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 and NYU Langone Dental Medicine to Introduce Scranton Dental Residency Program The Wright Center for Community Health is pleased to announce it will welcome its first dental resident in July 2021 as part of a new affiliation with New York University (NYU) Langone Dental Medicine Postdoctoral Residency Programs, the largest dental residency program in the country. NYU Langone Dental Medicine was designed to educate residents in primary dental care for vulnerable patients and underserved areas while providing culturally competent health care to socially and economically-disadvantaged residents in the region. The Wright Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike with a growing network of practices in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wayne counties, provides safety-net primary care services, including dental care, to people of all ages regardless of insured status or ability to pay. “This new program will build on our ongoing efforts to address persistent health disparities and difficulties in accessing oral health care for at-risk patients in Northeast Pennsylvania,” said Meaghan Ruddy, Ph.D., The Wright Center’s Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs. “It is our plan that program graduates will also receive advanced knowledge, skills and experiences to best serve children and adults who need these services the most.” The lack of fluoridated water in Northeast Pennsylvania, coupled with poor nutrition and lack of education on the importance of oral health, has resulted in a critical need for dental care access for disadvantaged communities. Lackawanna County is also designated by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as a Health Professional Shortage Area, meaning it suffers from a critical shortage of dentists, primary care physicians and mental health providers. “During the pandemic, even with the successful launch of telehealth services for our dental patients, many people put their oral health on hold,” explained Kimberly McGoff, Manager of Dental Operations for The Wright Center. “As more people are getting vaccinated and COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, we’ve seen an overwhelming rise in requests for dental appointments — an increase of more than 30% since January alone. In order to meet the higher demand, our dentists and staff are coming in on their days off to help meet the region’s needs.” In response, The Wright Center is also actively recruiting two more full-time dental providers, with a new dentist set to join the care team in August. Additionally, The Wright Center’s new mobile medical unit, Driving Better Health, is equipped with two full dental operatories and will offer pop-up dental clinics in both rural and urban settings throughout a seven-county Northeast Pennsylvania service area. By training tomorrow’s doctors today in community-immersed clinical learning environments that serve diverse and medically underserved populations, The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education is creating the health workforce pipeline America needs while addressing the country’s growing primary care provider shortage. Research shows that more than 90% of graduates who trained in Teaching Health Centers, like The Wright Center, remain in primary care practice, and more than 75% plan to work in underserved communities. The dental residency is the newest addition to The Wright Center’s robust physician learner programming, which also includes internal medicine, family medicine and psychiatry residencies as well as gastroenterology, geriatric and cardiovascular disease fellowships. The Wright Center is the nation’s largest Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education consortium, with close to 250 physician learners gaining hands-on training throughout Northeast Pennsylvania and in partnering sites in Washington state, Arizona, Ohio and Washington, D.C.
The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Confers Awards The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education proudly celebrated the accomplishments of its 2021 graduating class of residents and fellows on Friday, June 18. During a virtual commencement, tribute was given to 81 graduates for their resiliency during the COVID-19 pandemic and their dedication to the medical profession as practitioners who are helping to address the shortage of primary care physicians in locations across the nation, including Northeast Pennsylvania. Certain graduates, faculty members and community partners were recognized for their outstanding commitment to and success within the program. The ceremony for the 43rd graduating class, including award presentations, can be viewed at TheWrightGraduation.org. A full list of awardees appears below. Career geriatrician Edward Dzielak, D.O., an alumnus of The Wright Center who recently set aside his retirement to serve as Program Director of our new Geriatrics Fellowship, was honored with the prestigious Bost Award. Named in honor of the late Dr. Charles Bost, an original founder of The Wright Center’s residency programs, the award is given to a community leader who most demonstrates inspiration, guidance and support for The Wright Center’s mission. Several first-time awards, including one bearing the name of Jermyn resident Gerard Geoffroy, chair of The Wright Center for Community Health Board of Directors, also were presented. The inaugural Gerard Geoffroy Patient and Community Engagement Award was bestowed on geriatrics fellow Nirali Patel, M.D. Dr. Patel intends to stay on as a faculty physician at The Wright Center, delivering care to older residents in Northeast Pennsylvania and training others to do the same in this or similar settings. The first Dr. Sanjay Chandragiri Outstanding Psychiatry Resident Award was presented to Alex Slaby, M.D. Dr. Slaby plans to practice in the Lehigh Valley. The inaugural Dr. Stephen J. Pancoast Compassion, Kindness, Service and Humility Award — which honors the legacy of Dr. Pancoast, who recently retired after serving as an integral member of The Wright Center’s Ryan White HIV care team for more than 20 years — was presented to The Wright Center’s first gastroenterology fellowship graduate, Mladen Jecmenica, M.D. Also, The Wright Center “Values in Action” Spirit Award annually recognizes the members of one residency program and one fellowship program; this year’s recipients were the National Family Medicine Residency and the Gastroenterology Fellowship. Other awards included:Teacher of the Year (Internal Medicine Residency) – Douglas Klamp, M.D.; co-Teachers of the Year (Family Medicine Residency) – Alexies Samonte, M.D., and Jason Scotti, M.D.; Faculty of the Year (National Family Medicine Residency) – Anam Whyne, D.O.; Teacher of the Year (Psychiatry Residency) – Sanjay Chandragiri, M.D.; Teacher of the Year (Cardiology Fellowship) – Samir B. Pancholy, M.D.; Teacher of the Year (Gastroenterology Fellowship) – Aman Ali, M.D.; Teacher of the Year (Geriatrics Fellowship) – Edward Dzielak, D.O. The Robert E. Wright Award (for Internal Medicine) – Mousa Thalji, M.D.; the Moses Taylor Hospital Golden Stethoscope (for Internal Medicine) – Mousa Thalji, M.D.; Outstanding Fellow (Cardiology) – Gaurav Patel, M.B.B.S.; Outstanding Fellow (Gastroenterology) – Mladen Jecmenica, M.D.; Outstanding Fellow (Geriatrics) – Nirali Patel, M.D.; Intern of the Year (Internal Medicine Residency) – Usman Manzoor, M.D.; Intern of the Year (National Family Medicine Residency) – Carl Supnet, D.O.; Interns of the Year (Regional Family Medicine) – Mohamed El Ayashy, M.D., and Supriana Bhandol, M.D.; Intern of the Year (Psychiatry) – Erica Schmidt, M.D. Chief Fellow (Cardiology) – Gaurav Patel, M.B.B.S.; Chief Fellow (Gastroenterology) – Mladen Jecmenica, M.D.; Chief Fellow (Geriatrics) – Nirali Patel, M.D.; Chief Residents (Internal Medicine) – Frank Frasca, D.O., Gowtham Gannamani, M.D., Daniel C. Kazmierski, M.D., Mousa Thalji, M.D., and Korinn Vandervall, D.O.; Chief Residents (National Family Medicine) – Dallin Erickson, D.O., Esther Quintero, D.O., Loc Nguyen, D.O., David Eki, D.O., Catherine Njiru-Sewer, D.O., and Sun-jae Kim, D.O.; Chief Residents (Psychiatry) – Shevani Ganesh, M.D., and Casey Lenderman, D.O.; Chief Residents (Regional Family Medicine) – Ebi Rowshanshad, D.O., and Lee Wagner, M.D. The Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Award – Lee Wagner, M.D. (Regional Family Medicine); Outstanding Resident Award (National Family Medicine) – Catherine Njiru-Sewer, D.O.; COPC Project Award (National Family Medicine Residency) – David Eki, D.O., and Afia Ukor Albin, D.O.; Practice Improvement Award (National Family Medicine Residency) – Xuan-Loc V. Nguyen, D.O., and Brandon John Miller, D.O.; AFMRD Family Medicine Resident Award for Advocacy (National Family Medicine Residency) – Catherine Njiru-Sewer, D.O.; Founding Member Award (National Family Medicine Residency) – Eleni O’Donovan, M.D. Dr. Sanjay Chandragiri Outstanding Psychiatry Resident Award – Alex Slaby, M.D.; Dr. Stephen J. Pancoast Compassion, Kindness, Service and Humility Award – Mladen Jecmenica, M.D.; Gerard Geoffroy Patient and Community Engagement Award – Nirali Patel, M.D.; The Wright Center “Values in Action” Spirit Award – National Family Medicine Residency and Gastroenterology Fellowship; Bost Award – Edward Dzielak, D.O. The virtual commencement recognized the accomplishments of all 81 graduating student learners, 10 of whom will stay in Northeast Pennsylvania to continue practicing medicine. The doctors studied in The Wright Center’s internal medicine, regional family medicine, national family medicine and psychiatry residencies as well as its cardiovascular disease, gastroenterology and geriatrics fellowships.
The Wright Center Celebrates 81 Graduates, Addressing Regional and National Need for Physicians Eighty-one medical residents and fellows are completing their training this year at The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, with many members of the Class of 2021 choosing to remain in Northeast Pennsylvania for further studies or to enter practice here and care for patients. The Wright Center’s newest cohort of highly skilled, compassionate caregivers – whose training overlapped with the outbreak of the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic – will help to address the nation’s physician workforce shortages and improve access to care. Sixteen graduates plan to continue their careers in Pennsylvania, 10 of them in this region. The Wright Center celebrated its graduates’ accomplishments with a virtual commencement on Friday, June 18. The event can be viewed online at TheWrightGraduation.org. Established locally in 1976, The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education has since blossomed into the nation’s largest Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program, a critical part of the country’s workforce pipeline needed to fill an urgent need for more primary care physicians. Unlike traditional residency programs based out of hospitals, the THCGME program provides training sites in community-based settings and serves to inspire physicians to work in rural and other medically underserved communities For graduates of The Wright Center’s pioneering regional and national programs, this week’s commencement marked the completion of a three-year, or longer, graduate medication education training period during which they treated patients under the guidance of faculty physicians and simultaneously honed their skills to become highly competent, licensed caregivers. Notably, the Class of 2021 includes the first physicians to have successfully finished The Wright Center’s three newest programs: its psychiatry residency and its gastroenterology and geriatrics fellowship programs. The graduation ceremony also recognized physicians who completed The Wright Center’s longer-established residencies – internal medicine, regional family medicine and national family medicine – and its cardiovascular disease fellowship program. The graduating class includes Clarks Summit native Daniel Kazmierski, M.D., chief resident of the internal medicine program. Internal medicine residency graduates who plan to stay in Northeast Pennsylvania to practice medicine or continue their studies include: Anjalika Gupta, M.D., who will begin an addiction medicine fellowship at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, Wilkes-Barre; Abdul Haseeb, M.D., Husnain Shaukat, M.D., and Mousa Thalji, M.D., all of whom will join Geisinger Wyoming Valley as hospitalists; and Rahool, M.D., and Umesh Singla, M.D., both of whom will stay with The Wright Center to join the geriatric fellowship program. Family medicine graduates who plan to stay in NEPA include chief resident Ebi Rowshanshad, D.O., who will join Wayne Memorial Hospital in Honesdale; and Steven Archambault, D.O., who will remain with The Wright Center as faculty. Geriatric fellowship graduates Nirali Patel, M.D., and Naeem Ijaz, M.D., will also stay on as faculty physicians with The Wright Center. The commencement was held virtually for the second year in a row due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The online event featured remarks and congratulations from Gerard Geoffroy, Chair of The Wright Center for Community Health Board of Directors; Harold Baillie, Ph.D., Chair of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Board of Directors; and William Waters, Ph.D., Vice Chair of The Wright Center for Community Health Board of Directors and Co-Chair of The Wright Center for Patient and Community Engagement; graduates and program directors as well as executive leadership, including President/CEO Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak; Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jignesh Y. Sheth; and Designated Institutional Official Dr. Jumee Barooah. “I’ve been awed to observe firsthand as each of our residents and fellows faced hardship with humility, calmed concerns with compassion, and grounded the practice of medicine in grace,” Dr. Barooah said during her remarks. “Resilience has been the defining trait of our graduates, and it is a characteristic that will continue to serve them well throughout their lives and careers. They have served as brothers and sisters in arms on the front lines of healthcare, and have all solidified their place in The Wright Center’s history and family.” “The pandemic brought an unexpected final act to these years of residency: a wake-up call to the profession and indeed to the world, that the object of your practice is not limited to your individual patients, but to them, their families, their communities, and ultimately, the world,” Dr. Baillie said to graduates. “You rose to that challenge in extraordinary ways, going beyond your training to care for the community: providing vaccinations, being alert to the ailments of your patients, and assisting the community in holding back the tsunami of the virus.”
The Wright Center for Patient and Community Engagement Appointed Board Directors Three integral employees of The Wright Center for Community Health recently were appointed board directors for The Wright Center for Patient and Community Engagement. Each brings unique backgrounds in patient care or health information technology to the governance table. The Wright Center for Patient and Community Engagement enhances The Wright Center for Community Health’s ability to determine outreach priorities as it continues to meet the healthcare needs of the most vulnerable in the community. Board members provide oversight, direction and support for Wright Center team members and their efforts, offering their unique perspectives on community needs, resources and connections, to develop and maintain active, collaborative relationships with patients and the community at large. Kari Machelli, R.N., serves as Director of Care and Case Management Services for The Wright Center for Community Health. In this leadership role, she oversees the Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence Case Managers, Certified Recovery Specialists and Community Health Workers. Machelli has been with The Wright Center for more than 20 years, starting as an RN Care Manager. She earned her nursing degree from The Pennsylvania State University. Danielle Hennessey is Electronic Medical Records and Health Informatics Manager for The Wright Center. She joined the organization in 2019 as an EMR Application Support and Trainer for the Mid Valley Practice and Ryan White HIV Clinic, and was integral in building the interface that allowed for the exchange of data between two separate electronic health records systems. Hennessey graduated from Valley View High School and attended Lackawanna College and Marywood University. She has a background in information technology, having worked for TMG Health for four years prior to joining The Wright Center. Cheri Lewis-Aulisio is a licensed medical social worker for The Wright Center for Community Health. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from Marywood University. Cheri has a background working with diverse patient populations and has practiced in various clinical settings, including nursing homes, in-patient physician rehabilitation facilities and acute hospital-based settings. She has experience in behavioral health services and has worked with homeless women and children and Children & Youth Services. She also is part of the National Association of Community Health Center’s PRAPARE Tiger Team, which trains health centers to be better equipped to address social determinants of health and improve health equity.
The Wright Center: Alzheimer’s and Dementia Webinar Join the Wright Center for Community Health for a webinar: “Understanding Alzheimer’s and Dementia” on Wednesday April 14, 2021 from 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. In the United States alone, more than 5 million individuals are living with Alzheimer’s and 16 million are serving as their unpaid caregivers. The disease is a global crisis that impacts numerous families right here in our community. However, no one has to face this disease alone or without information. The Alzheimer’s Association® has created an education program covering the basics of Alzheimer’s and dementia to provide a general overview for people who are facing a diagnosis as well as those who wish to be informed. The free one-hour Understanding Alzheimer’s and Dementia program: ● Explores the relationship between Alzheimer’s disease and dementia ● Examines what happens in a brain affected by Alzheimer’s ● Details the risk factors for and three general stages of the disease ● Identifies FDA-approved treatments available to treat some symptoms ● Looks ahead to what’s on the horizon for Alzheimer’s research ● Offers helpful Alzheimer’s Association resources The program is via Zoom and attendance is free but registration is required. Register below or call our 24/7 helpline for registration assistance 800-272-3900. Once you register, a link to the Zoom meeting will be sent to your email a few days before the program. REGISTER
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 Names Interim Associate Designated Institutional Official Michelle Ostroski, a licensed social worker with a background in nonprofit healthcare and educational settings, has been named interim Associate Designated Institutional Official (ADIO) for The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education. In this leadership role, Ostroski is responsible for supporting and sustaining an environment that promotes academic excellence. The Wright Center trains close to 250 physician learners enrolled in internal medicine, family medicine and psychiatry residency programs as well as gastroenterology, geriatrics and cardiovascular disease fellowships. The ADIO oversees academic and organizational compliance with accrediting bodies and partnering institutions of higher learning, and also monitors the quality and safety of clinical learning venues where Wright Center residents and fellows rotate through. As the largest Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Consortium in the country, The Wright Center trains doctors to provide care to the nation’s most vulnerable patients in high-performing, certified Patient-Centered Medical Homes, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and community-based hospitals. Residents and fellows train at Wright Center clinics and hospital systems throughout Northeast Pennsylvania as well as locations in four states across two coasts, including Tucson, Arizona (El Rio Community Health Center); New Richmond, Ohio (HealthSource of Ohio); Auburn, Washington (HealthPoint); and Washington, D.C. (Unity Health Care). Ostroski joined The Wright Center in June as the Director of Graduate Medical Education Workforce Operations, promoting innovative learning opportunities and best practices in education, and will continue to maintain that role in addition to her new responsibilities. “Michelle’s commitment to empowering our residents and fellows with the best educational experience possible makes her a great fit for this role,” said Dr. Jumee Barooah, Designated Institutional Official for The Wright Center. “My goal is to foster a collaborative learning environment that optimizes the training physician learners receive at The Wright Center and each of our partnering sites,” Ostroski said. “Ensuring these community-minded doctors emerge as competent and compassionate primary care providers goes to the heart of The Wright Center’s mission.” Ostroski earned her master’s degree in social work with specialization in behavioral health from Marywood University, and her bachelor’s in secondary education and English at Temple University. She is pursuing her doctorate in education and leadership in healthcare from Nebraska Methodist College and resides in Forty Fort.
The Wright Center’s Dr. Madhava S. Rao, Announces Retirement After four decades of faithfully serving our community, renowned area cardiologist and medical educator Madhava S. Rao, M.D., has decided to embrace a well-deserved retirement. Throughout the span of his 40-plus year career, Dr. Rao has touched the hearts and improved the lives of countless patients and families through his practice of cardiology. And thanks to generations of cardiologists — serving patients regionally and nationally — who trained under Dr. Rao in The Wright Center’s Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program, his life-saving legacy of service will continue well into the future. “We appreciate Dr. Rao’s legacy and his many amazing contributions over the decades to support delivery of our mission to improve the health and welfare of our community. We wish him and his family many blessings and great prosperity in his well-earned retirement,” said Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, CEO of The Wright Center for Community Health and President of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education. “Dr Rao’s valued passion for education, cardiovascular expertise and healthcare system insight have been great influential assets to our regional practicing physicians and learners. His career contributions have benefitted our community in immeasurable ways.” “Teaching made me a better doctor, because when you see that enthusiasm for learning, it makes you want to learn more, too,” Dr. Rao shared. “Even now, whenever I get asked to do consultations for my former student fellows, they always send me a note of appreciation. They’re great doctors, but when they come to me for a second opinion, it’s a validating confidence boost. It inspires me and feels good to continue to help them.” Dr. Rao graduated from Mysore Medical College in India and completed his internal medicine residency at Cook County Hospital in Chicago. He then completed his cardiology fellowship training at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio and notably went on to earn board certifications in nuclear cardiology, echocardiography and clinical hypertension. A fellow of the American College of Cardiology, Dr. Rao has served the greater Scranton community since 1979, most recently serving as Director of Non-Invasive Cardiology for the Geisinger Heart and Vascular Center at Geisinger Community Medical Center. Throughout his career, Dr. Rao held numerous leadership roles, including Chief of Cardiology at the former Community Medical Center in Scranton, where he also was a well respected president of the medical staff; valued chairman of the Mortality and Morbidity Committee; a vested board member of the Quality Committee; and a 10-year passionate member of both the Board of Directors and the Medical Executive Committee. He has been integral to medical education in the area, starting in 1980 when he was a preceptor for internal medicine residents and students enrolled in the Scranton Temple Residency Program, which later became The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education. He passionately supported the development of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Cardiology Fellowship and made numerous contributions to ensure it has thrived. For more than a decade, he has served as a key faculty leader and as the director of non-invasive cardiology for our fellowship. To date, 14 physician learners have graduated from this program, with nine more currently in training. During his time with The Wright Center, Dr. Rao has been honored by the students, residents and fellows he has taught cardiology, who have voted him Teacher of the Year on numerous occasions. “Throughout my years studying with him, Dr. Rao has been amazing,” said Dr. Neil Patel, a third-year Cardiovascular Disease Fellow at The Wright Center. “He has always been very passionate about teaching and the specialty of cardiology. as well as the profession of medicine in general. Everyone in our fellowship so far, myself and previous graduates included, are now board-certified in echocardiography and nuclear cardiology, and we all credit those accomplishments to Dr Rao.” “Dr. Rao has been a great mentor. His teaching skills, especially in echocardiography and nuclear cardiology, have been exemplary,” agreed fellow third-year Cardiovascular Disease Fellow Dr. Guarav Patel. “Dr. Rao has been a true inspiration not only to Wright Center cardiology fellows, primary care residents, and medical students, but he has also positively influenced the careers of many local practicing physicians, myself included. He’s been an exemplary doctor, teacher and mentor, and his years of service have been a blessing to our community. We will all surely miss him,” shared Dr. Jignesh Sheth, Chief Medical Officer and a practicing internal medicine and addiction medicine physician for The Wright Center for Community Health. “Physician learners and our community alike benefited from Dr. Rao’s decades of practice and his many contributions toward training the next generation of cardiologists, as well as other specialty and primary care physicians. I have been privileged to be his colleague and wish him well,” said Dr. Samir B. Pancholy, Program Director for The Wright Center’s Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship. “Teaching has been very rewarding, but the greatest satisfaction is knowing I did something good for the community,” Dr. Rao shared. “I have seen the commitment from Dr. Thomas-Hemak and The Wright Center to improve primary care and medical education in our community, especially when it comes to rural health, and I have appreciated the opportunity to be part of that.” An acknowledgement celebration is planned for the future when a gathering to honor Dr. Rao will be COVID-19-safe.
