similarly long presence in Lackawanna County and a heart for helping people – is proud to routinely partner with the CIC, supplying its clients, like Powers, with the primary health care and other forms of compassionate assistance they deserve. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, The Wright Center dispatched its mobile medical unit, Driving Better Health, multiple times to CIC’s daytime drop-in center on Sixth Avenue, enabling clients there to receive coronavirus tests and vaccines. On the mobile unit’s first trip to the CIC in April 2021 nearly 30 people received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine. Flu vaccines also have been made available. While at the drop-in site, The Wright Center’s team will sometimes distribute hygiene products, blankets and other essentials to those who want them. And the team offers “to-go packages,” each containing bottled water as well as easy-to-carry foods such as sandwiches and breakfast sandwich bars. “The CIC’s clients are so appreciative of the items and services that we are able to provide them during our visits,” says Allison LaRussa, director of health humanities at The Wright Center. “It’s a privilege to get to know these individuals and to spend time talking and sharing stories with them, as I have, while recently assisting in the painting of a mural there that enlivens the space and reflects their hope for brighter days ahead.” The Wright Center and CIC not only share a common purpose when it comes to helping marginalized communities, they also share proximity. The nonprofits’ headquarters in the city are about 1-mile apart. That’s especially convenient if CIC clients require speedy treatment for a health-related issue, says longtime CIC employee Jason Griffiths. “The Wright Center allows us to make an appointment for our clients, and they get right in,” says Griffiths, a permanent supportive housing case manager. “That’s great for us, and for the client.” At The Wright Center’s Scranton Practice, for example, patients have the convenience of going to a single site to access medical, dental and behavioral health services. No patient is turned away due to an inability to pay. Beyond primary care, The Wright Center’s team tries to provide CIC clients with an emotional boost by scheduling occasional social activities at the drop-in centernear downtown Scranton, which on most days draws 60 to 80 people. CIC’s drop-in center can trace its roots back to 1972. It historically has served adults facing homelessness as well as individuals who are coping with substance use disorders or behavioral health issues. Today, the center offers a safe and sober environment that furnishes everything from essentials (shower and laundry facilities, food and coffee) to recovery services to occasional chiropractic care and yoga. For some clients, it’s purely a place to socialize among friends. The Wright Center’s Patient & Community Engagement team goes to the CIC regularly, with trays of pizza in hand, engaging clients in fun activities such as bingo games and holiday crafts. Most recently, with guidance from LaRussa, about 15 CIC clients completed the mural project titled, “Instilling Hope.” Hope can sometimes be hard to find for people in Lackawanna County who are classified as homeless, previously estimated at 150 or more individuals who are unsheltered or are sheltered in emergency/transitional housing. That’s why, after a half-century of service, the CIC’s daily operation continues to be so essential to individuals – and to the Greater Scranton community. “We have 26 apartments in which we’ve taken 26 people off the streets who used to live in abandoned buildings and under bridges and put them into permanent supportive housing,” says Griffiths. “They have us as a case manager to help them get back on their feet.” Powers can attest that the CIC and its community partners are able to successfully deliver the services – and, just as important, the psychological boost – to change the trajectory of a person’s life. “This drop-in center is where you can get a fresh start,” she says. “It’s not just about taking a shower. It’s not just about having somewhere to have a cup of coffee. It’s about feeling cared for and accepted.”
The Wright Center to Hold COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic at Carbondale Farmers’ Market The Wright Center for Community Health is holding a Driving Better Health COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic at the Carbondale Farmers’ Market, 185 Fallbrook St., Carbondale, on Thursday, Feb. 17 from 2-4 p.m. Driving Better Health is a 34-foot mobile medical unit that brings high-quality health care services directly to the underserved communities of Northeast Pennsylvania. The mobile medical unit has been serving populations of special concern since 2020. It is regularly deployed to senior living centers, regional schools, homeless shelters and other community gathering spots. COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are available for anybody age 5 and up. A guardian must accompany patients who are younger than 17. Walk-up appointments are welcome depending on vaccine availability, but appointments are encouraged for the convenience of patients. Please go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019 to schedule an appointment. The Wright Center for Community Health clinical staff will also offer COVID-19 testing and flu vaccines during the clinic. Patients are asked to observe public safety measures, including masking and social distancing, during the clinic and bring identification and insurance cards. The Wright Center for Community Health is a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike. Community health centers offer affordable, safety-net health care and are the largest providers of primary care for the nation’s most vulnerable and medically underserved populations. Prevalent in both urban and rural settings, community health centers are located in regions with high-poverty rates and/or low numbers of private or nonprofit health systems and hospitals.
Wright Center Dentist Appointed to NYU Langone Dental Medicine Faculty Dr. Satya Upadhyayula, a board-certified general practice dentist at The Wright Center for Community Health, recently received a faculty appointment to NYU Langone Dental Medicine, enabling him to share his oral surgery and dental treatment know-how with dental residents who are training locally. The Wright Center became a dental training site and welcomed its first two residents in 2021 through a new affiliation with NYU Langone Dental Medicine. The Brooklyn, N.Y.,-based organization operates the world’s largest postdoctoral dental residency program of its kind, training about 400 residents annually at partner sites including community health centers, hospitals and other affiliates in nearly 30 states. The Wright Center is currently the only partner site in Pennsylvania. The affiliation between the two health care organizations represents another way in which The Wright Center is bringing more health professionals to Northeast Pennsylvania to address the community’s pressing health needs. “I’m glad to have attained this faculty appointment, allowing me to play a more integral role in preparing the next generation of dentists, especially those with a heart for serving in medically underserved and economically disadvantaged areas,” said Upadhyayula. Known to many of his patients and colleagues as “Dr. U,” Upadhyayula is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine. Prior to joining The Wright Center, he completed an oral and maxillofacial surgery internship at the University of Maryland Medical Center. He becomes the second faculty physician based at The Wright Center to support the Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) residency, joining site director Dr. Caitlin McCarthy. Faculty physician Dr. Isaac Navarro, who is based in California, was instrumental in the program’s startup at The Wright Center and remains critical to its success, leading grand rounds virtually each month. The dental residents train at The Wright Center’s Scranton Practice, 501 S. Washington Ave., Scranton, and its Mid Valley Practice, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn. Each site has a state-of-the-art dental clinic that offers the public access to oral care services including check-ups and cleanings, fillings, X-rays, extractions, emergency services, oral cancer screenings and denture care. NYU Langone Dental Medicine’s residency program, which is fully accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, complements The Wright Center’s existing educational activities. For more than 45 years, The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education has been a provider of residency training in Greater Scranton, helping to build a pipeline of medical professionals to meet the needs of the region and the nation. Today it offers residencies in internal medicine, family medicine and psychiatry as well as fellowships in cardiovascular disease, gastroenterology and geriatrics. For more information, visit TheWrightCenter.org.
The Wright Center Supports the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education recently donated $10,000 to the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties in support of its annual campaign. “The United Way and the people we serve every day are grateful for the ongoing support of The Wright Center,” said Gary W. Drapek, president and CEO of the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties. “Our missions to lift up underserved communities in the region are more important than ever as the global pandemic continues to affect many facets of our lives. This donation will lessen the impact of COVID-19 on those who can least afford it.” The Wright Center cares for more than 30,000 patients at its eight primary care practices in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wayne counties. The Wright Center for Community Health works to improve the health and welfare of Northeast Pennsylvania by improving access to patient-centric health care services, while The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education builds a sustainable and competent workforce of physicians. Participating in the ceremonial check presentation ceremony at The Wright Center, from left, are Deborah Kolsovsky, chairperson, United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties’ annual campaign; Gary W. Drapek, president and CEO, United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties; Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO, The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, and Gerard Geoffroy, chairperson, The Wright Center for Community Health Board of Directors.
The Wright Center Distributing Free At-Home COVID-19 Test Kits The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement is holding two drive-thru distribution events of free at-home COVID-19 test kits for the public on a first-come, first-serve basis on Saturday, Feb. 5 in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties. Each vehicle will receive five test kits while supplies last. In conjunction with the Kingston fire and police departments, The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement will hand out test kits from 6-7 p.m. in the parking lot of the fire department, 600 Wyoming Ave. Guests are asked to follow this route: Go to West Dorrance Street off of Wyoming Avenue and take a left onto Welter Lane. Stay on Welter Lane until arriving at the fire department’s parking lot. Follow the traffic route outlined by orange cones and exit the event onto Sharpe Street. The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement is also holding an at-home COVID-19 test kit giveaway at The Wright Center for Community Health’s Mid Valley Practice, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn, from 6-7 p.m. “Time and again, our community partners have come forward to work with us during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Laurie LaMaster, associate vice president of Patient & Community Engagement. “Thanks to Kingston fire and police officials, and the Jermyn and Archbald police departments, we are able to respond to the needs of the community and provide this needed public service.” To help facilitate an efficient distribution, the public is asked to pre-register. Simply fill out the form at TheWrightCenter.org/covidtest, print out the confirmation page and present it to a volunteer handing out test kits. The pre-registration process does not guarantee the availability of a test kit. The Wright Center is also reminding participants to abide by COVID-19 mitigation standards by wearing masks and remaining in vehicles at all times. For complete and up-to-date information about The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement’s community distributions of at-home COVID-19 test kits, please follow the organization’s social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or go to TheWrightCenter.org. The Wright Center for Community Health is respectfully asking the public to refrain from calling and going to clinical locations during normal business hours to ask about at-home test kits. Call volume and clinician capacity are reserved to address primary health services and prescription refills.
The Wright Center Hometown Scholars Two Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education-endorsed students have been accepted into the collaborative Hometown Scholars program and will attend medical school at A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Mesa, Arizona (ATSU-SOMA). The Wright Center’s Hometown Scholars program, in partnership with ATSU-SOMA and the National Association of Community Health Centers, recruits future physicians, physician assistants and dentists from Northeast Pennsylvania that want to serve as aspirational examples for young people in the region who aspire to practice medicine and make an impact in a community health setting that provides patient-centered health care. The program helps regional high school and colleges students who are considering a career in medicine and want to serve their hometown communities as a clinician. Wright Center executives endorse the applications of qualified students who exemplify compassion, civic-mindedness and commitment to serving individuals with limited access to high-quality health care. Morgan Schermerhorn of Scranton will receive her Master in Public Health in epidemiology of chronic disease from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health in May after earning her undergraduate degree in biology from New York University. The Wright Center for Community Health’s mission to alleviate barriers to quality health care and to those most in need attracted the Scranton Preparatory School graduate to the novel program. “I am honored to be selected for the Hometown Scholars program,” said Schermerhorn, the daughter of Scott and Kara Schermerhorn. “My interest in medicine began at The Wright Center when I shadowed Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak (president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education). I was inspired by the personal dedication and professionalism of Dr. Thomas-Hemak with her patients. Dr. Thomas-Hemak provides a humanistic health care experience with her patients. “Personally observing this approach, I was drawn to the mission of the community health center – providing compassionate care to all members of the community, especially those who are most marginalized,” she added. Ceilia Severini of Scranton, a Scranton Preparatory School graduate, holds a Bachelor of Science in neuroscience from Bucknell University and a Master of Biomedical Sciences from Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. The daughter of Faith Severini believes the Hometown Scholars program and Wright Center’s mission coalesce with her aspirations as a future health care provider. “When I talked to Dr. Thomas-Hemak, I was intrigued by ATSU-SOMA’s unique approach to medical education,” said Severini. “I learn best from hands-on experience and feel that, though my years of education have helped me greatly in reaching this point, my experiences as a medical scribe, clinical coordinator and a standardized patient have contributed even more value. “I also want to improve access and care to those who are most marginalized in our communities. This is the ideal path for me to become a doctor as it aligns perfectly with my values and goals,” she added. The training and education hometown scholars receive at ATSU-SOMA is distinctive compared to other medical schools, as it intentionally brings students back to Northeast Pennsylvania to care for the underserved and rural communities. Medical students in the ATSU-SOMA program are assigned to one of 16 select community health center partner sites across the country and introduced to the clinical setting earlier than traditional medical schools. Wright Center hometown scholars return to the region during their second year of graduate medical school and begin rotating at clinical sites with preceptors while continuing their academic education through in-classroom and distance-education experiences. The students begin their studies at ATSU-SOMA in July. Other Wright Center-endorsed Hometown Scholars included Grace McGrath of Dunmore and Moriah Bartolai of Pittston. For more information about The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Official Earns Certification Dr. Jumee Barooah, The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s designated institutional official and a primary care physician, recently earned board certification in lifestyle medicine – an approach that uses small lifestyle changes to treat and potentially reverse chronic disease and prevent illness. One of the fastest growing fields of medicine, lifestyle medicine differs from mainstream medical approaches by emphasizing non-pharmaceutical, non-invasive treatments such as wellness, resiliency, movement and a nutritious diet. Patients are empowered to take their well-being into their own hands by making improvements through manageable changes in daily activities. The Wright Center introduced a lifestyle medicine service line in 2020 to address community needs in Northeast Pennsylvania, including the prevalence of diabetes and hypertension. The Wright Center also wove lifestyle medicine into the curriculum of its graduate medical education programs, aiming to appropriately prepare the next generation of physicians to spare patients the needless suffering and expense of certain serious, long-term illnesses. Chronic disease is responsible for up to 80% of all health care expenditure, yet most health professionals typically treat chronic disease the same way they treat communicable disease: with pills and injections. By contrast, lifestyle medicine encourages physicians to focus on the so-called pillars of health: nutrition, exercise, rest and social connectivity, according to the California-based American Board of Lifestyle Medicine (ABLM). At The Wright Center, the lifestyle medicine curriculum will prepare health care providers to complete a thorough patient assessment of current health habits and then introduce individualized treatment plans based on specific risk factors. A Wright Center dietitian, for example, is available to meet individually with patients to develop plans for weight management. “Now seemed like the right time to become certified because of the health care needs of our patients and community and our new lifestyle medicine curriculum,” said Barooah, who received her certification from ABLM. “One common theme in every primary care visit with patients is preventive medicine. I thought I could contribute more to my patients and my resident and fellow physicians by becoming certified.” Lifestyle medicine represents her fourth board certification. Barooah also is certified in internal, addiction and obesity medicine. She sees patients at The Wright Center’s Mid Valley Practice in Jermyn and the Scranton Practice. For more information or to schedule an appointment at The Wright Center for Community Health’s Mid Valley Practice, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
The Wright Center President Named Governor-Elect for the Eastern Region of the PA-ACP Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, has been elected governor-elect for the eastern region of the American College of Physicians’ Pennsylvania Chapter (PA-ACP). Beginning in April, she will serve one year as governor-elect concurrently with Dr. Lawrence H. Jones, governor of the eastern region whose term expires in 2023. Her four-year term as governor begins April 2023. Founded in 1915, the American College of Physicians is a national organization of internists, who specialize in the diagnosis, treatment and care of adults. It is the nation’s largest medical-specialty organization, with more than 161,000 members, of which more than 7,800 are members of the PA-ACP chapter. The PA-ACP chapter has three regional governors that represent the eastern, western and southeastern regions of the commonwealth. “I am humbled and proud to represent and advocate on behalf of my physician colleagues we represent, the profession of medicine we embody and the patients, families and communities we serve through the American College of Physicians’ Pennsylvania Chapter,” said Thomas-Hemak, who previously received the prestigious Dr. Ann Preston Women in Medicine and Laureate awards from PA-ACP in 2020 and 2014 respectively. “Our collective mission to improve health care and access has certainly been challenged by the pandemic, but we remain resolute in exceeding the high standards we strive for every day to improve the health and welfare of our local, state and national communities. “I am grateful for and inspired by the incredible honor and leadership opportunity,” she added. Overall, the American College of Physicians works to enhance the quality and effectiveness of health care by fostering excellence and professionalism in the practice of medicine and promotes quality patient care, advocacy, education and career fulfillment in internal medicine and its subspecialties. The 87-member board of governors is an advisory board, featuring representatives from Alabama to Alberta, Bangladesh to Brazil and Ontario to Pennsylvania. Collectively, the elected board members act as an advisory board to the college’s policy-making body, the board of regents. The board of governors implements national projects and initiatives at the chapter level and represents member concerns at the national level. Born and raised in Northeast Pennsylvania, Thomas-Hemak received her undergraduate degree from The University of Scranton. After graduating as a Michael DeBakey Scholar from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and completing Harvard’s Combined Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Residency in Boston, Massachusetts, she returned to the region to practice and teach primary care. She joined The Wright Center in 2000 and became president of The Wright Center for Community Health in 2007. In 2012, she was named president and CEO of both The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. Concurrent with her responsibilities as an executive, Thomas-Hemak is also board certified in internal, pediatrics, addiction, and most recently, obesity medicine. Her favorite professional responsibilities are to teach and provide comprehensive primary health services to multigenerational families served by The Wright Center for Community Health’s Mid Valley Practice in Archbald and Jermyn, her hometown community where she was born, raised and currently resides with her husband and three children. For more information about The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-343-2383.
The Wright Center President/CEO Becomes Certified in Obesity Medicine Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, recently earned board certification in obesity medicine, better preparing her to help patients manage obesity and its many comorbidities and to lose weight. Obesity – the nation’s most prevalent chronic disease – is associated with many of the leading causes of preventable, premature death, yet physicians and patients sometimes struggle to directly address the sensitive topic and tailor plans that allow for long-term success. Thomas-Hemak received the certification from the Colorado-based American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM), which gives physicians the insights and tools to help patients who are struggling with the complex issue of obesity. The condition is linked to a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, sleep apnea, arthritis, certain cancers and many additional comorbidities. Two-thirds of U.S. patients are either overweight or obese, according to ABOM’s website. Obesity medicine represents Thomas-Hemak’s fourth board certification. She also is board certified in internal, pediatrics and addiction medicine. Thomas-Hemak teaches and provides comprehensive primary health care, inclusive of addiction and recovery and weight-related services at The Wright Center for Community Health’s Mid Valley Practice in Jermyn, offering treatment to multi-generational families and individuals of all ages. Under her executive administrative leadership, The Wright Center for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education consistently strive to respond to community health and health care workforce needs. Its health care providers, for example, have been at the forefront of confronting challenges such as the ongoing opioid crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Increasingly, The Wright Center’s health care providers emphasize prevention to improve health outcomes among Northeast Pennsylvania’s residents. In 2020, The Wright Center introduced both a lifestyle medicine curriculum in its graduate medical education programs and a corresponding lifestyle medicine service line for the benefit of patients. Lifestyle medicine, one of the fastest growing fields of medicine, encourages individuals to avoid or potentially reverse chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes by focusing on six pillars of health: nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress management, relationships and the avoidance of risky substances. A Wright Center for Community Health dietitian and behavioral health counselors are available to meet individually with patients to develop and empower plans for healthier lifestyles and weight management. For more information or to schedule an appointment at The Wright Center for Community Health’s Mid Valley Practice, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
