Furthering Geisinger’s commitment to investing in the health and well-being of its employees, Susan Parisi, M.D., has been named the health system’s first chief wellness officer.

In this new role, Dr. Parisi will champion and guide the implementation of a systemwide strategy to improve the mental health, professional fulfillment and overall well-being of the Geisinger family. She’ll also oversee advocacy programs and initiatives aimed at enhancing shared decision making, professional satisfaction, autonomy and a culture of professionalism and respect.

“Our employees are the heart of everything we do,” said Janet Tomcavage, Geisinger executive vice president and chief nursing officer. “As we strive to make better health easier for those we serve, we will continue to invest in our employees and create an engaging, supportive employee experience where every person feels motivated and connected to their professional purpose. We’re incredibly fortunate to have gained such an experienced and committed leader with Dr. Parisi, and I’m confident she will help us strengthen our focus on the health and well-being of our Geisinger family.”

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, efforts were already underway at Geisinger to improve employee well-being with the establishment of the Center for Professionalism and Well-being — a team that offers Geisinger employees a variety of services related to mental health, burnout mitigation, community building, professionalism in the workplace and more. Throughout the pandemic, these efforts were accelerated as studies revealed that more than one in five healthcare workers had anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder.

In accepting the position, Dr. Parisi said, “The crisis of emotional exhaustion and burnout on the healthcare workforce is more important than ever — and it deserves our full attention. I’m thrilled to join Geisinger in this new role and partner with our Geisinger family to find new and better ways to build a culture that supports the well-being of everyone who commits their lives to this work. When we create a culture focused on allowing our teams to thrive personally and professionally, we create a world-class experience for everyone — our employees, our patients, and our members.”

Dr. Parisi brings three decades of experience in healthcare, spending the earlier part of her career caring for patients in obstetrics and gynecology. She’s held leadership roles in several organizations, most recently serving as the director of well-being for Nuvance Healthcare, where she worked to implement a strategic and collaborative well-being program that accommodates seven hospitals, a multispecialty group and 2,500 physicians across New York and Connecticut.

After supporting fellow physicians through their own experiences with burnout and emotional exhaustion, Dr. Parisi pursued the prestigious Stanford Chief Wellness Officer training, which she completed in 2019. In 2018, she completed a fellowship in integrative medicine at the University of Arizona. She earned her Bachelor of Science with a concentration in genetics and development from Cornell University and her medical degree from New York Medical College. She serves on several boards and committees, and is an active member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Program Participants from Beacon-Keystone’s ArtWorks Gallery & Studio and Keystone Grows La Plume Day Programs gather for a group photo to present a check to Maternal & Family Health Services of Lackawanna County for $2,741.69. Over the past few months, clients from the ArtWorks Day Program created 75 unique ceramic planters and partnered with Keystone Grows, where clients used their gardening skills to turn these pots into planters: holding a variety of summer flowers and succulents. The sale was held Saturday, May 7th, at The Electric City Trolley Museum, drawing hundreds of patrons, and all the unique pieces were sold out. 

“It brings us great pleasure to welcome back our Nancy Jackson Memorial Day of Caring to Lackawanna and Wayne Counties,” said Gary Drapek, President & CEO of the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties.  “We couldn’t be more excited to welcome back this great tradition of community members rolling up their sleeves and canvassing Lackawanna and Wayne Counties to address important projects to ensure essential agencies are able to continue doing the great work for our community,” added Drapek.

The Nancy Jackson Memorial Day of Caring is an annual, organized day of service named after the long-time United Way volunteer who founded the program in 1994 and chaired Day of Caring each year until her passing in 2017.  Day of Caring mobilizes hundreds of volunteers into United Way partner agencies and grant recipient organizations to provide much-needed assistance. Over the course of the 27 years of existence, nearly 13,000 volunteers have given more than 70,000 hours of service, and the value of the more than 1,000 projects they’ve completed during Day of Caring is over $3 million.

“Day of Caring is unique in that the volunteers see first-hand the all-important work of our network of agencies and at the same time, the agencies themselves benefit tremendously through the projects completed that otherwise might never be accomplished in the course of providing vital services in our community,” noted Drapek.

To sign up your company to send a group of volunteers out in the community on Thursday, September 1^st contact Barry Snyder, Vice President of Community Outreach at 570.343.1267 x237 or bsnyder@uwlc.net.  All groups besides companies are also more than welcome to join in on the Day of Caring.  Simply contact Barry Snyder for more information.

The United Way Campaign in Lackawanna County will kick-off on Thursday, September 1^st at Cooper’s Seafood House, presented by Alliance Wealth Advisors, beginning at 4:30 p.m. That event price is discounted to $20 for Day of Caring Volunteers and $30 at the door.  A variety of barbeque fare will be served, including a dozen clams and a dozen shrimp for all attendees.

For further comment, call the Barry Snyder, Vice President of Community Outreach, United Way at (570) 343-1267 x237.

The Ernest and Margaret Lemnitzer Memorial Fund, administered by the Trust Department at The Honesdale National Bank and local Honesdale businessman, Paul Meagher, continued its support of those pursuing higher education with the awarding of scholarships to 2022 graduates with a total distribution of $48,213.99.

The Ernest and Margaret Lemnitzer Memorial Fund was created by these prominent Honesdale residents to support designated charitable organizations within Wayne County, as well as, to provide scholarships to deserving graduates of Wayne Highlands High School.  Ernest was the brother of the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Honesdale resident, Lyman Lemnitzer.

Darcy Banicky received financial support through the “Ernest and Margaret Lemnitzer Scholarship” as the Wayne Highlands High School 2022 Class Valedictorian. Banicky is enrolled to attend Cornell University in the fall. This scholarship totals $17,517.50.

The Honesdale National Bank Trust Department has managed the investments of the Memorial Fund since its inception in 1991. Through prudent investment of the trust assets, grants in excess of $2.5 Million have been paid to qualifying recipients to date. A total of $407,893.46 has been distributed through the Ernest and Margaret Lemnitzer Scholarships alone. For more information about the HNB Financial Group, please call 570-253-3355 or visit the HNB Corporate Center in Honesdale. 

The Honesdale National Bank, established in 1836, holds the distinction of being the area’s oldest independent community bank headquartered in Northeastern PA, with offices in Wayne, Pike, Susquehanna, Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties.  The Honesdale National Bank offers personal banking, business banking and wealth solutions.  For more information on HNB’s products and services, visit www.hnbbank.bank.

The Scranton Area Community Foundation awarded grants to The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement and The University of Scranton.

The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement (TWCPCE) was recently awarded an $18,500 grant from the Scranton Area Community Foundation to support the organization’s Community Health Workers’ Patient Assistance Program in Lackawanna County.

Community health workers will use the grant funds to respond to the hardships identified in social and economic determinants of health (SDOH) screenings that are administered at a patient’s first appointment with an emphasis on providing food donation bags, bus passes, and filled school backpacks for needy students who reside in Lackawanna County.

“Patients will receive these items to help alleviate poverty in Lackawanna County. We will provide 74 children with backpacks filled with school supplies, making sure they have the supplies they need to learn and grow,” said Kara Seitzinger, director of public affairs for The Wright Center for Community Health. “This program will help ensure that individuals and families will not go hungry, and that reliable transportation will be available when needed.”

In addition to the children’s backpacks, the organization’s goal is to provide 521 bus passes and food donation bags to 207 families and individuals.

During a SDOH screening, community health workers determine if a family is experiencing financial hardship or food insecurity and transportation issues and more.

In 2021, The Wright Center’s community health workers made 2,630 outreaches to patients receiving services at the Scranton practice, illustrating the dire needs of individuals who completed the SDOH screenings. Housing, food, utility, phone, health care assistance, clothing, childcare and transportation were needed, along with behavioral health and stress relief.

In 2020, TWCPCE participated in food drives that fed 1,800 families. The team also distributed 1,000 school backpacks and 378 winter coats.

“We provide 160 bus passes every six months per clinic and at least 10 bags of food per week to needy families,” said Amanda Vommaro, co-director of TWCPCE. “The need is growing due to the ongoing pandemic and the economic impacts of the war in Ukraine. Our community health workers will have the necessary resources to immediately respond to needs identified during social and economic determinants of health screenings, thanks to the resources provided by the generosity of the Scranton Area Community Foundation.”

TWCPCE’s mission is to improve the health of the community through education, advocacy, patient-centered services and efforts directed toward the SDOH. Its 18-member board, comprised of Wright Center for Community Health patients and area professionals, is passionate about helping the less fortunate in the service area, including those experiencing homelessness, poverty, food insecurity, social isolation or other hardships and encompasses people of all ethnic/racial backgrounds and ages.

The University of Scranton received an $11,000 Community Needs grant from the Scranton Area Community Foundation to support a program that helps teens and young adults who are living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Northeastern Pennsylvania achieve their employment aspirations.

The free program, called the Job Club, will be offered each semester on campus by the University’s Rehabilitation Counseling faculty and graduate students.

Through the program, motivated teens, who are age 16 or older, and young adults with ASD will develop the necessary technical and soft skills to prepare them to secure meaningful employment. Learning modules include skill development in a variety of related topics and activities, such as setting employment goals, creating resumes, employment soft skills, completing applications, practicing interviewing skills, understanding/starting the job-hunting process and what to expect on your first day of work. The program will be customized to participants to meet their individual needs.