This year JFS is celebrating our 4^th Annual Community Matters event which celebrates and honors those who have helped both JFS as well as the entire community.  We are proud to announce that we are honoring Barbara and Lou Nivert at this year’s event. This year’s event will be held on May 16^th from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. at the Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel Scranton.

Barbara and Louis Nivert have been leaders in community involvement and charitable giving their entire lives.  Both are graduates of Scranton Central High School, Louis is a graduate of Keystone College and a US Army Veteran and Barbara attended Penn State University and Marywood College.  Louis is owner and president of local metal distribution firm, Nivert Metal Supply.  Together they have been involved with Jewish Family Service, Temple Israel of Scranton, B’nai Brith, Jewish War Veterans, Elan Gardens, The Jewish Home of NEPA, The Scranton Red Cross, the Scranton JCC, the Howard Gardner School and the Jewish Federation.  Barbara is a former president of Jewish Family Service (2011-2013).

For over 100 years Jewish Family Service of Northeastern Pennsylvania has been helping individuals and families in our region achieve well-being, health and stability. The Annual Community Matters community recognition event is our major event fundraiser each year. The event helps support JFS programs and services including Mental Health Services, Financial Assistance, Case Management, Guardianship of Person Service, Mae S. Gelb Kosher Food Pantry and our unique Dental Care Center staffed by volunteers from the Scranton District Dental Society and Fortis Institute Dental Hygiene Program.

Tickets for the event are $100.00 per person and can be purchased online at www.jfsnepa.org. A silent auction will also be held during the evening. Sponsorship and ad book opportunities can be purchased online or by calling JFS at 570-344-1186.

The College of Health Sciences and Education at Misericordia University is introducing in the fall the region’s first graduate program that works to improve health care quality and patient safety.

The Healthcare Analytics is a 36-credit Master of Science degree program available fully online beginning in August. The new academic program prepares creative and diligent professionals who use data to communicate and enact meaningful improvements in the delivery of health care.

“The need to assure that professionals in health care are well versed in improvement is compelling,’’ said George A. Godlewski, Ph.D., M.S.W., director of the Healthcare Analytics graduate program at Misericordia University. “The industry’s growth underscores that imperative while providing opportunities to enhance the learning of new professionals in the area of health care quality improvement.’’

The graduate program places a unique emphasis on interprofessional practice and patient-family perspectives. In doing so, it stresses the importance of health care professionals working together as equal team members with one common goal, while ensuring patient’s and family’s voices are heard throughout the continuum of care.

Curriculum is composed of required courses as well as electives to support student goals and interests of improving care throughout health care systems. The framework of the curriculum is based on quality improvement competencies in health care quality: data sets, measurement, analysis, improvement science, change management, leadership and more. Course content will also stress themes of population health, ethics, social justice, leadership, patient experience, interprofessionalism and creativity.

Misericordia will deliver the courses primarily in a seven-week block schedule via an asynchronous on-line format to support the flexibility required by adult learners. Students can work toward the advanced degree in full- or part-time formats, and can earn their master’s degree in as little as two years.

In addition, an 18-credit post baccalaureate certificate is available in the Healthcare Analytics program. Students also can apply the credits earned through completion of the certificate program to the requirements for the master’s degree.

Today, medical error is the third highest cause of death in the United States, after heart disease and cancer. Furthermore, medical errors cost the nation’s health care system about $17 billion annually, according to research in the 2018 British Medical Journal. The Journal of Health Care Finance in 2012 estimated health care costs associated with medical mistakes that negatively affected quality-adjusted life years exceeded $200 billion annually.

The British Medical Journal’s March 2018 report comes more than two decades after the Institute of Medicine’s study, “To Err is Human,’’ illustrated the totality of preventable medical errors in U.S. hospitals.

“In short, skillful professionals are needed to lead change and improvement in health care beyond the current model being used in the U.S. health care system,’’ Dr. Godlewski said. “Our health care system, including health care policy, requires significant changes to address current gaps in quality. The potential revenue savings associated with improved quality in health care could be applied to innumerable worthy challenges. The personal benefits of improved care and reduced harm are incalculable.’’

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) forecasts the demand for data analysts in health care to grow about 19 percent through 2024. Overall, BLS’s Occupational Outlook Handbook expects employment in the health care industry to grow by 18 percent over the next two decades, with about 50 percent of the top 25 jobs associated with clinical care.

For more information about the graduate and certificate programs in Healthcare Analytics at Misericordia University, please call 570-674-6233 or visit www.misericordia.edu/ healthcareanalytics. Founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1924, Misericordia University is Luzerne County’s first four-year college and offers 56 academic programs on the graduate and undergraduate levels in full- and part-time formats. Misericordia University ranks in the top tier of the Best Regional Universities – North category of U.S. News and World Report’s 2019 edition of Best Colleges. The Princeton Review recognizes MU as a 2019 Best Northeastern College and Money Magazine includes Misericordia in its 2018-19 “Best Colleges” list.

Early child care professionals with some college credits can now earn their bachelor’s degree online while working full time. Wilkes University’s online Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary and early childhood education prepares students for Pennsylvania pre-kindergarten through fourth grade certification. Scholarships are available for qualified early child care professionals who can advance their education for little or no cost.

In partnership with the Pennsylvania Child Care Association, the T.E.A.C.H Early Childhood Pennsylvania Scholarship offers financial assistance and support services that improve the education and compensation of child care workers. Early child care professionals, teachers and assistant teachers working in Keystone STARS facilities are eligible to apply to the scholarship program. They must have completed at least 55 credits in an accredited early childhood education or equivalent teacher-preparation program. Wilkes has worked to create articulation agreements with many area community colleges, so students can seamlessly transfer and not lose credits. Some child care employees may qualify for Rising STARS Tuition Assistance from The Pennsylvania Key.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment of preschool and elementary teachers will grow over the next 10 years due to the number of students enrolling in prekindergarten and elementary schools.

Prospective students can learn more by visiting www.wilkes.edu/econline or by contacting Amy M. Hnasko at amy.hnasko@wilkes.edu.

For more stories about Wilkes University and its students, faculty and staff, please visit News@Wilkes.

The Leadership Lackawanna Core Program 2019 project team, “Fun for All,” in coordination with St. Joseph’s Center’s Trinity Child Care Center, is working on several projects that will help the children at the Center play in a relaxed and fun environment.

Through fundraisers, donations, and the generous support of Matt McGloin, in conjunction with the Matt McGloin Foundation, Leadership’s “Fun for All” team will equip the Trinity Child Care Center’s Multi-Purpose and Therapy Room, and the outside playground area.

The Trinity Child Care Center was specifically initiated for children who are medically fragile or technology dependent. This service can be utilized as an alternative or a supplement to in-home nursing care. Designed to serve children who require medical care throughout the day, St. Joseph’s Center at Trinity meets an existing community need for parents who are working or attending school, who have had difficulty finding appropriate day care services.

Leadership Lackawanna’s Core Program is a 10-month leadership, interpersonal and managerial skills building program. Participants gain an understanding of the issues relevant to the Greater Scranton area, through monthly sessions. Areas of focus include: community development, economic development, government, health care, law, education, quality of life, sustainability, history and media, with sessions featuring widely recognized specialists. Members of the class devote a large portion of their time to develop and implement community projects.

For additional information about Leadership’s “Fun for All” project team, visit www.facebook.com/LeadershipFun4All, or www.leadershiplackawanna.com/core. For additional information about the St. Joseph’s Center at Trinity, please visit  www.stjosephscenter.org/outpatienttherapy/indextcccmus.html.

Dawn M. Evans, O.T.D., O.T.R./L., assistant professor of occupational therapy at Misericordia University, has been named president of the newly formed American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter which will serve 36 counties in the state, including Potter, Fulton, Lancaster and Wayne counties.

Four state chapters – Central, South Central, Greater Northeast and Greater Lehigh Valley – merged to form the AFSP Eastern PA Chapter. The merger will enable chapter volunteers to work more effectively and efficiently, while reaching more people and doing the most good with limited resources.

Eastern PA Chapter Board members include Dr. Evans, president; Teresa Perez, co-chair; Jim Presto, co-chair; Tricia Carbaugh, treasurer; Samantha Rynard, secretary; Mallory Weymer, Desiree Galdeieri, Joseph Calhoun and Connie Sutton.

For more information about the programming provided by the AFSP Eastern PA Chapter, please email the organization at easternpa@afsp.org or follow its Facebook page @AFSPEasternPennsylvania. To learn more about opportunities to volunteer, please call 814-357-5829.

Business degree seniors at Marywood University, Dimitri Thompson and Kendall Farrell, are gearing up for their Kickstarter Campaign, which is set to launch on April 1, 2019. The entrepreneurs are two-time top 5 finalists in the techBridge competition (also known as The Business Plan Competition), a regional contest designed to stimulate innovative thinking to leverage a technology-driven economy while retaining our regions’ talent.

Mr. Thompson and Mr. Farrell invented a device that cleans the undercarriage of a car. The name of their product is called, “The Uni-Glider.” Through the techBridge competition and with the assistance of Christopher Speicher, Ph.D., associate professor of marketing and entrepreneurship at Marywood University, the duo of entrepreneurs was able to fine tune their prototype and move closer to being able to offer the product on the market

Residing in the Scranton area, and remembering their hometown of New York City, Mr. Thompson and Mr. Farrell said, “Being from New York City, we deal with a lot of road salt. Everyone who drives in any city has had a moment where they’re stuck behind a truck leaving salt on the road, and we often forget the damage that can be done to the underside of our vehicles as a result.”

According to the website, Kickstarter helps artists, musicians, filmmakers, designers, and other creators find the resources and support they need to make their ideas a reality. To date, tens of thousands of creative projects—big and small—have come to life with the support of the Kickstarter community.

Excited for the launch of their Kickstarter Campaign, the business partners are anxiously awaiting graduation in the spring of 2019 so they can devote all of their time to growing their business, T&F Products. In addition to offering the “The Uni-Glider system,” T&F Products, a marketing firm for small businesses, aims to assist clients with the expertise needed to give them an edge over competitor start-up businesses.

For additional information about Mr. Thompson and Mr. Farrell’s product, “The Uni-Glider,” please visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-pxAMkTWk4, or visit the Kickstarter website on April 1, 2019, when the launch of product is unveiled on www.kickstarter.com

Marywood University’s Aviation Management Program in the School of Business and Global Innovation will host a visit by ExpressJet Airlines on Friday, March 29, 2019, from 12:30 – 3:30 p.m., in the McGowan Center for Graduate and Professional Studies, Room 2025. This event is free and open to all who are interested in the aviation program at Marywood University.

ExpressJet Airlines operates as United Express and is owned by ManaAir, LLC, which has a minority interest from United Airlines. Dedicated to providing safe, reliable and caring service for every customer, on every flight, ExpressJet is also passionate about launching aviation careers and is also proud of their reputation for developing highly skilled and sought-after aviation professionals.

Marywood University is the only institution in the region that offers a bachelor’s degree in aviation management. Marywood’s program is certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), and taught by professional pilots.

For additional information about the ExpressJet Airlines visit to Marywood University, please call (570) 348-6274, or visit the School of Business and Global Innovation at Marywood University, at www.marywood.edu/business/undergraduate/aviation/index.