The Wright Center Appoints Constantini to Associate VP The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education have named Scott J. Constantini as its associate vice president of Primary Care and Recovery Services Integration. In his new role, Constantini will advocate for a preferred future in primary health care and medical education for trauma-informed, community-based primary care, behavioral health and recovery services integration initiatives, while engaging in legislative advocacy and relationship building with regional, state and national stakeholders. Constantini will also serve as The Wright Center’s internal champion for trauma-informed training for all employees and advise the organization in its journey toward trauma competency. In addition, he will promote a culture of integration within The Wright Center and represent community programs that flip the model of primary health care to the prevention of high-risk behaviors. He also will collaboratively support leadership of the Behavioral Health Service Line and interface with payors and internal stakeholders, while working directly with grants and project management as the primary subject matter expert related to behavioral health and addiction for relevant grants and projects. Constantini is a graduate of Penn State University with more than 25 years of experience in mental health, trauma, substance misuse and leadership management. He is a member of the Lackawanna County Recovery Coalition, Lackawanna County Overdose Review Team and sits on the Recovery Bank Steering Committee. The Wright Center, which strives to be an optimal employer, has more than 600 workers in Northeast Pennsylvania and at its graduate medical education training partner sites across the nation. For more information, visit TheWrightCenter.org.
Tanureet Kochar, M.D., joins The Wright Center Board-certified internal medicine and geriatric medicine physician Tanureet Kochar, M.D., has joined The Wright Center for Community Health, where she is accepting adult patients at the Mid Valley Practice, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn. Kochar will begin seeing patients Tuesday, June 14. In addition to her clinical duties, Kochar will serve as internal medicine and geriatric physician faculty member for The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, helping to train the next generation of primary care physicians. Kochar will provide care to patients and teach developing physicians within The Wright Center’s interprofessional, team-based environment, which is home to residency programs in family medicine, internal medicine, psychiatry, and physical medicine and rehabilitation, as well as fellowships in cardiovascular disease, gastroenterology and geriatrics. A graduate of the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital in Ludhiana, India, she completed her internal medicine residency at Charlestown Area Medical Center, Charleston, West Virginia, and geriatric and sleep medicine fellowships at Wayne State University and the Detroit Medical Center. The Wright Center treats patients of all ages, income levels and insurance statuses at its nine primary care practices in Northeast Pennsylvania. Together, the primary and preventive care network offers access to high-quality, nondiscriminatory, affordable health services to patients regardless of their health insurance status or ability to pay. Certain patients may be eligible for the sliding-fee discount program based on family income and size. The organization was designated a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike in 2019. It offers integrated care, providing patients with the convenience of going to a single location to access medical, dental and behavioral health care, plus addiction treatment and other supportive services. The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education is the nation’s largest medical education safety-net consortium that develops the physician workforce of tomorrow. To schedule an appointment with her at the Mid Valley Practice, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019. To find the most convenient community medical home, go to TheWrightCenter.org and click on patient care and primary care offices.
The Wright Center Prioritizes Diversity, Equity and Inclusion The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education has named Dr. Alexies Samonte as its vice president of Sponsoring Institution Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Faculty and Curriculum Development, and Graduate Medical Education Funding Stewardship. In this newly created role, Samonte will work with executives and others throughout the organization to ensure ongoing and innovative faculty development, substantial accreditation compliance, community benefit tracking, and continuous resident wellness and resiliency, among other objectives. One major focus will be to create a robust strategy for diversity, equity and inclusion. Samonte’s diversity and inclusion efforts will span all three nonprofit entities: The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, The Wright Center for Community Health and The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement. “I am excited about this new role,” said Samonte, who previously served as medical director of The Wright Center’s pediatric services. “Leading this journey is a privilege, since diversity, equity and inclusion are embedded within our mission.” The longtime pediatrician, who is a native of the Philippines, will work to educate faculty, staff and members of the broader community about diversity and inclusion matters such as those promoted by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education’s (ACGME) “ACGME Equity Matters” initiative. The ACGME initiative aims to drive change within graduate medical education institutions by increasing physician workforce diversity, and building safe and inclusive learning environments, while promoting health equity by addressing racial disparities in health care and overall population health. Samonte assumed her new role in late February. She already has coordinated The Wright Center’s participation in an upcoming continuing education series about LGBTQI+ inclusive health care. The series is being offered beginning June 1 through the Penn State College of Medicine’s Project ECHO network. Promoters say the series will help health care providers “meet the complex social, emotional and physical health care needs of their patients within a supportive and safe environment.” Additionally, Samonte will develop volunteer opportunities for residents and fellows that focus on diversity, equity and inclusion activities. She also will monitor and track the progress of The Wright Center’s diversity-related metrics. A Jenkins Township resident, Samonte earned her doctorate degree in medicine and surgery as well as a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines. She also earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Scranton. The Wright Center, which strives to be an optimal employer, has more than 600 workers in Northeast Pennsylvania and at its graduate medical education training partner sites across the nation. For more information, visit TheWrightCenter.org.
The Wright Center Mental Health First Aid Training Sessions Training in mental health first aid – a method for recognizing and helping a person with a mental health issue before it results in injury or death – will be offered to the public and employees of The Wright Center for Community Health as part of a national grant-funded initiative. The Wright Center was recently selected to receive one of eight “training scholarships” to participate in the project, which is supported by Americares and the National Association of Community Health Centers. The scholarship allows one staff member from each of the eight chosen organizations to become a certified trainer through the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. Owen Dougherty, The Wright Center’s recovery supports manager and behavioral health community liaison, completed his certification with the council in mid-March. He will conduct multiple public training sessions later this year for participants in Northeast Pennsylvania, helping them to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders, and empowering them to intervene when someone needs support. The free sessions will be open to The Wright Center’s employees and other interested residents, including people with no medical background. Participants will learn to reach out and provide initial help and support to someone who may be developing a mental health issue, not unlike stepping in to call 9-1-1 or provide CPR to someone experiencing a heart attack. The Wright Center, which operates nine primary care practices in the region, provides a range of mental and behavioral services for patients of all ages, and this training program will serve as a further extension of behavioral health education in the community, says Laura Spadaro, vice president of primary care and public health policy. “Equipping our community with the skills they need to recognize and respond to signs of mental health and substance use disorders,” she says, “will decrease stigma, empower individuals to seek help and increase each participant’s ability to help others who may be experiencing a behavioral health issue.” Mental health first aid was first introduced in Australia in 2001, and the program was later adapted for use in the United States. Since then, more than 2.5 million people in the United States have been trained by a base of more than 15,000 instructors, according to promoters. Trainees learn, for example, how to appropriately and safely respond if they see someone having a panic attack or if they become concerned that a friend or co-worker might be showing signs of alcoholism. Mental health first aid takes the fear and hesitation out of starting conversations about mental health and substance use problems by improving understanding and providing an action plan. Americares, based in Stamford, Connecticut, is a health-focused relief and development organization that saves lives and improves health for people affected by disaster or poverty. The National Association of Community Health Centers, headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, promotes efficient, high-quality, comprehensive health care that is accessible, culturally and linguistically competent, community-directed and patient-centered for all. The National Council for Mental Wellbeing, the organization that brought mental health first aid to the United States and certifies trainers, is the unifying voice of organizations that deliver mental health and substance use services in America. The Washington, D.C.-based council is guided by the vision that mental well-being – including recovery from substance use – is a reality for everyone, everywhere. The Wright Center, which joins with other organizations in promoting May as Mental Health Awareness Month, will announce the dates of its mental health first aid training sessions as they are scheduled. For the latest information on those and the organization’s other upcoming events, visit TheWrightCenter.org.
Area Resident Promoted to Director of Dental Operations Kimberly McGoff, of Spring Brook Township, has been promoted to director of dental operations at The Wright Center for Community Health. McGoff joined the nonprofit health care organization in December 2019, serving as manager for its fast-growing dental service line. The Wright Center operates state-of-the-art fixed dental clinics at two locations: its Mid Valley Practice at 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn, and its Scranton Practice at 501 S. Washington Ave., in the city’s South Side neighborhood. McGoff assisted in establishing those clinics as approved training sites for dental residents who are completing an Advanced Education in General Dentistry Program offered by New York University’s Langone Dental Medicine Postdoctoral Residency Program. Through this new partnership, The Wright Center welcomed its first dental resident in July 2021. During McGoff’s tenure, The Wright Center has successfully expanded access to dental services for Northeast Pennsylvania residents, especially those who are Medicaid users. She recently oversaw the startup of a monthly dental clinic at The Wright Center for Community Health Hawley Practice, 103 Spruce St., Hawley. The Wayne County site conducts its dental clinics on the second Monday of each month. Similarly, The Wright Center has begun providing dental services to populations of special concern, including children, through the use of its mobile medical unit, Driving Better Health. The vehicle is deployed, for example, to Luzerne County Head Start locations, where The Wright Center’s providers offer screenings, oral exams and cleanings. The Wright Center currently operates nine primary care practices in Northeast Pennsylvania, offering access to high-quality, nondiscriminatory and affordable health services. The organization, which in 2019 was designated a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike, offers integrated care, providing patients with the convenience of going to a single location to access medical, dental and behavioral health care, plus addiction treatment and other supportive services. The Wright Center treats patients of all ages, income levels and insurance statuses. No patient is turned away for lack of health insurance or an inability to pay. Certain patients may be eligible for its sliding-fee discount program. Please go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019 for more information about the dental services provided by The Wright Center for Community Health.
The Wright Center Names Executive Vice President Higher education strategist and Luzerne County resident Scott Koerwer, Ph.D., Ed.D., has joined The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education in the role of executive vice president and chief administrative officer. In his new role, Koerwer will provide executive leadership oversight of The Wright Center’s human resources, information technology, facilities and marketing and communications departments, as well as contribute to the organization’s clinical delivery and educational missions. He also will guide the integration of the organization’s graduate and undergraduate interprofessional medical, behavioral and dental education activities. “I’m both pleased and honored to have Scott as a member of our executive leadership team,” said Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Center. “He has a passionate commitment to building and empowering accountable, high-performing teams of employees with a shared understanding of goals and purpose.” Koerwer previously served as vice president for strategy and planning at the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. He also was founding dean of its Graduate School. Koerwer has more than 30 years of experience working at world-class institutions of higher education. At Newberry College, in Newberry, South Carolina, he served as the 21st president of the college and as professor in the department of business. He served as deputy dean and clinical professor of management at The Darla Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina; associate dean of graduate and executive programs and services at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland; and as a director in the Executive Education Division of the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Koerwer also has served in leadership and partner roles at private and early-stage companies. Active in the community, Koerwer has served on boards of organizations including the Sidhu School of Business and Leadership Advisory Board at Wilkes University, the Lehigh University Rossin School of Engineering, Keystone College Board of Trustees, the Abington YMCA Advisory Board and multiple chambers of commerce. A lifelong learner, Koerwer has a bachelor’s degree from Muhlenberg College. He earned a master’s degree in government from Lehigh University, a Doctor of Education from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Doctor of Philosophy from Thomas Jefferson University. Koerwer and his family reside in Dallas, Pennsylvania.
The Wright Center Achieves 100% Match for Regional Residencies The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education welcomed 58 new resident physicians into its four regional residencies after achieving a 100% match on national Match Day for newly minted doctors. The National Resident Matching Program’s Match Day is one of the most important events and competitive processes in the medical school experience. On the third Friday of March each year, fourth-year medical students, as well as their graduate medical education programs, learn where they will complete the next stage of their medical training. The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education matched residents in the following regional programs: Internal Medicine Residency (34); Regional Family Medicine Residency (12); Psychiatry Residency (7), and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (5) – the newest training program. Resident physicians will begin their first-year residencies on July 1. The National Family Medicine Residency has filled its resident physician positions at the Tucson, Arizona (4); Auburn, Washington (4); Washington, D.C., and Hillsboro, Ohio (3) training sites. The incoming first-year residents for the five residencies hail from eight countries, including Canada (11), Egypt (1), India (12), Nepal (4), Pakistan (6), Philippines (1), Saudi Arabia (1) and the United States (39). Overall, The Wright Center received 5,744 applications and interviewed 877 candidates for the available slots in the five residencies. “It is with great excitement that I congratulate and welcome each of our new resident physicians to our learning and clinical communities. I look forward to working closely with each of you during your journey in postgraduate medical education,” said Dr. Jumee Barooah, the designated institution official at The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education. “Your residency is a once-in-a-lifetime educational experience that only you and your peers can understand. You have plenty to be proud of as your persistence, passion and dedication to the field have earned you this opportunity.” The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education was founded in 1976 as the Scranton-Temple Residency Program, a community-based internal medicine residency. Today, it educates and trains more than 220 resident physicians and fellows annually through a unique Graduate Medical Education and Safety Net Consortium, which is funded by federal agencies and supported by multiple health care organizations that provide learning environments. The organization also offers fellowships in cardiovascular disease, gastroenterology and geriatrics. Last year, The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education matched 69 resident physicians in the Internal Medicine (35), Regional Family Medicine (12), National Family Medicine (17) and Psychiatry (5) residencies.
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.
