The Wright Center Launches New ‘Care Team’ Approach

The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education have launched an innovative program to enhance patient care while nurturing the skills of tomorrow’s physician workforce.

Medical residents at The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education are now members of “care teams” that provide whole-person primary health services to people of all ages, income levels, and insurance statuses. The novel initiative elevates the standard of care provided at The Wright Center’s nine community health center locations in Northeast Pennsylvania while providing a platform for residents to refine their skills as compassionate healers. 

By seamlessly integrating hands-on experience with comprehensive training, the program embodies The Wright Center’s mission to improve the health and welfare of communities through inclusive and responsive health services and the sustainable renewal of an inspired, competent workforce that is privileged to serve.

“Patients get two sets of eyes – the resident and the doctor,” said Dr. Timothy Burke, a primary care physician at The Wright Center for Community Health – Mid Valley in Jermyn, Pennsylvania, and the associate program director of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Internal Medicine Residency. “Seeing the same resident and the same doctor each time means the patient doesn’t have to repeat their medical history over and over. Both know who you are, the care you’re receiving, and the obstacles you face.”

Patients will benefit from building personal relationships with The Wright Center’s resident physicians, according to Dr. Erin McFadden, a primary care doctor who also serves as deputy chief medical officer and medical director of The Wright Center for Community Health’s locations in Scranton, North Scranton, and the Scranton Counseling Center.

“That’s the beauty of primary care. It’s not just learning the medicine, it’s learning how to develop the relationship with the patient,” Dr. McFadden said. “It’s important to build that patient-doctor trust so you can see how their health is changing and, hopefully, improving.” 

Dr. McFadden, for example, said a resident physician will prescribe a patient with diabetes a particular drug to help with blood sugar levels. Now, as part of the patient’s care team, they can monitor how effective that medication is – and what side effects the patient may or may not experience – at subsequent appointments. 

“We’re giving an opportunity to our patients and our resident physicians to build a relationship,” she said. “If you want to take care of a disease and improve health, you need multiple pictures over time to watch cause and effect.” 

The care team concept is not new at The Wright Center for Community Health, which typically integrates medical, dental, and behavioral health care, as well as community-based addiction treatment and recovery services, at a single location for the convenience of patients. To ensure residents could become more involved in patient care teams, The Wright Center collaborated with its Electronic Health Record (EHR) vendor to redesign the scheduling of patient appointments to honor patient continuity. 

The program also means changing the way resident physicians are scheduled for rotations, which are completed at The Wright Center’s community health centers, local hospitals, and other medical settings in the region. Typically, resident physicians cycle through a number of assignments, each lasting a few weeks to a month. Now, the residents who are part of the new care teams are assigned to their doctor’s clinic location once a week.

“That came from a buy-in across the medical residency program leaders that continuity was important and a priority, so no other rotations were going to supersede their regularly scheduled continuity clinics,” said Tiffany Jaskulski, vice president of health innovation and strategic initiatives at The Wright Center.

First-year Internal Medicine resident Dr. Ketaki Pande sees patients at The Wright Center for Community Health – North Scranton on Fridays with Dr. McFadden. She’s enjoyed getting to know patients on a deeper level and says the team approach is helping her become a more effective physician.

“One of the big parts of primary care is managing chronic conditions,” Dr. Pande said. “For example, not everyone responds to a particular medication the same way. So, I prescribe something, and now I can follow up weeks and months later, to see how it’s working and if something else is needed.” 

The Wright Center Explains Alzheimer’s and Dementia Complex

The Wright Center states there’s a pretty good chance that someone close to you has been affected by Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s disease is indeed a devastating condition with profound impacts on those afflicted and their families. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 6.7 million people 65 and older live with Alzheimer’s dementia in the United States, including more than 280,000 Pennsylvanians.

The disease’s impact goes beyond those diagnosed, affecting their families significantly. In Pennsylvania, for example, there were an estimated 404,000 family caregivers statewide in 2022. These caregivers often provide extensive and demanding care, facing emotional, physical, and financial challenges as they support their loved ones through the progression of the disease.

Medical progress on the disease has been frustratingly slow, but awareness campaigns like Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month in June certainly help the cause. The observance educates people about the disease’s risk factors, signs, and symptoms and the importance of early detection and diagnosis. It’s also a vehicle for raising funds geared toward much-needed Alzheimer’s research.

The month is also known for the Alzheimer’s Association’s The Longest Day, the June 21 observance when people from around the world come together to “fight the darkness” of Alzheimer’s through a fundraising activity of their choice.

The Wright Center is doing its part via their Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care (ADC) Program, which is based on the award-winning model established at UCLA and designed to help patients and families with the complex medical, behavioral, and social needs of Alzheimer’s and related dementias. First launched in 2020, the program is led by a dedicated group of geriatricians, advanced practitioners, and dementia care specialists who collaborate closely with patients’ primary care physicians to ensure care is comprehensive and coordinated for both the patient and their caregivers.

ADC has several core components, including a 90-minute in-person visit with a dementia care specialist; a personalized care plan developed with the primary/referring physician; follow-up phone calls and/or in-person visits to ensure the plan is implemented or modified as needed; 24/7, 365-day-a-year access to caregivers for assistance and advice in order to avoid emergency department visits and hospitalizations; and ongoing patient monitoring with at least one annual in-person visit to ensure that ongoing and emerging needs are being met.

The Wright Center is proud to announce that the program recently received some major visibility when it was listed in Best Programs for Caregiving, a partnership between the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging and Family Caregiver Alliance, a free, searchable, and interactive database that helps families and caregivers find the right program for their loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia. The website includes descriptions of the program, whether it is offered in-person or online, information on providers, eligibility criteria, how to enroll, languages offered, and more.

ADC is part of the comprehensive list of services we provide under the Geriatric Care service line, geared to aging adults who may find themselves unfairly categorized as frail or not being listened to by other doctors. The Wright Center employs a holistic, whole-person approach to every patient at every age, giving them the tools and care to live a full and healthy life. The approach has been recognized by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement as an Age-Friendly Health System Partner for providing a full spectrum of whole-person primary health and support services for our patients who are young at heart.

The Wright Center is hopeful that as awareness increases and more families seek testing and treatment early, they may see some real breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s and dementia care treatment within the next few years. Nonetheless, they will continue to ensure that their patients are getting exemplary care and that caregivers are receiving the tools and support needed to get through this difficult experience.

Tanureet Kochar, M.D., is a dual board-certified internal medicine and geriatric physician at The Wright Center for Community Health. She also serves as a core faculty member of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Internal Medicine Residency and Geriatric Fellowship programs. In addition, Dr. Kochar is the regional director of medical education for A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona.

The Wright Center’s Internal Medicine Resident Wins Award for Case Study

A Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education resident physician’s chance meeting with a patient at a local hospital led to the opportunity to present a winning scholarly abstract about a medical rarity at the American College of Physicians (ACP) Internal Medicine Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts.

Dr. Maimona Chaudhary, an Internal Medicine resident physician, first encountered the subject of the abstract, a 25-year-old woman, while on rotation at Geisinger Community Medical Center in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The patient arrived at the emergency department with lesions on her legs. What medical personnel initially diagnosed as second-degree burns ended up being a rare symptom of biclonal multiple myeloma – a cancer that only affects people under the age of 40 in about 2% of cases.

“Upon follow-up, the lesions were diagnosed as paraneoplastic pemphigus, which is rare in itself,” said Dr. Chaudhary. “But then they found she had multiple myeloma, without any of the usual symptoms, without any family history. There were a lot of oddities in this case.”

Dr. Chaudhary, a first-year resident physician from Hamilton, Ontario, followed the patient’s case over the next several months and produced a case report with colleagues from The Wright Center, including Drs. Ali Shah and Lehka Yadukumar, Internal Medicine residency physicians; Dr. Milos Babic, associate program director of the Internal Medicine Residency; and medical student Omaima Chaudhary, who received her medical degree from the University of Limerick School of Medicine and will join The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Internal Medicine Residency in July. 

The researchers submitted the case report, “Paraneoplastic Pemphigus as the Presenting Sign of Biclonal Multiple Myeloma in a 25-Year Old Female: A Case Report,” to the ACP’s resident/fellow national abstract competition, which receives several hundred entries annually. The abstract was one of 20 awarded a certificate of merit by the ACP. Dr. Chaudhary delivered the five-minute presentation on the case.

“It was difficult to cover everything in five minutes,” she said. “I think this case really stood out to the ACP judges because it was so unusual.”

Dr. Chaudhary monitored the patient’s case, although she is not involved in her ongoing treatment. The woman’s cancer treatment was delayed for months as doctors worked to heal the skin lesions caused by paraneoplastic pemphigus, along with other complications. She recently began chemotherapy, and all signs point to a positive outcome.

As for Dr. Chaudhary’s future, she’s still deciding what type of medicine to pursue.

“I’m still exploring,” she said. “I want to do something I really enjoy. We get to pick electives in our second year, so I can start to see where I want to go from here.”

The Wright’s Center Ryan White Clinic Presenting the Annual Pridefest Parade

The Wright Center for Community Health’s Ryan White HIV Clinic will be the presenting sponsor for the Northeast Pennsylvania Rainbow Alliance’s annual Pridefest Parade and Celebration in downtown Wilkes-Barre on Sunday, June 23. The parade begins at noon, with the celebration to follow on Public Square until 4 p.m.

The Northeast Pennsylvania Rainbow Alliance provides education, support, and advocacy for individuals and families who are LGBTQ+ while working to advance fairness and equality. The Rainbow Alliance envisions a future where all people in the region can live openly and free from fear, and where individuals, organizations, and businesses work collaboratively to build an equal, inclusive community.

The formation for the parade begins at 11 a.m., near East South and South Main streets, two blocks off Public Square. The program includes more than 75 vendors, drag performances, and more. For more information, go to RainbowAlliance.org/Pridefest.

For almost 25 years, The Wright Center for Community Health’s Ryan White HIV Clinic has been providing comprehensive whole-person primary health and support services to individuals living with HIV/AIDS, including integrated primary care, medication assistance, case management, mental health, and other support services. The Ryan White Clinic offers services at The Wright Center for Community Health locations in Scranton, 501 S. Washington Ave., and Wilkes-Barre, 169 N. Pennsylvania Ave., and serves Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wyoming, Wayne, Pike, Susquehanna, and Monroe counties.

The Wright Center Supports Distribution of Overdose-Reversing Medicine

To help reduce opioid-related deaths in the region, The Wright Center for Community Health is participating in a state-led initiative to distribute free overdose-reversing medication and other harm-reduction supplies.

Individuals can receive naloxone kits – a potentially life-saving medicine that is approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration – and drug-checking strips by visiting The Wright Center for Community Health – Hawley, 103 Spruce St. The practice is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. It is not necessary to be a Wright Center patient or to provide ID.

Similarly, people can get kits and supplies during business hours at the Wayne County Drug and Alcohol Commission office, 318 Tenth St., Honesdale. The commission has partnered with The Wright Center to assist in distributing the items and promoting training opportunities to ensure that people know how to properly use them. 

The Wright Center is one of many approved, community-based distribution sites, officially known as “recognized entities,” that will receive the supplies at no cost through the Pennsylvania Overdose Prevention Program (POPP). The program was launched in mid-2023 as a joint initiative between the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs.

POPP offers multiple formulations of naloxone as well as drug-checking strips. The strips are designed to detect xylazine and fentanyl, potent substances that are sometimes mixed with other drugs and can increase the risk of overdose.

“Naloxone is a life-saving medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose,” said Scott Constantini, associate vice president of primary care and recovery services integration at The Wright Center for Community Health. “At this phase of the ongoing epidemic, it makes sense for more people to have naloxone kits in the event of an emergency with a family member, friend, coworker, or stranger. You never know when you can save a life.”

Jeffrey Zerechak, director of the Wayne County Drug and Alcohol Commission, noted the epidemic’s hard-hitting impact on the Northeast region, especially in rural areas where treatment options might be limited and stigma prevents some people from seeking care. “We encourage anyone in Wayne County who needs help to please stop by our office or call us. Don’t wait any longer. Addiction is an illness that only gets worse over time.”

The opioid epidemic, which has claimed the lives of about 14,000 Pennsylvanians in the past three years, continues to ravage communities and families. By increasing access to harm-reduction supplies, state health officials and others hope to limit fatalities and link more people who use drugs to effective treatment programs.

Evidence suggests that providing access to naloxone does not lead to more or riskier drug use. Rather, people revived by the medication might find that the near-death experience serves as a wake-up call, compelling them to seek help and maintain recovery.

The Wright Center for Community Health, a Scranton-based provider of whole-person primary health services, is committed to helping individuals with substance use disorder. The Wright Center became a state-designated Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence in 2016. Since then, it has provided outpatient addiction treatment and recovery services, including medication-assisted treatment, to thousands of people in Northeast Pennsylvania. To learn more about the services available through its Center of Excellence, call 570-230-0019 or visit TheWrightCenter.org/services/coe.

For more information about naloxone access at The Wright Center for Community Health’s locations and other regional distribution sites, go to TheWrightCenter.org/naloxone-access.

To connect with the Wayne County Drug and Alcohol Commission, visit its website or call 570-253-6022.

The Wright Center’s Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program Receives National Recognition

The Wright Center for Community Health’s Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care (ADC) Program, based on the award-winning UCLA Program, is now listed in a national database of proven, effective dementia care programs.

Best Programs for Caregiving, a partnership between the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging and Family Caregiver Alliance, is a free, searchable, and interactive database that helps families and caregivers find the right program for their loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia. The website includes descriptions of the program, whether it is offered in-person or online, information on providers, eligibility criteria, how to enroll, languages offered, and more. To see The Wright Center’s ADC Program listing, visit bpc.caregiver.org/caregivers/12/967.

The Wright Center launched the ADC Program in 2020 to help patients and families navigate the medical, behavioral, and social needs associated with Alzheimer’s and other dementia diseases. Wright Center geriatricians, advanced practitioners, and dementia care specialists work closely with each patient’s primary care and referring physicians to develop a personalized care plan. The program also provides ongoing patient monitoring and round-the-clock access to assistance and advice so patients can avoid emergency department visits and hospitalizations.

Go to TheWrightCenter.org/services/alzheimers-dementia or call 570-230-0019 for more information about the ADC Program.   

According to the Alzheimer’s Association 2023 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report, 6.7 million people 65 and older live with Alzheimer’s dementia in the United States, including over 280,000 in Pennsylvania. The report says there were an estimated 404,000 family caregivers in Pennsylvania in 2022.

“The Wright Center is very proud of the care we provide to patients and caregivers in this program,” said Nicole Lipinski, director of the geriatric service line. “It’s an honor to be listed in this database, especially as we continue to grow the program and provide patient-centered care for all participants.”

The Wright Center for Community Health, headquartered in Scranton, operates 10 primary and preventive care practices in Northeast Pennsylvania, including a mobile medical and dental unit called Driving Better Health. Its locations offer integrated whole-person primary health services, 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. For more information about The Wright Center’s integrated whole-person primary health services or for the nearest location, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.

The Wright Center Outlines Better Health Outcomes for Women

The Wright Center: One of the things we notice in health care is that far too often women neglect their own well-being because they’re so focused on the needs of their children, their spouse, or their aging parents.

So, it’s important to promote awareness campaigns like Women’s Health Awareness Month in May, which provides us with a terrific opportunity to stress the importance of women taking a proactive approach to their overall health.

National Women’s Health Week occurs every year beginning on Mother’s Day and is led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office on Women’s Health. The theme for this year’s observance is “Empowering Women, Cultivating Health: Celebrating Voices, Wellness, and Resilience,” and is focused on empowering women to be proactive in their health journeys.

Each day of the campaign spotlights a relevant women’s health topic. They are:

Day 1 – May 12: Empowering Women in their Health Journey

Day 2 – May 13: Safe Sexual Health

Day 3 – May 14: Shining a Light on Maternal Mental Health

Day 4 – May 15: Talk About It—Reducing Women’s Health Stigma 

Day 5 – May 16: Understanding Care is There

Day 6 – May 17: Reproductive Health from Puberty to Menopause and Beyond

Day 7 – May 18: Women and Heart Health

Here at The Wright Center, we offer a variety of services that allow women to balance their own wellness with their many daily responsibilities. Our local primary and preventive care community health centers provide integrated whole-person primary health services that give patients the convenience of going to a single location to access all their physical, dental and behavioral health care needs. That’s why our patients are encouraged to make us their medical home.

Our women patients can access such health services as regular gynecological checkups, pelvic and breast exams, cervical cancer screenings, well-woman visits, bone density testing, age-appropriate immunizations, Pap smears and HPV testing, STI testing and treatment, and hormonal testing.

And to spare women – really all patients – from the needless suffering associated with preventable illness and many of today’s leading causes of death (heart attack, stroke and certain cancers among them), The Wright Center is increasingly focused on preventive care through our Lifestyle Medicine and Obesity Medicine programs. Our dedicated team of dieticians, counselors, and other professionals can help patients adopt a personalized care plan to manage – or outright avoid – chronic diseases.

We accept almost all insurances, including Medicaid, Medicare and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), plus private plans. If you’re uninsured, our enrollment assisters can help to educate you about the options and the sign-up process, and our sliding-fee discount program ensures high-quality whole-person primary health services are affordable and accessible for everyone, regardless of insurance status, ZIP code, or ability to pay.

We’re proud to offer first-rate women’s health care, and we’ll continue to do all we can do to exceed that care in any way possible.

Supriana Bhandol, M.D., a board-certified family medicine physician, serves as the associate program director and physician faculty in The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Regional Family Medicine Residency. Dr. Bhandol is accepting patients of all ages at The Wright Center for Community Health – Scranton, 501 S. Washington Ave.

The Wright Center Shares Health Column for National High Blood Pressure Education Month

Below is a guest health column by The Wright Center’s Dr. Nirali Patel for National High Blood Pressure Education Month in May.

By now, many of you are well aware of the dangers of hypertension or, as it’s more commonly known, high blood pressure, which affects roughly half of all Americans and is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.

Thanks to the marvels of modern medicine, we now have drugs that significantly reduce the potential harms of high blood pressure. Still, too many people don’t realize they even have it, so fortunately, there are observances like May’s National High Blood Pressure Education Month, which the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and other organizations use to promote myriad resources relevant to the subject.

For those who don’t know, high blood pressure develops when blood flows through the arteries at an elevated level. Blood pressure consists of two numbers – systolic, the pressure when the ventricles pump blood out of the heart, and diastolic, the pressure between heartbeats when the heart is filling with blood.

Blood pressure changes throughout the day based on activity. For most people, normal blood pressure is less than 120 over 80 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), which is the systolic pressure reading over the diastolic pressure reading. That becomes high blood pressure with consistent systolic readings of 130 mm Hg or higher or diastolic readings of 80 mm Hg or higher.

Unfortunately, the majority of people don’t experience symptoms related to high blood pressure until it’s already begun to cause serious health issues – and roughly 1 in 3 American adults aren’t aware they have it, according to the NHLBI.

That’s why it’s extremely important that you get your blood pressure checked at least once a year. In addition to taking medications, you can make several lifestyle modifications to control or lower your blood pressure. Here are a few:

Maintain a healthy weight: Excess weight often leads to hypertension and can also disrupt breathing during sleep, which also elevates blood pressure. Losing a few pounds can have a marked effect.

Exercise: Regular physical activity can lower your blood pressure by 5 to 8 mm Hg, so aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily.

Eat better: A diet heavy on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy that’s low in saturated fat and cholesterol can lower high blood pressure by up to 11 mm Hg. Examples include the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and the highly adaptable Mediterranean diet.

Reduce salt intake: Decreasing your sodium consumption can improve heart health and reduce high blood pressure by about 5 to 6 mm Hg. The recommended daily amount is no more than 2,300 milligrams (mg), while 1,500 mg is ideal.

Limit alcohol: Less than one drink a day for women or two drinks a day for men can help lower blood pressure by about 4 mm Hg. One drink equals 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor.

Quit smoking: Not surprisingly, smoking increases blood pressure. Quitting will not only lower your hypertension but improve your overall health.  

Get a good night’s sleep: Consistently poor sleep can raise your blood pressure. In fact, one of our internal medicine resident physicians at The Wright Center, Dr. Aayushi Sood, recently worked on a study that found that sleeping less than seven hours a night increased the risk of developing high blood pressure by 7% while sleeping less than five hours increased the risk by 11%.

High blood pressure is serious business, but as we’ve clearly demonstrated here, many practical ways exist to contend with it. Be vigilant and be well. 

Nirali Patel, M.D., is board certified in internal medicine and obesity medicine, and is board eligible in geriatrics. Dr. Patel is accepting adult patients at The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton Practice. She also serves as associate program director of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Geriatrics Fellowship Program and as core faculty of the Internal Medicine Residency Program.

The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement Receives 10,000 Pairs of Socks from Bombas

The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement (PCE) received 10,000 pairs of warm, cozy socks from Bombas to distribute to people experiencing homelessness and hardship throughout the region.

PCE, a subsidiary of The Wright Center for Community Health, focuses on improving access to health care while addressing the negative social and economic determinants of health that affect patients and community members, including food insecurity, homelessness, poverty, and access to education. Throughout the year, PCE hosts clothing giveaways at Wright Center for Community Health locations and community events. Additionally, it hosts regular food distributions, backpack and school supply giveaways, and provides transportation vouchers to patients who have difficulty getting to and from doctors’ appointments.

The socks will be distributed to people experiencing homelessness, as well as residents who are experiencing financial hardship or emergency situations, according to Holly Przasnyski, director of The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement.

“We’re thrilled to receive this generous donation from Bombas,” she said. “A pair of socks can be such a comfort.”  

Bombas is a comfort-focused, basic apparel brand with a mission to help those in need. The company was originally founded in 2013 because socks are the No. 1 most requested clothing item at homeless shelters. Underwear and T-shirts are No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. While the brand started with and is known for its extremely comfortable socks, Bombas used its expertise in comfort to launch into apparel with T-shirts in 2019 and, most recently, underwear in 2021. For every item purchased, a specially designed item is donated to someone at risk of or currently experiencing homelessness. To date, Bombas has donated over 100 million items.

For more information about PCE, call 570.343.2383, ext. 1444, or visit TheWrightCenter.org/ patient-and-community-engagement.

The Wright Center for Community Health Names Director of Clinical Compliance

The Wright Center for Community Health has named Bryan Finegan as the director of clinical compliance.

An Olyphant resident, Finegan will ensure Wright Center employees adhere to all applicable laws, rules, regulations, and internal standard operating procedures and policies related to patient safety, emergency preparedness, and clinical operations and management.

In addition to serving as an ambassador for The Wright Center’s mission both internally and externally, Finegan will consult with staff and leadership on best practices to improve medical care, health, safety, and patient and staff welfare. He will also lead the development and implementation of clinical compliance programs for all clinical sites in accordance with the National Committee for Quality Assurance and the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration.

Finegan has more than 25 years of experience in emergency medicine, most recently as an advanced emergency medical technician and a member of the management team for Pennsylvania Ambulance. He’s also worked as an emergency medical technician and dispatcher for Lackawanna Ambulance and a 911 dispatcher for Lackawanna County’s emergency services.

The Wright Center for Community Health operates 10 primary and preventive care practices in Northeast Pennsylvania, including a mobile medical and dental unit called Driving Better Health. For more information about The Wright Center’s integrated whole-person primary health services or for the nearest location, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.