The Wright Center Geriatricians Recognized for Boosting Vaccination Rates

The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) highlighted the accomplishments of two geriatricians with ties to The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education in its recent quarterly publication, AGS News, for their efforts to improve vaccination rates among older adults.

Dr. Edward Dzielak, director of The Wright Center’s geriatrics fellowship program, was recognized for his leadership in incorporating the AGS Older Adults Vaccine Initiative into The Wright Center’s geriatrics care service line. The initiative, backed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, aims to increase immunization rates among older adults eligible for routine vaccinations in the U.S., with a focus on four key vaccines — COVID-19, influenza, shingles (zoster), and pneumonia.

Dr. Muhammad Ishaq, a 2024 graduate of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Geriatrics Fellowship Program and an internal medicine resident physician at Rochester Regional Health’s Unity Hospital in upstate New York, was lauded for spearheading a quality improvement project and initiatives to boost older adults’ vaccination rates at The Wright Center’s primary care community health centers. Along with his colleagues, Dr. Ishaq, who received his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from Khyber Medical College in Peshawar, Pakistan, established a SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely) goal framework to help seniors take charge of their health and lives, integrated electronic medical record changes to prompt providers about patient vaccination statuses, and increased educational outreach and awareness.

A Carbondale native board-certified in internal medicine and geriatrics medicine, Dr. Dzielak, of Greenfield Twp., has dedicated more than four decades of his life to medicine, specifically in internal medicine, critical care, and geriatrics.

Following his residency in internal medicine at the Scranton-Temple Residency Program, now called The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, he served as the Residency Program coordinator from 1981 to 2015. He also served as the director of both medicine and the intensive care unit at Moses Taylor Hospital in Scranton, from 1982 until his 2017 retirement.

He returned to The Wright Center in October 2019 after being asked to serve as the founding geriatric fellowship program director. He earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Scranton in 1974 and his medical degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1978. 

Dr. Dzielak accepts patients over the age of 60 at The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley Practice, 5 S. Washington Ave. Jermyn. To make an appointment, to schedule a vaccine, or for more information on The Wright Center’s geriatric services line, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call (570) 230-0019.

The Wright Center’s geriatric services line has been recognized by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement as an Age-Friendly Health System Partner, offering a full range of comprehensive, safety-net primary care and support services for older adults. A cornerstone of the program is the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Clinic, which provides thorough evaluations and testing accessible to all patients, regardless of their primary care provider. Additionally, The Wright Center is one of just 10 health systems nationwide selected to implement the innovative Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program developed by UCLA.

Founded in 1942, the AGS is a New York-based nonprofit organization with more than 6,000 members that is dedicated to improving the health, independence, and quality of life of older adults.